Best Museum
1. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
2. Pink Palace Museum
3. Children’s Museum of Memphis
The Brooks is not your clichéd boring old art museum. This Midtown institution offers cutting-edge traveling art exhibitions (think Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz), hipster-approved film festivals (like the annual Bicycle Film Fest), fancy-schmancy wine tastings (Art of Good Taste), and gourmet eats at the in-house Brushmark Restaurant.
Best Art Gallery
1. David Lusk Gallery
2. D’Edge Art & Unique Treasures
3. Jack Robinson Gallery
Thinking about starting an art collection but don’t have the funds to purchase high-priced paintings? Never fear. Every August, gallery owner David Lusk hosts the popular “Price Is Right” show, in which every piece is available for under $1,000. Throughout the whole year, Lusk does an amazing job of balancing work by established artists with that of emerging artists.
Best Live Theater
1. The Orpheum
2. Playhouse on the Square
3. Theatre Memphis
The Great White Way may be miles from Memphis, but if you wait around long enough, the best-selling shows on Broadway will eventually make their way to the Orpheum (we’re eagerly awaiting American Idiot). Plus, the stately chandeliers and ornate décor inside the historic theater really make you feel fancy.
Best Movie Theater
1. Malco Paradiso
2. Malco Studio on the Square
3. The Orpheum
The multiple Malco theaters in Memphis generally show the same films, but the Paradiso has the biggest screens and offers the best concession stand in the city — think wine and beer, a pizza bar, chicken tenders, and fried mozzarella sticks. Of course, they have popcorn too, if you’re traditional like that.
Best Golf Course
1. The Links at Galloway
2. Mirimichi
3. Overton Park Golf Course
A picturesque 18 holes tucked between Poplar and Walnut Grove in the center of the city, the Links at Galloway is the people’s choice for the city’s Best Golf Course. A municipal park, Galloway’s 6,000-yard, par-70 course was immaculately redesigned in 2002 and still glistens nearly a decade later.
Best Casino
1. Horseshoe Casino
2. Harrah’s Tunica
3. Gold Strike Casino Resort
What do gamblers want? According to Horseshoe Casino, it’s plenty of gaming action (more than 1,700 slots and 70 table games like blackjack, roulette, and poker), good food (Jack Binion’s Steakhouse), non-gambling entertainment options (the Bluesville concert venue, which has recently hosted American Idol fave Adam Lambert, rock icon Joan Jett, and comedian Charlie Murphy), and a place to stay when the night goes long (500 hotel rooms, including 311 suites). Our readers think Horseshoe’s got it right.
Best Family Entertainment
BOM 1. Memphis Zoo
2. Memphis Redbirds Game
3. Concerts at the Levitt Shell
In the summer, when the temperatures soar, the Northwest Passage, the Memphis Zoo’s air-conditioned polar bear and sea lion exhibit, might be the best place in town to keep cool. In the fall and winter, special events like the Halloween Zoo Boo and the December holiday Zoo Lights pack in the crowds. And year-round, new exhibits such as the Teton Trek (grizzly bears!) and old favorites such as Animals of the Night (naked mole rats!) make this civic jewel our favorite family destination.
Best Sports Team
1. Memphis Tigers Men’s Basketball
2. Memphis Redbirds
3. Memphis Grizzlies
In the first year P.C. (post-Calipari), the University of Memphis men’s basketball team held its ground better than perhaps anyone could have expected. The program’s dedicated fan base took an immediate liking to cutie-pie coach Josh Pastner, whose sunnier disposition provided a needed contrast to the more paranoid outlook of his departed predecessor. On the court, despite having their top-rated recruiting class snatched away, the ostensibly undermanned Tigers went 24-10 and made it into the postseason with an NIT bid. Expectations are high for season two of the Pastner era, with a top-ranked recruiting class, including local products Joe Jackson, Tarik Black, and Chris Crawford.
Best Grizzlies Player
1. Rudy Gay
2. Marc Gasol
3. O.J. Mayo
Rudy Gay had a good season in 2009-2010, averaging 20 points and 6 rebounds a game as the Grizzlies became competitive and entertaining again after three bad seasons. But the team’s most dynamic athlete has had a better summer, signing a long-term deal with the team for more than $80 million and making the 12-man U.S. National Team for this summer’s World Championships.
Best Local Athlete
1. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
2. O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
3. Tim Howard, USA Men’s Soccer
It’s a two-fer for Rudy Gay, who would almost certainly like to honor Flyer readers with a playoff berth and a trip to the all-star game this season.
