Best of the Twin Cities: The Winners

THE CITY GRITTY

BEST LOCAL GIRL MADE GOOD: Jean Jordan -- Readers' Choice: Rachael Leigh Cook

BEST LOCAL GIRL GONE BAD: Brittany Petros

BEST LOCAL BOY MADE GOOD: Rich Kronfeld -- Readers' Choice: Prince

BEST LOCAL BOY GONE BAD: Chuck Foreman

BEST MOM: Audrey Grams

BEST DAD: Rod Grams

BEST VANDALISM: The beheading of Stargazer Snoopy

BEST COP: Minneapolis Police Sgt. Andy Schmidt

BEST VILLAIN: Big Tobacco -- Readers' Choice: Jesse Ventura

BEST VICTIM: Jerry Janezich

BEST MYTH: "The Vikings could win the Super Bowl"

BEST SECOND-BEST MYTH: "There's always next year"

BEST SIGN OF THE LONG-RUMORED RENAISSANCE OF DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL: Traffic

BEST REASON TO MOVE TO WOODBURY: Snow-emergency parking rules

BEST SHORTCUT: From Third Street and Cedar Avenue South to freeways galore

BEST IDEA FOR A TWINS STADIUM: Temporary outdoor stadium in Bloomington

BEST GADFLY: New Ballpark Citizens Committee

BEST PLACE TO FALL ASLEEP IN PUBLIC: Dayton's

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY: Clare's Well Spirituality Farm and Retreat Center

BEST MEAT RAFFLE: Mayslack's Polka Lounge

BEST RENOVATION: Open Book

BEST FARMERS' MARKET: St. Paul Farmers' Market

BEST FOOD COURT: Mall of America South Food Court

BEST PUBLIC RESTROOM: The Monte Carlo

BEST CHEAP THRILL: Dollar King

BEST LOCALLY GENERATED WEB SITE: www.lileks.com

BEST LOCAL SIGN OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY: Your monthly bills

BEST AIR-TRAVEL INNOVATION: Northwest Airlines' online check-in

BEST GROUP TO WELCOME NEW TWIN CITIZENS: Twin Cities Transplants

BEST STATE FAIR FOOD: The Mini-Donut -- Readers' Choice: Corn dog

BEST STATE FAIR RIDE: Ye Old Mill

BEST USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS: Minneapolis Public Schools' community-education programs

BEST LIBRARY: Minnesota Historical Society Library

BEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER: Hmong Times

BEST CORRECTION: March 31, 2001 Star Tribune

BEST LANDMARK: Minneapolis City Hall clock tower

BEST VIEW: Foshay Tower

BEST ZONING VIOLATION: Bobby's World

BEST CAREER MOVE: Mark Dayton

BEST SELF-PROMOTION: Mike Hatch

BEST RISE AND FALL: Chris Clouser

BEST EXIT: John Moir

BEST BOONDOGGLE: The Sears complex

BEST SCANDAL: The Minnesota Timberwolves' deal with Joe Smith

BEST EXAMPLE OF KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY: The Brothers Grundhofer

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE: Science Museum of Minnesota

BEST PLACE TO DUMP SOMEONE: Camp Snoopy

BEST "YOU SHOULDA BEEN HERE": Winter 2000-01

BEST MONTH TO LEAVE THE TWIN CITIES: February

BEST MONTH TO BE IN THE TWIN CITIES: February -- Readers' Choice: June

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS: The Milling District

BEST FESTIVAL: The Lyn-Lake Street Fair -- Readers' Choice: 93X-Fest

BEST PARADE: St. Patrick's Day Parade

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH: IDS Crystal Court -- Readers' Choice: Mall of America

BEST POLITICIAN: Sen. Paul Wellstone -- Readers' Choice: Jesse Ventura

BEST BROKEN PROMISE: Sen. Paul Wellstone

BEST TILT AT A WINDMILL: Krinkie vs. Ventura

BEST POLITICAL EMBARRASSMENT: Block E

BEST NON-ISSUE: The XFL

BEST JESSE VENTURA QUOTE: "Until you hunted man, you haven't hunted yet"

BEST QUOTE ABOUT JESSE VENTURA: "A roaring river of inanities"

BEST PROOF THAT THE END WAS REALLY NEAR: The International Society for Animal Genetics convention

BEST GROUND ZERO: Downtown Minneapolis, July 21-26, 2000

BEST GROUND ZERO (LITERAL): U Otter Stop Inn

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BEST AM RADIO PERSONALITY: T.D. Mischke -- Readers' Choice: Joe Soucheray

BEST FM RADIO PERSONALITY: Pete Lee -- Readers' Choice: Remy Maxwell (93X)

BEST JAZZ RADIO PROGRAM: Fresh Ears

BEST HIP-HOP RADIO PROGRAM: 2 the Break-A-Dawn -- Readers' Choice: Radio K's Beat Box(KUOM-AM 770)

BEST SPORTS TALK RADIO HOST: Dan Cole

BEST RADIO STATION: KFAI-FM -- Readers' Choice: 93X

BEST PIRATE RADIO STATION: Free Radio Twin Cities

BEST TV SPORTS ANCHOR: Joe Schmit

BEST TV WEATHERPERSON: Ken Barlow

BEST TV NEWSCASTER: Julie Nelson -- Readers' Choice: Paul Magers

BEST-DRESSED TV NEWSCASTER: Paul Magers

BEST TV STATION: Minneapolis Telecommunications Network -- Readers' Choice: KARE-11

BEST ART CINEMA: U Film Society

BEST FILM: I Hate Babysitting!

BEST STAGE PRODUCTION: American Safari

BEST ACTOR: Stephen D'Ambrose

BEST ACTRESS: Jaidee Forman

BEST DIRECTOR: Andrew Kim

BEST THEATER FOR NEW WORK: The Playwrights' Center

BEST THEATER FOR COMEDY: Acadia Café and Cabaret

BEST THEATER FOR DRAMA: Mixed Blood Theatre

BEST INDEPENDENT THEATER: 15 Head: A Theatre Lab

BEST LOCAL IMPRESARIO: Dean J. Seal

BEST OPERA: Street Scene

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS: Cathy Young Dance

BEST DANCER: Laura Selle

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER: Robin Stiehm

BEST WRITER AT A LOCAL DAILY: Charles Laszewski -- Readers' Choice: Jim Walsh

BEST MUSIC WEBZINE: Exiled on Main Street

BEST ART GALLERY: The Waiting Room

BEST NEW ART TREND: Invasion of the Young Turks

BEST SINGLE-ARTIST SHOW: Shannon Kennedy

BEST MOVIE THEATER: Oak Street Cinema -- Readers' Choice: Lagoon Cinema

BEST OBSCURE MUSEUM: The Bakken

BEST MUSEUM EXHIBITION: "An Acre of Art" at the Minnesota Artists' Gallery

BEST PUBLIC ART PROJECT: Lake Street USA

BEST MUSEUM: The Minnesota Historical Society History Center Museum -- Readers' Choice: Science Museum of Minnesota

BEST PUBLIC-ACCESS CABLE TV SHOW: Polka Party

BEST BOOK BY A LOCAL AUTHOR: Packinghouse Daughter
by Cheri Register

OUT & ABOUT

BEST PLACE TO WATCH A MOVIE OUTDOORS: Vali-Hi Drive-In Theatre

BEST SIGN OF SPRING: The Powderhorn May Day Parade

BEST PLACE TO BIRD WATCH: Maplewood Nature Center

BEST FISHING HOLE (URBAN): Lake Elmo

BEST PUBLIC PARK: Powderhorn Park

BEST PLACE TO CAMP: The Boundary Waters