Best of the Twin Cities: The Winners

THE CITY GRITTY

BEST HELLRAISER OR ACTIVIST GROUP JOBS NOW Coalition

BEST SCANDAL Telegate

BEST MAYOR Lee Hunt
Readers' Choice: R.T. Rybak

BEST POLITICIAN Tim Pawlenty
Readers' Choice: Paul Wellstone

BEST CORPORATE CITIZEN General Mills, Inc.

BEST BOONDOGGLE The inevitable Twins, Vikings, and Gophers stadiums
Readers' Choice: Bus Strike

BEST CAREER MOVE Randy Meier gets fired by KSTP

BEST GADFLY Phil Krinkie

BEST BROKEN PROMISE Norm Coleman's pledge to oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

BEST LOCAL BOY MADE GOOD Larry Fitzgerald Jr.
Readers' Choice: Prince

BEST LOCAL BOY GONE BAD Dick Borrell

BEST LOCAL GIRL MADE GOOD Katherine Lanpher
Readers' Choice: Lindsey Whalen

BEST LOCAL GIRL GONE BAD Patricia Anderson

BEST LOCALLY GENERATED WEB SITE Cursor

BEST FARMERS' MARKET Minneapolis Midtown Public Market

BEST FOOD COURT Mercado Central

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

BEST PLACE TO GET DUMPED Nicollet Mall, just outside of Target

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE MEN (STRAIGHT) The Wedge Community Co-op

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE MEN (GAY) 19 Bar

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE WOMEN (STRAIGHT) Opitz Outlet

BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE WOMEN (LESBIAN) Women's Prison Book Project

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH Perkins, late night
Readers' Choice: Minnesota State Fair

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS Purcell-Cutts House

BEST PUBLIC RESTROOM Amtrak Depot

BEST STATE FAIR RIDE Magnum

BEST STATE FAIR FOOD Cider Freezies
Readers' Choice: Cheese Curds

BEST USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS New playground equipment in Minneapolis parks

BEST VIEW The Minneapolis skyline from the St. Anthony Parkway

BEST VICTIM Joe Soucheray

BEST VILLAIN David Strom
Readers' Choice: Tim Pawlenty

BEST CHEAP THRILL Driving in January

BEST FESTIVAL Grand Old Day

BEST LIBRARY St. Paul Central Public Library

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

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY Duluth

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE Bryant-Lake Bowl
Readers' Choice: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

BEST FM RADIO PERSONALITY Earl Root - KFAI-FM
Readers' Choice: Remy Maxwell - 93X

BEST AM RADIO PERSONALITY T.D. Mischke - KSTP-AM
Readers' Choice: Mark Wheat - Radio K

BEST HIP-HOP RADIO PROGRAM 2 the Break-A-Dawn - KFAI-FM
Readers' Choice: The Beat Box - Radio K

BEST CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS The Minnesota Orchestra in Lahti, Finland

BEST JAZZ RADIO PROGRAM Monday Evening Jazz with Tom Surowicz - KBEM-FM

BEST RADIO PROGRAM AFTER MIDNIGHT The Echo Chamber - KFAI-FM
Readers' Choice: X-Treme Metal Shop - 93X

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

BEST TV WEATHERPERSON MnDOT Aviation Weather Computers
Readers' Choice: Belinda Jensen

BEST TV NEWSCASTER Julie Nelson - KARE-TV
Readers' Choice: Don Shelby

BEST PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE TV PROGRAM Somali TV

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

BEST SPORTS TALK RADIO HOST Dan Cole - KFAN-AM

BEST COLUMNIST Brian Lambert
Readers' Choice: Dara Moskowitz

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

BEST BOOK BY A LOCAL AUTHOR The Language of Blood: A Memoir by Jane Jeong Trenka

BEST THEATER FOR DRAMA Mixed Blood Theatre

BEST THEATER FOR NEW WORK Pillsbury House Theatre

BEST ACTOR Steven Epp

BEST ACTRESS Charity Jones

BEST DIRECTOR Michelle Hensley

BEST INDEPENDENT THEATER Frank Theatre

BEST BUDGET MOVIE THEATER Riverview Theater

BEST FILM What America Needs: From Sea to Shining Sea

BEST MOVIE THEATER Minnesota Film Arts' Oak Street Cinema
Readers' Choice: Lagoon Cinema

BEST ART CINEMA Minnesota Film Arts' University Film Society at Bell Auditorium

BEST ART GALLERY Ox-Op Gallery
Readers' Choice: Walker Art Center

BEST MUSEUM Walker Art Center
Readers' Choice: Science Museum of Minnesota

BEST MUSEUM EXHIBITION "Crossing the Channel" - Minneapolis Institute of Arts

BEST SINGLE-ARTIST SHOW Don Holzschuh's Minneapolis exhibit at Flanders Contemporary Arts

BEST PUBLIC ART PROJECT Merit Printing Mural

BEST ARTS ORGANIZATION Springboard for the Arts

BEST LOCAL IMPRESARIO Clint Simonsen

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER HIJACK

BEST DANCER Roxane Wallace

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE Ballet of the Dolls

BEST STAGE PRODUCTION PROM - Children's Theatre Company

BEST THEATER FOR COMEDY Bryant-Lake Bowl

OUT & ABOUT

BEST PLACE TO JOG Wirth Parkway to Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden to Lake of the Isles

BEST BATTING CAGE Grand Slam Sports & Entertainment Center

BEST GOLF COURSE The Minneapolis City Courses
Readers' Choice: Hiawatha Golf Gourse

BEST BOWLING ALLEY Mady's Bowl & Lounge
Readers' Choice: Bryant-Lake Bowl

BEST BIKE TRAIL Cannon Valley Trail

BEST TENNIS COURTS College of St. Catherine

BEST BEACH Hidden Beach
Readers' Choice: Lake Calhoun

BEST FISHING HOLE Mississippi River, by the powerhouse at the Ford Dam

BEST PICNIC SPOT West River Road
Readers' Choice: Minnehaha Falls

BEST PLACE TO BIRD-WATCH Whitewater Wildlife Management Area

BEST PLACE TO CAMP The island next to the Riverside Power Plant, Minneapolis

BEST PLACE TO CANOE Kettle River

BEST PLACE TO HIKE Afton State Park

BEST PLACE TO LEARN TO DANCE Date Night Dance, Friday Evenings, at the Arthur Murray Dance Studios

BEST PLACE TO PLAY POOL Fat Boy Billiards
Readers' Choice: City Billiards Bar & Cafe

BEST PLACE TO ROLLERBLADE The Mississippi River Roads

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