Best of the Twin Cities: The Winners

THE CITY GRITTY

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

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE Como Park Conservatory
Readers' Choice: Loring Pasta Bar

BEST LOCAL GIRL MADE GOOD Lindsay Whalen
Readers' Choice: Sarah Harris

BEST LOCAL BOY MADE GOOD Josh Hartnett
Readers' Choice: Josh Hartnett

BEST LOCAL GIRL GONE BAD Winona Ryder

BEST LOCAL BOY GONE BAD Lil Buddy

BEST VILLAIN Bud Selig
Readers' Choice: Gov. Jesse Ventura

BEST VICTIM Carl Pohlad

BEST JUDGE Judge Harry Seymour Crump

BEST POLITICIAN Mee Moua
Readers' Choice: Sen. Paul Wellstone

BEST FLIGHT SCHOOL Pan Am International Flight Academy

BEST LOCALLY GENERATED WEB SITE www.musicscenenetwork.com

BEST CAUSE Women's Prison Book Project

BEST RUMOR Bioterror at the Science Museum!

BEST TILT AT A WINDMILL SaveTheGuthrie.org

BEST USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS Leave No Child Behind

BEST LOCAL EXAMPLE OF THE DOT-COM BUST Rick Born

BEST MAYOR Pat Awada
Readers' Choice: R.T. Rybak

BEST CITY COUNCIL MEMBER Kathy Lantry

BEST GADFLY Jesse Ventura

BEST JESSE VENTURA QUOTE

BEST "YOU SHOULDA BEEN HERE WHEN..." The budget hot potato

BEST CAREER MOVE Bob Mould writes about wrestling

BEST KNEE-JERK REACTION Clear Channel's song memo

BEST CHUTZPAH The Minnesota Vikings

BEST GOLDEN PARACHUTE Dennis Green

BEST SCANDAL The Brian Herron extortion case

BEST GROUND ZERO Minneapolis City Hall

BEST BOONDOGGLE The Duffy investigation

BEST PUBLIC RESTROOM Chino Latino

BEST PLACE TO PRACTICE PIANO IN PUBLIC The Emil Oberhoffer Room at the Minneapolis Central Library

BEST BROKEN PROMISE The razing of the 'Celebration of Life' mural

BEST FARMERS' MARKET St. Paul Farmers' Market

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS Paisley Park

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH The Minneapolis Impound Lot during a snow emergency
Readers' Choice: State Fair

BEST VIEW Downtown Minneapolis from St. Anthony Main

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY Gunflint Lodge

BEST STATE FAIR ATTRACTION The Amateur Talent Contest

BEST STATE FAIR FOOD Sweet Martha's chocolate-chip cookies
Readers' Choice: Cheese Curds

BEST FESTIVAL The Minnesota Fringe Festival

BEST LIBRARY Hosmer Community Library

BEST PARADE Celebrate Northeast

BEST CHEAP THRILL Salvation Army

BEST SUBURBAN DOWNTOWN Hopkins

BEST MEAT RAFFLE Dusty's Bar

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE MEN (GAY) Spirit of the Lakes United Church of Christ

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE MEN (STRAIGHT) Pastor Paul's Acoustic Garage Sale

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE WOMEN (STRAIGHT) Yoga class

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE WOMEN (LESBIAN) Amazon Bookstore Cooperative

BEST PLACE TO DUMP SOMEONE Lagoon Cinema
Readers' Choice: Mall of America

BEST CLASS ACT Kelci Stringer

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BEST RADIO STATION KFAI-FM (90.3 Minneapolis, 106.7 St. Paul)
Readers' Choice: Radio K

BEST JAZZ RADIO PROGRAM 'Monday Evening Jazz With Tom Surowicz'

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

BEST FM RADIO PERSONALITY Cathy Wurzer
Readers' Choice: Tom Barnard

BEST NEW TALK SHOW HOST Ian Punnett

BEST HIP-HOP RADIO PROGRAM 'Smoke 'n' Delite'
Readers' Choice: 'The Beat Box'

BEST TV WEATHERPERSON Paul Douglas
Readers' Choice: Belinda Jensen

BEST SPORTS TALK RADIO SHOW 'P.A. & Dubay'

BEST-DRESSED TV NEWSCASTER Robyne Robinson

BEST TV SPORTS ANCHOR Eric Perkins
Readers' Choice: Randy Shaver

BEST PUBLIC-ACCESS CABLE TV PROGRAM 'The InnerCityFishing Show'

BEST TV STATION WFTC-TV (Channel 29)
Readers' Choice: KARE-TV

BEST TV NEWSCASTER Mary Lahammer
Readers' Choice: Paul Magers

BEST REPORTER Jim Ragsdale

BEST COLUMNIST Nick Coleman
Readers' Choice: Dara Moskowitz

BEST READING OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS Michael Moore at Ruminator Books/Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul

BEST ZINE 'Cookie and Butch'

BEST STAGE PRODUCTION 'Want'

BEST THEATER FOR NEW WORK 3 Legged Race

BEST BOOK BY A LOCAL AUTHOR 'Lake Street U.S.A.'

BEST THEATER FOR COMEDY Bedlam Theater

BEST ACTOR Casey Greig

BEST ACTRESS Phyllis Wright

BEST DIRECTOR Joel Sass

BEST INDEPENDENT THEATER Fifty Foot Penguin

BEST LOCAL IMPRESARIO Philip Bither, Walker Art Center

BEST ART SERVICE Minnesota Artists Online

BEST VENUE FOR DANCE Southern Theater

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS (LOCAL) 'Catalyst Dances' by Emily Johnson

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS (ROAD SHOW) 'PASTForward' by White Oak Dance Project

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER Shapiro & Smith

BEST DANCER Greg Waletski

BEST ART GALLERY Midway Contemporary Art
Readers' Choice: Walker Art Center

BEST ART CINEMA U Film Society

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

BEST FILM "I'm Sorry I Was Right"

BEST SINGLE-ARTIST SHOW "Shana Kaplow: A Sense of Pull" at Franklin Art Works

BEST MUSEUM EXHIBITION Mill City Museum

BEST MUSEUM Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Readers' Choice: Minneapolis Institute of Art

OUT & ABOUT

BEST BOWLING ALLEY Minnehaha Lanes
Readers' Choice: Bryant-Lake Bowl

BEST GOLF COURSE (MINI) Lava Links

BEST GOLF COURSE Theodore Wirth Golf Course
Readers' Choice: The Wilds Golf Club

BEST BATTING CAGE Rice & Arlington Sports Dome

BEST BINGO GAME Saints Bloomington Family Roller Skating Center

BEST PICKUP BASKETBALL GAME Farview Park

BEST BOXING GYM B.T. Bombers

BEST COACH Brenda Oldfield
Readers' Choice: Brenda Oldfield

BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE Luke Becker
Readers' Choice: Lindsay Whalen

BEST HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE Edward "Major" Bowen

BEST LOCAL OLYMPIAN Courtney Kennedy

BEST JOCKEY Derek Bell

BEST CHOKE (AMATEUR) Olympic Skier Kristina Koznick

BEST CHOKE (PROFESSIONAL) Viking Quarterback Spergon Wynn

BEST LYNX PLAYER Katie Smith
Readers' Choice: Katie Smith

BEST TIMBERWOLVES PLAYER Three guesses
Readers' Choice: Kevin Garnett

BEST TWINS PLAYER Doug Mientkiewicz
Readers' Choice: Doug Mientkiewicz

BEST WILD PLAYER Marian Gaborik
Readers' Choice: Marian Gaborik

BEST VIKINGS PLAYER Randy Moss
Readers' Choice: Daunte Culpepper

BEST ROLLER RINK Roller Garden Skating and Blading

BEST PLACE TO ICE-SKATE Nathan Hale Park
Readers' Choice: Milwaukee Road Depot Ice Rink

BEST PLACE TO ROLLERBLADE The Lakes of Minneapolis

BEST PLACE TO CROSS-COUNTRY SKI Wild River State Park

BEST SLEDDING Buck Hill

BEST SIGN OF SPRING Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

BEST BIKE TRAIL Minnesota River Bottoms

BEST PLACE TO JOG Pike Island

BEST PLACE TO HIKE (URBAN) Elliot Park and Downtown East

BEST PLACE TO HIKE (WOODSY) Big Rivers Regional Trail

BEST PLACE TO CAMP Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

BEST DAY TRIP Pepin, Wisconsin

BEST PICNIC SPOT Noerenberg Garden

BEST PLACE TO BIRD-WATCH The effluent channel at the Metro Sewage Treatment Plant

BEST TENNIS COURTS Bryn Mawr Meadows

BEST BEACH Hidden Beach
Readers' Choice: Lake Calhoun

BEST FISHING HOLE (URBAN) The Mississippi River at the Ford Dam

BEST DAY SPA The Day Spa

BEST PUBLIC PARK Powderhorn Park
Readers' Choice: Como Park

BEST PLACE TO WATCH A MOVIE OUTDOORS Loring Park (Summer Music and Movies)

BEST PLACE TO LEARN TO DANCE Four Seasons Dance Studio

BEST DOG PARK Minnehaha Park

BOUGHT & SOLD

BEST PLACE TO RENT DVDS Video Universe

BEST PLACE TO RENT FOREIGN FILMS Intercontinental Video

BEST VIDEO RENTAL Nicollet Village Video
Readers' Choice: Blockbuster

BEST PLACE TO BUY VINYL Let It Be Records

BEST CD STORE (USED) Cheapo Discs
Readers' Choice: Cheapo Discs

BEST CD STORE (NEW) The Electric Fetus
Readers' Choice: Electric Fetus

BEST CD STORE CLASSICAL Cheapo Discs, Uptown

BEST ELECTRONICS (AUDIOPHILE) Audio Perfection

BEST ELECTRONICS (PROLETARIAN) Best Buy

BEST MUSIC STORE (LOCAL) Willie's American Guitars

BEST MUSIC STORE (CORPORATE BEHEMOTH) Guitar Center

BEST MALL Har Mar Mall
Readers' Choice: Mall of America

BEST BODY PIERCING Saint Sabrina's Parlor in Purgatory

BEST HEAD SHOP Maharaja's

BEST TOBACCONIST Golden Leaf

BEST COMIC-BOOK SHOP Big Brain Comics

BEST PLACE TO BUY A BIT OF WAR HISTORY Battlefield Store

BEST TATTOO PARLOR The Ink Lab

BEST TOY STORE Phoenix Games
Readers' Choice: Creative Kidstuff

BEST BABY GOODS STORE Peapods

BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKSTORE Wild Rumpus

BEST BOOKSTORE (NEW) Ruminator Books
Readers' Choice: Barnes & Noble

BEST BOOKSTORE (USED) Rag & Bone Books
Readers' Choice: Half Price Books

BEST PAWNSHOP Hy's Loan Office & Pawn Brokers

BEST THRIFT STORE DAV Thrift Store
Readers' Choice: Savers

BEST USED FURNITURE (DIRT CHEAP) Your alley at the end of the month

BEST USED FURNITURE (VINTAGE) Theatre Antiques

BEST HARDWARE STORE Seven Corners Hardware
Readers' Choice: The Home Depot

BEST CLOTHING STORE (VINTAGE) Ragstock Warehouse Store

BEST BOUTIQUE Che Bella

BEST USED CLOTHING (UPSCALE) Fashion Avenue

BEST USED CLOTHING (DOWNSCALE) Arc's Value Village

BEST USED CLOTHING (KIDS) Better Than Ever

BEST DRY CLEANER Peter Pan Cleaners

BEST CAR WASH T & Y Car Wash
Readers' Choice: Downtowner

BEST HOTEL The Saint Paul Hotel
Readers' Choice: The Saint Paul Hotel

BEST BED AND BREAKFAST The Elephant Walk

BEST GARDEN CENTER Mother Earth Gardens
Readers' Choice: Bachman's

BEST FLORIST Anthony Shane Florist

BEST BIKE SHOP Freewheel Bike
Readers' Choice: Erik's Bike Shop

BEST SPORTING-GOODS STORE Joe's Sporting Goods and Ski Shop

RESTAURANTS

BEST RESTAURANT FOR A FIRST DATE Chino Latino

BEST NEW RESTAURANT Vincent

BEST RESTAURANT TREND Half-price-wine nights

BEST BREAKFAST Ideal Diner
Readers' Choice: Keys Café & Bakery

BEST DINER Hamlin's Coffee Shop

BEST CHEAP EATS Strudel & Nudel Deli
Readers' Choice: Chipotle Mexican Grill

BEST PLACE TO EAT BEFORE YOUR ANGIOPLASTY Fat Lorenzo's

BEST RESTAURANT FOR GLUTTONS Q. Cumbers

BEST DRIVE-IN Porky's

BEST STEAK HOUSE Manny's Steakhouse
Readers' Choice: Manny's Steakhouse

BEST STEAK HOUSE ON A BUDGET Carpenter's Steak House

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (CHEAP) Café di Napoli
Readers' Choice: Buca di Beppo

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (NOT CHEAP) Pane Vino Dolce
Readers' Choice: Buca di Beppo

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CAFÉ (MINNEAPOLIS) Restaurant Alma

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CAFÉ (ST. PAUL) Chet's Taverna

BEST VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT French Meadow Bakery & Café
Readers' Choice: Mud Pie

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT Sri Lanka Restaurant
Readers' Choice: Taste of India

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT Chan's Seafood Restaurant
Readers' Choice: Rainbow Chinese Restaurant & Bar

BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT Fuji-Ya
Readers' Choice: Fuji-Ya

BEST KOREAN RESTAURANT Hoban

BEST THAI RESTAURANT Chiang Mai Thai
Readers' Choice: Sawatdee

BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT Jasmine Deli
Readers' Choice: Lotus Restaurant

BEST PLACE TO EAT OUT WITH YOUR KIDS Famous Dave's BBQ

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Oceanaire Seafood Room

BEST RESTAURANT FOR LATE-NIGHT DINING Mickey's Diner
Readers' Choice: Pizza Lucé

BEST RESTAURANT FOR OUTDOOR DINING Joe's Garage
Readers' Choice: Black Forest Inn

BEST PLACE TO SELF-MEDICATE Convention Grill

BEST RESTAURANT FOR APPETIZERS Aquavit

BEST RESTAURANT FOR DESSERT Goodfellow's
Readers' Choice: Café Latté

BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH Sobas

BEST COFFEEHOUSE Spyhouse Espresso Bar and Gallery
Readers' Choice: Dunn Bros Coffee

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tacos Morelos
Readers' Choice: Tacos Morelos

BEST AFRICAN RESTAURANT House of Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

BEST GREEK RESTAURANT It's Greek to Me

BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT café un deux trois
Readers' Choice: café un deux trois

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT Jerusalem's
Readers' Choice: Jerusalem's Restaurant

BEST FOOD CRIME Dish

BEST POWER LUNCH Anodyne@43rd

BEST REBIRTH Udupi Cafe

BEST SERVICE AT A RESTAURANT Sapor Café and Bar

BEST WINE LIST Café Barbette
Readers' Choice: Lucia's Restaurant and Wine Bar

BEST RESTAURANT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING Aquavit
Readers' Choice: Oceanaire

BEST RESTAURANT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE Marimar

BEST RESTAURANT FOR ROMANCE Loring Café
Readers' Choice: Loring Café

BEST RESTAURANT (ST. PAUL) Zander Café

BEST RESTAURANT (MINNEAPOLIS) Auriga

BEST LOCAL CHEF Tim McKee

FOODSTUFF

BEST DELICATESSEN Zaroff's Delicatessen Restaurant

BEST COFFEE (BY THE POUND) Bean Counter Coffee Company
Readers' Choice: Dunn Bros Coffee

BEST CHEESE SELECTION Surdyk's Cheese Shop

BEST WINE AND LIQUOR STORE Solo Vino
Readers' Choice: Surdyk's

BEST TAKEOUT El Burrito Mercado
Readers' Choice: (tie) Chipotle Mexican Grill and D'Amico and Sons

BEST BARBECUE Market Bar-B-Que
Readers' Choice: Famous Dave's BBQ

BEST HOT DOGS Joey D's Chicago Style Eatery

BEST BURGERS Matt's Bar
Readers' Choice: Matt's Bar

BEST FRIES Hamlin's Coffee Shop
Readers' Choice: McDonald's

BEST PIZZA Punch Neapolitan Pizza
Readers' Choice: Pizza Lucé

BEST FRIED CHICKEN Lucille's Kitchen

BEST CARRY-OUT CHICKEN Midtown Chicken Shack

BEST CHICKEN WINGS Arnellia's

BEST HOMEMADE PASTA Broders' Cucina Italiana

BEST ITALIAN GROCERY Buon Giorno Italian Market

BEST NATURAL FOODS GROCERY Seward Co-op Grocery
Readers' Choice: Whole Foods Market

BEST GOURMET GROCERY Kowalski's Market
Readers' Choice: Byerly's

BEST BREAD New French Bakery

BEST BAKERY Turtle Bread Company
Readers' Choice: Wuollet Bakery

BEST PIE Turtle Bread Company

BEST BAGELS Bagelman's
Readers' Choice: Bruegger's Bagels

BEST CROISSANTS A Baker's Wife's Pastry Shop

BEST FRESH PRODUCE Wedge Community Co-op
Readers' Choice: Farmers' Markets

BEST SALAD Jasmine Deli
Readers' Choice: Olive Garden

BEST ASIAN GROCERY Dragon Star Oriental Foods

BEST INDIAN GROCERY Asia Imports Inc.

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN GROCERY Holy Land Deli

BEST LATINO GROCERY El Burrito Mercado

BEST SOMALIAN GROCERY Elliot Park Grocery

BEST FISH MARKET Whole Foods Market

BEST SUSHI Katsu Sushi
Readers' Choice: Origami

BEST PREPARED FOODS Falafel King

BEST ICE CREAM PARLOR Izzy's Ice Cream Café

BEST DOUGHNUTS Blackey's Bakery

BEST CHOCOLATE B.T. McElrath Chocolatier

BEST CANDY STORE Dulcería La Piñata

BEST WEDDING CAKES Jessica's

SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR (ST. PAUL) The Spot Bar
Readers' Choice: Sweeney's

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR (MINNEAPOLIS) C.C. Club
Readers' Choice: (tie) Lyle's Bar and Restaurant and C.C. Club

BEST BARTENDER Corky Hisle

BEST GAY BAR Trikkx
Readers' Choice: Gay 90's

BEST LESBIAN BAR Twilight at Club Ashé
Readers' Choice: Lucy's

BEST COCKTAILS The St. Paul Grill
Readers' Choice: Chino Latino

BEST HAPPY HOUR The Poodle Club
Readers' Choice: Lyle's Bar and Restaurant

BEST MARGARITA Bar Abilene

BEST BLOODY MARY Sushi Tango

BEST WINE BAR Chiang Mai Thai

BEST BEER SELECTION IN A BAR Williams Uptown Pub & Peanut Bar
Readers' Choice: Williams Uptown Pub and Peanut Bar

BEST PLACE TO PLAY POOL Billiard Street Café
Readers' Choice: City Billiards

BEST JUKEBOX Triple Rock Social Club

BEST CASINO Grand Casino Hinckley

BEST KARAOKE Punk Karaoke at Tubby's Bar and Grill
Readers' Choice: Fine Line Music Café

BEST VOCALIST (FEMALE) Kat Bjelland

BEST VOCALIST (MALE) Robert Robinson

BEST JAZZ ARTIST Dave King
Readers' Choice: Happy Apple

BEST BLUES BAND The Butanes
Readers' Choice: Jonny Lang

THIRD-BEST BAND NAME 20 Dollar Love

BEST ROCK BAND Song of Zarathustra
Readers' Choice: Gel

BEST R&B BAND Moveable Feast
Readers' Choice: Soulvation

SECOND-BEST BAND NAME Olsen Twin Suicide

BEST HIP-HOP ARTIST The C.O.R.E.
Readers' Choice: Atmosphere

BEST HIP-HOP DJ Andrew Broder (a.k.a. Fog)

BEST ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN Paul Birken (a.k.a. Bobaflux)

BEST CLUB DJ Christian James
Readers' Choice: Corey Valentine

BEST ACOUSTIC PERFORMER Curtis & Loretta

BEST NEW BAND The Hundred Flowers

BEST BAND TO BREAK UP IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS Cenospecies

BEST BAND TO LEAVE THE TWIN CITIES IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS Tulip Sweet

BEST OLD BAND TVBC

BEST POP BAND Triangle

BEST BAND NAME Señor Droolcup

BEST SONGWRITER Sean Tillman

BEST ALBUM OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS 'The Glamour Is Contagious'
Valet

BEST LOCAL MUSIC COMPILATION 'Apartment Music'

BEST LOCAL RECORD LABEL HiPass

BEST PRODUCER Mike Wisti

BEST RECORDING STUDIO The Terrarium

BEST ADULT VIDEO STORE SexWorld

BEST STRIP CLUB The Skyway Lounge
Readers' Choice: Schieks Palace Royale

BEST DANCE CLUB The Quest

BEST ROCK CLUB Turf Club
Readers' Choice: First Avenue

BEST CONCERT VENUE First Avenue/7th St. Entry

BEST BLUES BAR Famous Dave's

BEST JAZZ CLUB Dakota Bar & Grill

BEST OPEN-MIC NIGHT 'Poets of the City'

BEST COUNTRY-MUSIC SHOW Sunday nights at the Hexagon Bar

BEST ALL-AGES VENUE 'In the Garage'
Readers' Choice: First Avenue/7th Street Entry

BEST CONCERT OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS Thrashfest II
Readers' Choice: U2, Target Center; May 1, 2001