THE CITY GRITTY >>

• BEST ARCHITECTURAL RENOVATION OF AN OLD BUILDING
  Those who hadn't set foot in the Varsity since it was closed to the public in 1991 were surprised to find the art deco landmark lovingly preserved when it reopened in January. Remodeled and refurbished by Loring Pasta Bar owner Jason McLean to be a multipurpose performance, film, and art space,... More >>
• BEST BOONDOGGLE
  In its official platform for 2004--Section 1, Article K, to be precise--the Republican Party of Minnesota resolutely declared that it supports "a fair and honest competitive business environment and therefore oppose(s) corporate welfare." Ah, good old-fashioned GOP principles. Fair and honest.... More >>
• BEST BROKEN PROMISE
  Pawlenty campaigned for governor as an opponent of expanding gambling in Minnesota. (He also opposed public subsidies for stadiums, but we're limited to one broken promise at a time.) Two years ago, he was one of the many hand-wringers who took a pious stance against the rise of casinos being... More >>
• BEST CAREER MOVE
  We were not looking forward to the gruesome spectacle: 18 months of Republicans giddily attacking Minnesota's lucidity-challenged, terrorist-fearing senior senator. Seldom, if ever, in our memory has an incumbent politician (with no recent history of pedophilia or crack usage) looked so... More >>
• BEST CHARITY
  Finally, an org that literally pounds the pavement. Many youth-mentoring programs aspire to steer kids toward future achievements, fostering dreams that may or may not come to pass. Bolder Options improves on that model by setting substantial and attainable goals from day one. Founded in 1991,... More >>
• BEST CHEAP THRILL
  While elementary school gym class conjures plenty of horrifying and humiliating memories, some of its traditions hold up surprisingly well. For just a couple of bucks you can buy your very own red rubber ball and airbrush the shame out of that childhood nostalgia. For example, dodge ball is... More >>
• BEST EX-VIKING
  When owner Red McCombs traded the most electrifying player in Viking history to the Oakland Raiders for a bag of peanuts, fans had to wonder: What the hell was he thinking? Was this just another case of McCombs playing budget ball? Or was Red, bitter about the stadium stalemate, flipping the... More >>
• BEST FARMERS' MARKET
  Offices seem to close at 3:00 p.m. on Friday afternoons in the summer. Worker bees flee their desks and their employment responsibilities to revel in the sun. Summit Avenue crawls with walkers and their strollers, joggers and their dogs, and runners and their headphones, but the quintessential... More >>
• BEST FESTIVAL
  On July 20, 1934, Minneapolis cops opened fire on striking truck drivers, killing two and wounding 67 others. This bloody day was significant not only because of the tragic deaths; it also marked the end of the "open shop" era in Minneapolis. After decades of vigilant, violent antiunionism,... More >>
• BEST GADFLY
  In early March, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and MPD Chief Bill McManus held what became a memorable press conference at City Hall. Amid the rote, serve-and-volley procedural established by local politicos and the sound-byte-driven news media, one booming voice suddenly stood out. Before Al... More >>
• BEST HELLRAISER OR ACTIVIST GROUP
  Here's some little-known history about an institution you may think of only in terms of swimming pools and T-ball: The YWCA of Minneapolis was founded in 1891 by the envelope-pushers of the day, women working outside the home. Since then, it's been at the forefront of numerous movements for... More >>
• BEST LIBRARY
  Okay, there is one problem with Wilson Library, which is that you can only check out material there if you attend or work for the University of Minnesota. But, hey, anyone can browse or read or study at the state's finest library, and they even have a nicely furnished reading corner (added a... More >>
• BEST LOCAL BOY GONE BAD
  In this land of 10,000 lakes, it seems like our big fish are really only suited for little ponds. But by almost any measure, Pat Forciea was a big fish. This was the DFL operative, after all, who was widely considered to be one of the masterminds behind the election of the late Sen. Paul... More >>
• BEST LOCAL BOY MADE GOOD
  For years Minneapolis attorney Joe Margulies has been known to City Pages news sleuths as a man with a nose for legal injustices and a gift for explaining said indignities in quotes both simple and compelling. In short, he's a great source. But he's also humble, arguing his causes and then... More >>
• BEST LOCAL GIRL GONE BAD
  Generations from now, when wise men convene to lecture about the perils of the gambling-obsessed culture in the early 21st century, the saga of Victoria Zell--almost certain to be known as the Parable of the Powerball--will be central to the conversation. Late in 2001, Zell was sufficiently... More >>
• BEST LOCAL GIRL MADE GOOD
  No contest, really. For the second year in a row, the Hutchinson Hurricane is our sweetheart expat in this category, because only Paul Bunyan rivals Whalen's Minnesota legend status at the moment. All she did was make like a basketball Joan of Arc in leading the Gophers to the NCAA championship... More >>
• BEST LOCALLY GENERATED BLOG
  As any blogger will tell you--over and over--2004 was The Year of the Blog. They will tell you this because, above all else, bloggers love to talk about the power of their chosen medium. This is especially true of the political bloggers, whose antic ranting and raving has attracted the most... More >>
• BEST LOCALLY GENERATED WEBSITE
  Tireless local-rock evangelist David de Young and his hardy band of contributors (most notably Cyn Collins and Karla Ludzack) have created a nearly comprehensive guide to local live rock. The sheer number of shows they witness and write about is flat-out remarkable. In February alone--a month... More >>
• BEST LOFT OR CONDO PROJECT
  If there's one hallmark of the downtown housing boom, it's that size matters. Or, at least, it's beginning to. After an initial wave of condos and lofts housed in charming four-story buildings, this year saw the return of high-rise living to Minneapolis. This was especially true downtown, with... More >>
• BEST MAYOR
  Anderson is a dying breed in today's snarling, sound-byting political culture--she is possessed of civility, foresight, and common sense. She got her start more than 20 years ago working for the League of Women Voters, and has retained that fervor for citizen participation and public service.... More >>
• BEST MELTDOWN
  Talk about losing your shit. This past December, Apple Valley attorney John Hinderaker was on top of the world--or rather on top of that itty-bitty part of the world known as the blogosphere. Hinderaker's glory arose because the group blog to which he is a prime... More >>
• BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE
  First things first: Do not, under any circumstances, call this a date. This is the age of friends with benefits, and you need to decide if this new "friend" is a friend indeed. So save yourself some money and be as far away from beer goggles as possible. Go for a Sunday afternoon walk down by... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO DUMP SOMEONE
  As Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliet, parting is such sweet sorrow. Well, a drive-to and dump at the airport simply removes the sweetness and prevents a messy mutual suicide pact down the road. If he takes it hard and breaks down a bit, he's surrounded by strangers, so there's no... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GET DUMPED
  This is a tricky one, so let's commence by ruling out a few more obvious options. Some may think it's best to be dumped in the comfort of your own home. You can slam shut the door, bury your face in the pillow, and sob away. But getting dumped sucks. Why associate such trauma with home? It... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE MEN (GAY)
  To classify Vera's Cafe as a gay establishment would be somewhat misleading. All kinds of folks--from multi-pierced teens to stoop-shouldered retirees--gather at this charming Uptown coffee shop. They come for the caffeine and the cuisine--scrambled eggs, huge fresh salads, soups and... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE MEN (STRAIGHT)
  Ladies, do you like your guys well-dressed, well-lubricated, and well, doggedly seeking to score? Your hetero hookup begins under the blue neon lights of Drink, located in the thumping heart of the Warehouse District. Here you'll find enough eager suitors to whet any appetite (and enough... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE WOMEN (LESBIAN)
  Jimmy Jam, Jessie Ventura, Prince: You straight men can keep your ringside T-Wolves seats, because we love the low-key lezzie-watching at Lynx games. Bargain ticket prices ($10 to $100 for a single game, plus great packages) ensure that the Target Center's packed with a mix of, um, folk:... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE WOMEN (STRAIGHT)
  This stretch of downtown Minneapolis is overflowing with a unique mix of singles, thanks to the number of bars and destination spots that dot this veritable party street. There's the upscale posh club Infinity Room, located in Le Meridien Hotel, with its $14 drinks and über-chic clientele.... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH
  All of Minnesota gets funneled through this section of Dan Patch Avenue during the Great Minnesota Get-Together. The teenage lovebirds-for-a-day head to the Midway with a corndog in one hand and the fingertips of their Magnum P.I.-ride partner in the other. A stream of sweaty concertgoers... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS
  For out-of-towners intrigued by Minnesota's most famous attractions, there's always the Mall of America with its Ferris wheel and log flume in the middle of three floors of stores. For those less interested in a behemoth trophy dedicated to consumerism, there's Minnehaha Falls and the Sculpture... More >>
• BEST POLITICIAN
  Knowledge, compassion, and effectiveness are the criteria we look for in a politician, which is why Berglin is such an easy choice. After 33 years as a state legislator (the first eight in the Minnesota House, and the last quarter-century in the Senate) she is perhaps best known for co-founding... More >>
• BEST SCANDAL
  Seldom has so much bloviating been done on a more absurd topic than Randy Moss's fake-moon salute to the Green Bay Packer fans during last season's playoffs. The wide receiver's, um, cheeky stunt was certainly less offensive than any five-minute segment of what passes these days for local... More >>
• BEST STATE FAIR FOOD
  You may be questioning this winner already. It's probably not the State Fair food that comes to mind as your favorite. But when we think about what eating at the fair really means, we think: unchecked, joyous gluttony--the freedom, no, make that duty, to eat more in a single day than Mischa... More >>
• BEST STATE FAIR RIDE
  If you're going to ride just one ride at the State Fair, make it the Crazy Mouse. It's got all the twists, turns, ups, and downs you'll ever want to see--going by in a blur, of course--after washing down a pork chop, pronto pup, fried pickles, mini doughnuts, and French fries with a chocolate... More >>
• BEST USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS
  First a disclaimer: You can make a credible argument that the Hiawatha Light Rail project is something of a boondoggle. The 11-mile line cost a fortune ($715 million, or about 62 million per mile). There were gaffes in construction. Delays. Water leaks into the tunnel by the airport. And ever... More >>
• BEST VICTIM
  Poor Mark Dayton. An unquestionably decent and principled guy, he always comes off as skittish and improperly medicated. Is it the halting oratorical style? The hundred-yard stare? The lost-boy cluelessness about the dark art of public relations? Whatever the cause, Dayton always seems inclined... More >>
• BEST VIEW
  We can't take credit for first celebrating the quixotic qualities of the city as seen from a light rail car--that goes to Southwest Journal columnist Robert Gerloff, who last year wrote: "As seen from the street, the city often looks flat and two-dimensional, with endless blocks of building... More >>
• BEST VILLAIN
  If it's true that the current crop of new conservatives are villainous--and it's true, they are--then you've got to hand it to the state GOP for throwing sweet little Mary Kiffmeyer out there. The secretary of state is so aw-shucks Midwestern that she could have materialized from the pages... More >>
• BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY
  It's one of those things you really should see if you live here: The glaciers that flattened much of Minnesota split at Red Wing, leaving behind a landscape worthy of Brueghel--a valley overlooked by dramatic limestone bluffs covered in trees. You can hike Barn Bluff for a view, as Zebulon Pike... More >>