Best of the Twin Cities: Winners

THE CITY GRITTY

BEST SIGN OF SPRING Extended cigarette breaks

BEST FREE PARKING The I-94 overpass next to the Basilica

BEST GAS STATION Pump 'N Munch

BEST PUB QUIZ Brit's Pub

BEST PUBLIC RESTROOM Ike's Food & Cocktails

BEST CHEAP THRILL Crystal meth

BEST VILLAIN Big Tobacco
Readers' Choice: Tim Pawlenty

BEST BROKEN PROMISE R.T. Rybak and William McManus

BEST HELLRAISER OR ACTIVIST GROUP Communities United Against Police Brutality

BEST MAYOR Randy Kelly

BEST BOONDOGGLE Photo cop

BEST VAMPYRE Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey

BEST POLITICIAN Mike Hatch
Readers' Choice: Paul Wellstone

BEST CRIMINAL Joshua Adam Gardner

BEST LOCAL BOY GONE BAD Dean Zimmerman

BEST LOCAL BOY MADE GOOD Daunte Culpepper
Readers' Choice: Al Franken

BEST LOCAL GIRL MADE GOOD Nicole Lea Helget
Readers' Choice: Diablo Cody

BEST LOCAL GIRL GONE BAD Nicole Lea Helget

BEST CAREER MOVE Kirby Puckett

BEST VICTIM The Minnesota Vikings

BEST CORPORATE CITIZEN Kevin Garnett

BEST GADFLY Ed Morrissey

BEST REASON NOT TO OVERHAUL YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT The Star Tribune

BEST LOCALLY GENERATED WEBSITE Cursor

BEST BLOG (LEFT-WING) Minvolved

BEST BLOG (PERSONAL) Driver2165

BEST BLOG (RIGHT-WING) Nihilist in Golf Pants

BEST BLOG (SPECIALTY) MN Beer

BEST LITERARY PERIODICAL Rain Taxi Review of Books

BEST REASON TO READ THE PIONEER PRESS Tim Nelson

BEST REASONS TO READ THE STAR TRIBUNE Dennis Anderson and Chris Welsch

BEST CHARITY Minnesota AIDS Project

BEST FESTIVAL MayDay Parade and Festival

BEST FARMERS' MARKET Minneapolis Farmers' Market

BEST LIBRARY Sumner

BEST ARCHITECTURAL RENOVATION OF AN OLD BUILDING Franklin Community Library

BEST USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS Minneapolis Central Library

BEST LOFT OR CONDO PROJECT Le Parisien Flats and Marketplace

BEST PLACE TO WASTE TIME PRODUCTIVELY Minnesota Historical Society Library

BEST STATE FAIR ATTRACTION The 4-H Livestock Show Barn Area

BEST STATE FAIR FOOD Honey Sunflower Ice Cream
Readers' Choice: Cheese curds

BEST SUBURBAN LAKE AREA Square Lake Park

BEST REASON NOT TO MOVE TO THE 'BURBS Soul-crushing traffic that will only get worse

BEST NEW NAME FOR COON RAPIDS Increasingly Indistinguishable Minneapolis Suburb #41

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY Superior Hiking Trail

BEST PLACE TO MEET GAY FAMILIES Rainbow Families Annual Conference

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT OF TOWN GUESTS Minnehaha Falls
Readers' Choice: Mall of America

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

BEST PLACE TO GET DUMPED Mall of America

BEST PLACE TO DUMP SOMEONE Southdale Center 16 movie theatre

BEST SIGNAGE Murray's Steakhouse

BEST VIEW Walker Art Center

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BEST RADIO STATION ABOUT NOTHING WFMP-FM

BEST RADIO STATION KFAI-FM
Readers' Choice: The Current, 89.3 FM

BEST AM RADIO PERSONALITY Tommy Mischke
Readers' Choice: Al Franken

BEST FM RADIO PERSONALITY Dan Donovan
Readers' Choice: Mary Lucia

BEST SPORTS TALK RADIO HOST Dan Barreiro

BEST COLUMNIST Katherine Kersten
Readers' Choice: Nick Coleman

BEST TV NEWSCASTER Julie Nelson
Readers' Choice: Don Shelby

BEST TV WEATHERPERSON Paul Douglas
Readers' Choice: Belinda Jensen

BEST TV STATION TPT-2
Readers' Choice: KARE-11

BEST MAKEOVER OF A TV PERSONALITY Cyndy Brucato

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

BEST TREND IN LOCAL RADIO The iPod Effect

BEST HIP-HOP RADIO PROGRAM The Session

BEST JAZZ RADIO PROGRAM KFAI's weekday night jazz programs

BEST RADIO PROGRAM AFTER MIDNIGHT The Rhythm Lab

BEST STAGE PRODUCTION Please Don't Blow Up Mr. Boban

BEST COMEDY Shut Your American Pie-Hole; Or Discount Family Values

BEST AREA PREMIERE Take Me Out

BEST INDEPENDENT THEATER Frank Theatre

BEST THEATER FOR DRAMA Pillsbury House Theatre
Readers' Choice: Guthrie

BEST DIRECTOR Peter Rothstein

BEST ACTOR (FEMALE) Kate Eifrig

BEST ACTOR (MALE) Bob Malos

BEST SINGLE-ARTIST SHOW "House of Oracles: A Huang Yong Ping Retrospective"

BEST BOOK The Painted Drum

BEST FILM "The Wood Witch"

BEST NATIONAL TV COMMERCIAL WITH A LOCAL SOUNDTRACK "Double Dutch" (Iffy)

BEST PUBLIC-ACCESS CABLE TV SHOW Mikenastics

BEST DANCER Mary Ann Bradley

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER Uri Sands

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS Danny Buraczeski's Jazzdance

BEST ART GALLERY Outsiders and Others Art Gallery and Mentorship Studio
Readers' Choice: Walker Art Center

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

BEST MUSEUM EXHIBIT Tornado exhibit at the Minnesota History Center

BEST PUBLIC ART Landmark: 24 Hours @ The Stone Arch Bridge

BEST BUDGET MOVIE THEATER Roseville 4

BEST MOVIE THEATER Riverview Theater
Readers' Choice: Riverview Theater

BEST ART CINEMA Oak Street Cinema

OUT & ABOUT

BEST DAY TRIP Winona

BEST FISHING HOLE Pike Island

BEST PLACE TO BIRD-WATCH Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area

BEST PLACE TO HIKE Interstate Park

BEST BIKE TRAIL Elm Creek Park Reserve

BEST PLACE TO ICE SKATE Centennial Lakes Park

BEST PLACE TO CANOE St. Croix River

BEST BEACH North Beach, Lake Harriet
Readers' Choice: Lake Calhoun

BEST PLACE TO JOG East and West River Roads

BEST TENNIS COURTS Bassett Creek Park

BEST GOLF COURSE Inver Wood
Readers' Choice: Theodore Wirth Park

BEST GYM YWCA Midtown

BEST SPIN CLASS The Firm—A Workout Studio

BEST YOGA One Yoga

BEST PLACE TO LEARN TO DANCE University of Minnesota Barbara Barker Center for Dance

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

BEST BOWLING ALLEY Elsie's Bowling Center
Readers' Choice: Bryant-Lake Bowl

BEST BOXER Jason Litzau

BEST COACH John Gagliardi
Readers' Choice: Ron Gardenhire