BEST FESTIVAL
St. Paul's St. Patrick's Day

BEST LANDMARK
State Capitol
75 Constitution Avenue
St. Paul
651.296.2881

BEST MONTH TO BE IN THE TWIN CITIES
February

To experience all that winter has to offer and the St. Paul Winter Carnival.

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH
Taste of Minnesota

Alligator- or buffalo-on-a-stick in our capital city brings out everyone gearing up for the other Great Minnesota Get-Together to watch people in August.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS
The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street
St. Paul
651.224.4222

BEST PICNIC SPOT
Harriet Island

BEST PUBLIC PARK
Como Park
Midway Parkway and Lexington Avenue
St. Paul
651.266.6400

BEST LOCAL ATHLETE
Joe Mauer

Cretin-Derham Hall High School 2001 graduate; widely considered the best high school baseball player in the country (according to the Pioneer Press, April 2002); top draftpick of the Minnesota Twins Minor League team.

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY
Garrison Keillor

BEST BOOKSTORE
Ruminator
1648 Grand Avenue
St. Paul
651.699.0587
One of our last locally owned bookstores, an excellent place to linger.

BEST HARDWARE STORE
Payne Avenue Hardware
1200 Payne Avenue
St. Paul
651.776.6996

A St. Paul East Side institution that predates the big-box retailers of today, it burned down and was rebuilt, reflecting the resilience of many East Siders. It has everything and anything a homeowner could want or need.

BEST RETAIL OUTFIT
Seven Corners Hardware
216 W. Seventh Street
St. Paul
651.224.4859

An anchor for downtown St. Paul's West Seventh Street over the decades, providing seemingly endless aisles to wander away an afternoon.

BEST BAKERY
Wuollet Bakery
1080 Grand Avenue
St. Paul
651.292.9035
and five other Twin Cities locations

BEST BARBECUE
Lee's and Dee's Barbeque Express
161 Victoria Street N.
St. Paul
651.225.9454

BEST ICE CREAM PARLOR
Izzy's Ice Cream Café
2034 Marshall Avenue
St. Paul
651.603.1458

BEST PIZZA
Red's Savoy
421 E. Seventh Street
St. Paul
651.227.1437

BEST ITALIAN
Yarusso Bros.
637 Payne Avenue
St. Paul
651.776.4848

A traditional family-owned Italian restaurant that's been an East Side fixture; delivers excellent food in an atmosphere reminiscent of The Godfather.

BEST STEAK HOUSE
Mancinis Char House
531 W. Seventh Street
St. Paul
651.224.7345

BEST DESSERTS
Café Latté
850 Grand Avenue
St. Paul
651.224.5687

BEST CONCERT VENUE
Xcel Energy Center
175 W. Kellogg Boulevard
St. Paul
651.726.8240

Over the last 18 months, the Xcel Center has hosted dozens of musicians from Prince to Pavarotti, receiving rave reviews from audiences for the site's sound and viewing quality.

BEST KARAOKE
Mr. Patom's
995 W. Seventh Street
St. Paul
651.228.9925