Category: Best of Memphis

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Nightlife

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

In the “Nightlife” section of the Best of Memphis, the number of places to earn votes broke down like this: More than 75 bars received a vote for best bar. About 30 bars got votes in the “Best Jukebox” category, while 57 were deemed as having the best happy hour. Some 44 bars got votes in the “Best Hole in the Wall” category, and about half of that group got votes for “Best Gay Bar.” Our readers also let us know that there are some 50 great places to see live music and that there are at least 100 musicians or bands worth checking out. We could go on, but you catch our drift. Saying there’s nothing fun to do in Memphis after sundown — that just doesn’t add up.

Best Beer Selection

BOM 1. Flying Saucer

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

Entering the Flying Saucer is entering into a mythical pantheon of beer. New or old, the Saucer makes over 200 labels from five continents available to the novice and connoisseur alike. Taste the finest Belgian Trappist Ales, English IPA’s, and German Dunkel and Märzen lagers, all on tap. But sorry, folks. There’s no PBR.

Justin Fox Burks

Best Place To See Live Music

1. Hi-Tone Café

2. Beale Street

3. Mud Island Amphitheatre — tie —

New Daisy Theatre

When Elvis Costello comes to town, he plays at the Hi-Tone. So does virtuoso violinist Andrew Bird, West Coast roots-rockers the Blasters, and Wanda Jackson, the first lady of rock-and-roll. This stripped-down club even housed the martial arts studio where Elvis learned to kick people in the face. Toss in a kick-ass sound system, cold beer, and friendly staff, and you’ve got a venue that musicians love and music lovers cherish.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Karaoke

Best Local Band/Singer

READERS’ CHOICE

Harlan T. Bobo

The Dempseys

Kevin Paige

Lucero

Twin Soul

What’s Memphis listening to now? Apparently the greatest hits of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s (the Dempseys); the greatest hits of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s (Twin Soul); quirky, self-deprecating love songs (Bobo); and whiskey-drenched heartland rock (Lucero). And who can resist the pop stylings of the Reverend Kevin Paige, the man who opened for Debbie Gibson back when that actually meant something?

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Place to See Live Music

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. Yosemite Sam’s

3. Alfred’s

Most bars can only manage to devote one night a week to karaoke. And can you blame them? Bartenders can only handle so many white girls rapping “Baby Got Back.” Bartenders are sober, after all. But the staff of the Windjammer braves the bad notes, offering karaoke Wednesdays through Mondays. For that, the Best of Memphis voters commend them.

Best Bar

READERS’ CHOICE

Young Avenue Deli

Flying Saucer

Blue Monkey

Boscos Squared

Dish

Bar patrons in Memphis just can’t decide. Some nights, they like to shoot pool and nosh on the best fries in town at the Deli. Other nights, they treat their tastebuds to beers from around the world at the Saucer. On Sundays, it’s cheap Bloody Marys at the Blue Monkey. A weekday lunch lends itself to a quick cask-conditioned ale at Boscos, and dinner cocktails are best enjoyed on the comfy beds at Dish.

Best New Bar, opened in 2007

1. Spindini

2. EP Delta Kitchen & Bar

3. Sauces — tie —

King Biscuit Diner

Those Italians know their wines. That’s probably why Judd Grisanti’s Spindini boasts such an impressive wine list. From Chardonnays and Rieslings and Chianti to Cabernets, this new South Main eatery’s got you covered. And with a modern, spacious bar, there’s plenty of room to kick back and sip in style.

Justin Fox Burks

Readers’ Choice: Best Local Band/Singer

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Alex’s

2. P&H Café

3. Lamplighter Lounge — tie —

The Buccaneer

Alex’s is a place where the Blues Brothers would be perfectly at home.

Best College
Hangout

1. R.P. Tracks

2. Alex’s

3. Zinnie’s

R.P. Tracks lies nestled in the shadow of the University of Memphis. Sit on the porch, order the hummus, and pick from one of the best beer lists in the city. But watch your grammar. The English department may be right behind you.

Best After-Hours Club

1. Blue Monkey

2. Alex’s

3. Wild Bill’s

It’s no surprise that the Blue Monkey is our readers’ favorite place to go after dark. The elaborate bar, the brick and tile, and the huge dining room give the Monkey an environment that’s relaxing and fun.

Best Happy Hour

1. Flying Saucer

2. Chili’s Grill & Bar

3. Boscos Squared — tie —

Blue Monkey

Meet your friends or sit at the bar with an order of hot wings and people-watch. You’ll forget your day at work in no time.

Best Place To Dance

1. Alfred’s

2. Senses

3. Backstreet — tie —

Club 152 Beale

Dancing at Alfred’s just seems to happen. You’re walking around Beale with some friends. You stop into Alfred’s while the band’s playing. You have a few drinks, and by the time the DJ comes on, you’re ready to move. Some guy walks up behind you, starts grinding, and before you know it, you’re on the floor dirty dancing like Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Place to Play Pool

Best Jukebox

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

Etta James, Otis Redding, and John Lee Hooker reside alongside disc upon disc of obscure Motowners and Sun Studio B-sides, with a minimum of rock. Best of all: no Tom Petty.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Hole in the Wall

Best Place To Play Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. P&H Café

Let off that workday steam and unwind with a game of pool at “the Fox.” High ceilings, huge TVs, cigar shop, and great menu make it the perfect weeknight playground.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mulligan’s

On game day at the Fox & Hound, the only way not to see a match-up is to leave. With huge TV screens everywhere, the local enthusiast can keep track of the SEC and C-USA without having to turn his head more than six inches.

Best Gay Bar

1. Backstreet

2. Dish

3. One More

In the local gay community, the phrase “going to the club” means one thing: a night of booty-shakin’ at Backstreet. Backstreet offers a large dance floor, fantabulous drag shows, an outdoor patio, and even a gift shop filled with rainbow-themed merch.

Best Bar Décor

READERS’ CHOICE

P&H Café

Huey’s

Buccaneer

Flying Saucer

Dish

No one bar swept this category, but the top vote-getters indicate that our readers appreciate a bit of kitsch and clutter. One can spend hours studying the P&H’s hodgepodge of eclectic art, taking in the pirate aesthetic of the Buccaneer, reading Huey’s graffiti-covered walls, and counting the Saucer’s vast array of commemorative plates. But for those who like their surroundings a little more low-key, there’s always the sleek bar and hip beds at Dish.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Food & Drink

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

In the “Food & Drink” section, one of our voters marked through several categories with notes that read “very seldom eat out” or “wouldn’t eat.” She also let us know that she’s “too young for coffee; too old for tea.” And while we’re not even sure what that last bit means, we do know that she’s missing out. Most voters, however, had no problem sharing their preferences. The results come next. Dig in.

Best Burger

1. Huey’s

2. Back Yard Burgers — tie —

Big Foot Lodge

3. Belmont Grill

At this point, words fail. There is nothing left to say about the Huey burger. It is divine perfection on a bun. It heals the sick and helps the blind to see. It may even be a safe and affordable alternative to fossil fuel. Give up, puny fry cooks. No other burger will ever win this category.

Best Chef

1. Jose Gutierrez, Encore

2. Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen, the Restaurant

3. Ben Vaughn, River Oaks

Jose Gutierrez is a true Southerner — a Southerner if you happen to have been born in the South of France. But he’s practically an American Southerner too if you count the 22-plus years Gutierrez headed Chez Philippe inside The Peabody. In 2005, he opened Encore, a contemporary French-style bistro at 150 Peabody Place, but given the quiet sophistication of the dining room and bar (not to mention its wonderful food), it might as well be worlds away from the action outside on Second Street near Beale. Yes, Gutierrez’s a charmer, but this former student of Paul Bocuse is an award-winning chef in his own right. From Flyer readers, here’s to you, M. Gutierrez: Salut!

Best Lunch

1. Huey’s

2. Lenny’s Sub Shop

3. Big Foot Lodge — tie —

Soul Fish

Not to be content with “Best Burger” for years running in the Flyer‘s Best of Memphis poll, Huey’s this year goes and grabs “Best Lunch.” You’ve got seven area locations to choose from. But starting now, you’ve got Huey’s new “Heart Healthy” menu to do yourself a favor. Or you can stick to what Huey’s does best — and is doing one better: The “Grand Daddy” burger. That’s two patties, topped with an onion ring and cheese. It’s not, as advertised, for the faint of heart. But there are times (lunchtime?) when it’s just plain good to go with your gut.

Justin Fox Burks

Best Breakfast

1. Brother Juniper’s

2. Blue Plate Café — tie —

Cracker Barrel

3. Barksdale Restaurant

Who was Brother Juniper? He cooked for St. Francis of Assisi. And his place on Walker near the U of M is cooking every morning of the week. What’s cooking, of course, is breakfast. What’s happening is a crowd ready to sit down, in simple surroundings, to a traditional menu of eggs and grits and granola, described by one contributor to tripadvisor.com as “awesome.” According to another: “It’s good when something so hyped delivers.” Rachael Ray agrees. Flyer readers agree. Blessed be Brother Juniper’s omelets.

Best Romantic Restaurant

1. Paulette’s

2. Chez Philippe

3. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

If you can’t take your date to the airport to hop a flight to France for dinner at some quaint family restaurant on the outskirts of Paris, Paulette’s in Overton Square is the next best thing. Besides, everyone is more beautiful after you’ve eaten one or two of their incredible popovers.

Best Sunday Brunch

1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

2. Boscos Squared

3. Peabody Skyway

Hot jazz and hotter food. That’s what brunch at Owen Brennan’s is all about. Few names are more synonymous with Crescent City cuisine and the savory fusion of breakfast and lunch than the Brennans of New Orleans.

Best Wine List

1. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

2. McEwen’s on Monroe

3. Texas de Brazil — tie —

Ronnie Grisanti & Sons

Caution: Choosing a wine at Le Chardonnay may result in eyestrain. But there’s no better way to go blind than relaxing in the shadowy candlelight on a leather sofa, gnoshing on a perfect gourmet pizza, and sipping a robust Australian Zinfandel.

Best Steak

1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

3. The Butcher Shop

The lollipop veal chop with Maker’s Mark peppercorn sauce is divine, and the filet mignon with applewood-smoked bacon and sautéed mushrooms is a thing of beauty. The locally owned steak house also has more than 400 choices in the cellar, as well as the full attention of the editors at Wine Spectator magazine, who’ve given Folk’s Folly an award of excellence eight years in a row.

Best Barbecue

1. Central BBQ

2. Corky’s

3. The Bar-B-Q Shop

Perfectly seasoned and slow-smoked with hickory, Central BBQ’s pork sandwich tastes like Memphis. And yes, that’s a good thing. In a city where barbecue has been known to start fights, Central’s barbecue is something on which everyone seems to agree.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Breakfast

Best Ribs

1. Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous

2. Corky’s

3. Central BBQ

The Rendezvous’ dry pork ribs are rubbed with a savory mix of herbs and spices and chargrilled to something just a little bit beyond perfection. There’s a reason they are nearly as famous as Elvis.

Best Hot Wings

1. Buffalo Wild Wings

2. D’Bo’s Buffalo Wings-N-Things

3. Hooters

The folks at Buffalo Wild Things have built a better mantrap by combining the best elements of a neighborhood pub, sports bar, and wingery. Add to that a choice between traditional or boneless wings and 15 different sauces, ranging from Parmesan garlic to mango habenero.

Best Fried Chicken

BOM 1. Gus’s Fried Chicken

2. Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits — tie —

Kentucky Fried Chicken

3. Jack Pirtle Fried Chicken

Gus’s Fried Chicken deserves its reputation for taking a tried-and-true classic like fried chicken and making it better than anybody could have ever imagined. It’s a crispy treat that makes mouths water and burn at the same time. It might be better than barbecue.

Justin Fox Burks

1s Place: Best Ribs

Best Cajun/Creole

1. Bayou Bar & Grill

2. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

3. Crescent City

Standing at the crossroads of two mighty cultures, Bayou Bar & Grill is Midtown at its most Garden District. On a beautiful day, a patio table is prime real estate. Start out with a cold beer and a bowl of duck-and-sausage gumbo. Finish with some beignets and a café olé.

Best Mediterranean

READERS’ CHOICE

Petra

Petra Café

Casablanca

Dish

Bari

A new category this year, it appears that there are so many great Mediterranean restaurants in town that it was too hard for our readers to decide which was the best.

Best Dessert

1. Paulette’s

2. Big Foot Lodge

3. Perkins Restaurant & Bakery

Were we to guess, we’d say that Paulette’s took this honor for either their K-Pie — Kahlua Mocha Parfait Pie — or the Hot Chocolate Crepe with almonds and vanilla ice cream. But maybe it’s neither. Paulette’s is also known for its impeccable service and romantic ambiance.

Best Italian

1. Ronnie Grisanti & Sons

2. Pete and Sam’s Restaurant

3. Bari

When you’ve been around as long as Ronnie Grisanti & Sons, you know how to do things right. Founded in 1978, the family-run restaurant serves Tuscan cuisine, such as handmade ravioli, Elfo’s recipe for pasta sautéed with butter, mushrooms, and shrimp, and fettucine tossed with their Grisanti Tuscan Alfredo sauce. It’s worth the carbs, believe us.

Best Mexican

1. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

2. Molly Gonzales’ La Casita Mexican Restaurant

3. Taqueria La Guadalupana — tie —

Los Compadres

El Porton has blanketed the Memphis market with seven locations serving quick, tasty, agreeably priced variations of Mexican staples to the starving business-lunch and happy-hour masses.

Best Chinese

1. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

2. A-Tan

3. Wang’s Mandarin House

P.F. Chang’s dark, sophisticated atmosphere is dominated by welcoming warmth, the sounds of the kitchen, and the smell of dumplings and stir-fry. Nationally, the Arizona-based company took Chinese food upscale. People swear by the lettuce wraps, but we suggest the oolong-marinated sea bass.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Cajun/Creole

Best Thai

1. Bhan Thai

2. Bangkok Alley

3. Sawaddii

Nestled within the leafy confines of Peabody Avenue, Bhan Thai has a relaxed attitude and a wonderful menu. It’s a great place to have a casual dinner with friends. Diners can enjoy Thai curries, garlic pork chops, or the Bhan Thai crispy duck in the restaurant’s red, black, and gold interior or on its spacious deck. Bhan Thai also indulges in those little touches that make customers feel welcome: The lunch menu comes with a complimentary soup; the bill — though it’s generally not hard to swallow — comes with a sweet chocolate mint.

Best Vietnamese

1. Saigon Le

2. Pho Saigon

3. Pho Hoa Binh

Curried tofu with onion and lemon grass; hot-and-sour catfish soup; giant bowls of savory noodles with Vietnamese barbecue; a monstrous pancake stuffed with savory pork on a bed of herbs drenched in fish sauce. This is the no-frills Asian eatery of your dreams.

Best Japanese/Sushi

1. Sekisui

2. Dō

3. Bluefin — tie — Sekisui Pacific Rim

What does it mean when three out of the four restaurants voted the best in this category were founded by Jimmy Ishii? Earlier this year, the Flyer dubbed him the “Sultan of Sushi,” and, judging by our readers, it’s a fitting title. The original Sekisui brought sushi to Memphis, and in an industry known for being fickle, it seems Memphians are still clambering for more.

Best Indian

1. India Palace

2. Golden Indian

3. Bombay House

This colorful Midtown standard-bearer is aces at the can’t-go-wrong Indian lunch buffet, but you’re even better off ordering from the menu for some cross-cultural comfort food: tender tandoori, buttery tikka masala, or creamy saag.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Thai

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

1. The Cupboard

2. Gus’s Fried Chicken

3. Soul Fish

Let’s get it straight: A crisp, tart fried green tomato or a steaming little mound of fresh field peas or a crispy, buttery, bite-sized blast of cornbread isn’t just good eating. These things are minor spiritual experiences. It’s part of what defines and renews us. And, now firmly ensconced in its sprawling Union Avenue location, longtime local staple the Cupboard has claimed its place as the city’s preeminent meat-and-three palace.

Best Vegetarian

1. Square Foods

2. Wild Oats Market

3. Jasmine

Everything from Square Food’s oatburger to the veggie BLT proves that meatless doesn’t mean flavorless. Don’t forget about the PB&H made with organic peanut butter, banana, and honey washed down with the unavoidable question: How many years of Elvis’ life could Square Foods have saved?

Best Healthy Menu

1. Square Foods

2. Wild Oats Market

3. Paradise Café

Got a need for wheat grass? How about a hunger for the latest in tofu posing as meat? If you’re trying to eat right without cutting out meat, Square Foods offers a delicious dill poached salmon salad, as well as an organic chicken-breast sandwich and melts of turkey or tuna.

Best Seafood

1. Tsunami

2. Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar

3. Bonefish Grill

Tsunami’s menu is nothing short of stupendous. The tuna over cucumber salad with wasabi dressing epitomizes a “cool” dish. The mussels appetizer is pretty strong as well.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

Best Pizza

1. Memphis Pizza Café

2. Garibaldi’s Pizza

3. Exline’s

The perennial choice in this category, the Memphis Pizza Café serves sandwiches and calzones, too, but earned its Best of Memphis award for its pizza. The Midtown location is a great place to grab a beer and a slice and watch a game in a festive setting.

Best Deli

1. Fino’s from the Hill

2. Bogie’s Delicatessen

3. Lenny’s Sub Shop

Who needs to take a trip to Italy when you can get Fino’s cannoli right here in Midtown. What they don’t have in the old country are Fino’s outstanding subs. There’s no finer way to chase the chills away in winter than a cup of Fino’s minestrone. The Italian groceries also give you plenty to look at while waiting for your take-out.

Best Service

1. Texas de Brazil

2. Chick-Fil-A — tie —

Houston’s Restaurant

3. Big Foot Lodge — tie —

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Meat swords. Swords of meat, if you prefer. Anyhow, that image should neatly summarize the gracious abundance that greets the patron of Texas de Brazil. The servers bring what you want when you want it as long as your stomach can hold out.

Best Restaurant
Décor

READERS’ CHOICE

Big Foot Lodge

Spindini

Beauty Shop

Blue Fin

Huey’s

River Oaks

Too close to call in this category, but the top vote-getters show that Memphians have eclectic tastes — from the funky fun of Big Foot Lodge and Huey’s and the elegance of River Oaks and Spindini to the ever-so-hipness of Beauty Shop and Blue Fin. What ties these restaurants all together is that imagination elevates them to the fore of this highly competitive category.

Best Kid-friendly Restaurant

1. Chuck E. Cheese

2. Chick-Fil-A

3. Huey’s

You’re never too old for a game of wack-a-mole and a cuddle-up to a person in a mouse costume. Bring a roll of quarters and skee-ball your way to glory. There’s also pizza, and they may host the occasional child’s birthday party if asked politely.

Best Caterer

1. Another Roadside Attraction

2. Just Catering

3. Draper’s Catering

You must be doing something properly if your employees honor you with bumper stickers proclaiming, “My Boss is a Jewish Caterer.” Karen Blockman Carrier — owner of Automatic Slim’s, the Mollie Fontaine Lounge, Dō, and the Beauty Shop — founded Another Roadside Attraction in 1987 and has employed virtually every up-and-coming Memphis rock-and-roller since and catered many a big social event too.

Best Patio

1. Celtic Crossing

2. Boscos Squared

3. Café Ole

Is it the breeze, or the Guinness, or the classic Irish dishes, or the acoustic entertainment? Okay, it’s probably all of the above. The people-watching doesn’t hurt, either. Plus, the folks at Celtic Crossing have thought of everything to make their patio inviting: Umbrellas for if it rains. Fans for the heat. Beer for everything else.

Best Delivery

1. Camy’s

2. Garibaldi’s Pizza

3. Young Avenue Deli

Why is food delivery dominated by the pizza industry? You can tote a box of steaming lasagna or an eight-ounce grilled rib-eye with the same ease. Thankfully, Camy’s knows this little secret. For 13 years, this Midtown institution has been delivering tasty meals to the lazy, the busy, the car-less, and the too drunk to drive.

Best Bakery

1. La Baguette

2. Atlanta Bread Company

3. Fresh Market

Sandwiches are so underrated. Disregarded as a quick lunch option, they’re rarely taken seriously as a gourmet entrée. But thanks to the freshest, tastiest baked bread at La Baguette, sandwiches are elevated to a place of dignity. Forget that garlic-studded venison with a balsamic mango-berry reduction. Give us the Vegetable Garden Sandwich on freshly baked croissant. Pick up a baguette to take home, and, of course, you can’t leave without having one of the bakery’s tasty pastries.

Best Coffeehouse

1. Starbucks

2. Otherlands

3. High Point Coffee

Offering convenient drive-thru service, Starbucks can have your double venti toffee nut soy latte safely tucked into your car’s cup holder in minutes. In the past couple of years, the mega-coffeehouse has even gone green — purchasing fair-trade coffee, setting a target of 30 percent post-consumer content for paper purchases, and offering discounts to folks who use their own mugs.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Pizza

Best Restaurant

READERS’ CHOICE

River Oaks

Big Foot Lodge

Tsunami

Houston’s Restaurant

Texas de Brazil

The word’s been out for quite some time — too much red meat can be bad for your health. But that doesn’t stop Memphians from shoveling it down. Whether it’s the Sasquatch Burger at Big Foot Lodge, the steak on a sword at Texas de Brazil, the juicy rib-eye at Houston’s, or the beef tenderloin at River Oaks, the Bluff City just couldn’t decide on its favorite meat-hearty meal. Of course, there were a significant number of votes for fresh fish served at Tsunami.

Best New
Restaurant,
opened in 2007

1. Spindini

2. Pearl’s Oyster House

3. Circa — tie —

Flying Fish

With such a rich culinary legacy, it’s no surprise that the latest Grisanti venture pleases Memphians’ palates. While Spindini features plenty of traditional family recipes, the menu shines with Judd Grisanti’s modern twist on Italian favorites, like wood-fired pizzas and lobster ravioli. Patrons can even watch their food being prepared in the state-of-the-art wood-fired oven at the end of the bar.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Goods & Services

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

We should’ve seen this one coming from a mile away. For this year’s “Goods & Services” section, we added three new categories: “Best Garden Center,” “Best Place To Buy Home Electronics,” and “Best Car Accessories.” Of course, Memphis-based AutoZone put a beat-down on all the competition in that last category. The car-parts chain received more than six times the votes of the runner-up — a victory so complete we decided to award the prize to AutoZone alone without a second- or third-place winner.

We also should note the two categories that were on the ballot but are not included in our list: “Best Pediatrician” and “Best Cosmetic Surgeon.” Too many votes for too many different doctors made it impossible to name a winner.

Best Florist

1. Pugh’s Flowers

2. Holliday Flowers

3. Gestures

Maybe our readers just love irony. A flower shop named Pugh’s — even if it is named for the owner — would be like a restaurant named Yuck’s. But it seems to work, probably because of the florist’s dedication to customer service, fresh cut flowers, and extended delivery hours. Or maybe it’s that cute, little skunk logo.

Best Grocery Store

1. Fresh Market

2. Kroger

3. Schnucks

Just when we thought Fresh Market couldn’t get any better, the store added more tempting treats: dozens of different olives in a self-service bar. No wonder our readers love shopping in this European-style market offering boxes of Godiva, oversized artichokes, gourmet coffee, made-to-order sushi, and breaded chicken nuggets for the kids. Who doesn’t mind paying a little extra for choices like that?

Best Liquor Store

1. Buster’s Liquors & Wine

2. Joe’s Liquor Store

3. Kirby Wines & Liquors

Buster’s chalks up another win this year, an accomplishment that would have pleased Romulus Morgan Hammond Jr., the store’s founder and owner of 50 years who passed away in September. Buster will be missed, but his grandchildren (Morgan, Josh, and Anastasia Hammond) carry on, managing the 10,000-square-foot store with a speedy and efficient checkout and a floor full of friendly staffers happy to help customers find an affordable bottle of Cabernet.

Justin Fox Burks

Best Department Store

1. Target

2. Macy’s

3. Dillard’s

Are we surprised that more people recognize the Target bull’s-eye than Apple computer’s Macintosh apple? Of course not! Here’s a department store that couples design with affordability on every aisle. Even the pharmacy prescription bottles have color-coded labels. Better still, Target’s international fashion designers (have you discovered Alice Temperly yet?) eventually end up on the deep-discount rack, along with every other brand.

Best Shopping Mall

1. Oak Court Mall

2. Wolfchase Galleria

3. The Avenue at Carriage Crossing

Some malls struggle with image. Others lose tenants or can’t keep up with retail trends. Lucky for us, Oak Court Mall, located in the heart of East Memphis, gets everything right: size, atmosphere, decent food, and perfect mix of specialty stores that appeal to traditionalists and hipsters alike. (So happy we got a Pac Sun!)

Best Gift Shop

1. Babcock Gifts

2. Maggie’s Pharm

3. Pier One — tie —

Hallmark Cards & Gift Shop

Mid-South brides aren’t the only shoppers who can’t resist Babcock Gifts. Even non-domestic types marvel at the 500 different dish patterns in the store’s back room, along with the impressive assortment of glassware and serving pieces. Pottery from regional artists attracts attention, as well, along with eclectic and less expensive gifts, such as Ole Miss plastic tumblers and seasonal decorations for all the holidays.

1st Place: Best Department Store

Best Bookstore (new)

1. Davis-Kidd Booksellers

2. Barnes & Noble

3. Borders Books & Music

Oh, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, why do we love you so? Could it be your Vera Bradley totes, play space for kids, blue-cheese tomato soup to-go, or 1,000 different magazines, including our new favorite, Garden & Gun? Then again, maybe it’s all your books, especially the recommended picks selected by local staffers and independent book stores nationwide.

Best Book Store (used)

BOM 1. Burke’s Book Store

2. Tiger Book Store

3. Xanadu Music & Books

We’re pleased readers voted Burke’s Book Store a top winner for another year, but we’re even happier that the bookstore is still here to celebrate the victory. Money worries threatened the longtime literary establishment, but loyal customers dug into their pockets to help out. Their reward? A charming new location in the Cooper-Young neighborhood, right next door to a dessert and wine bar. Otherwise, it’s business as usual: new and used books, collectibles, visiting authors, and textbooks in the back.

Best Bank

1. First Tennessee Bank

2. Bank of America

3. Regions Bank

Every day, it’s another new bank with a confusing new name. Fortunately, First Tennessee is headquartered in Memphis, giving us no-nonsense identification along with online banking, award-winning customer service, and those lovable, human-size, one-dollar bills. The bank is a winner in community service too, supporting innovative projects to help small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Best Wireless Phone Service

1. Cingular/AT&T

2. Verizon Wireless

3. T-Mobile

Everyone seems happy with the marriage of Cingular and AT&T, proving that sometimes bigger is better. AT&T is the leading wireless carrier in the United States (over 63 million subscribers), and Flyer readers seem to like it that way. AT&T’s exclusive contract with Apple’s iPhone probably ups the ante, but so do convenient and cheap GoPhones and those fabulous rollover minutes.

Best Women’s Clothing

1. Macy’s

2. Ann Taylor

3. Target

Wondering why the envelope for best women’s clothing went to Macy’s? Look no further than the ensemble cast of star designers featured on Macy’s new television ads, introduced during this year’s Emmy’s. Directed by Oscar-winner Barry Levinson, the spots featured Jessica Simpson, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Marc Ecko, just to name a few. We were a little sad when Goldsmith’s morphed into Macy’s, but when it comes to fashion, change is good.

Best Men’s Clothing

1. Oak Hall

2. James Davis

3. Macy’s

Founded in 1859, Oak Hall is still operated by descendents of the original owners. Proprietors Bill and Bob Levy are the great-great-grandsons of founder Solomon Halle. Oak Hall’s commitment to service and quality won them the top spot in this, their 148th year in business.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Bookstore (new)

Best Vintage Clothing

1. Flashback

2. Goodwill

3. Salvation Army

Flashback is Memphis’ favorite retail time machine, where customers can travel back to the days of disco or art nouveau or grunge and find anything they want, whether it’s that ideal retro lamp or just a great jean jacket. It’s past perfect.

Best Shoe Store

1. Designer Shoe Warehouse

2. Payless Shoe Source

3. Macy’s — tie —

Rack Room Shoes

DSW is a repeat winner in this category. That’s probably because this spacious Germantown store offers a wide-ranging and ever-changing selection of women’s and men’s shoes at great prices. Must be the shoes.

Best Home
Furnishings

1. Pottery Barn

2. Ashley Furniture Homestore

3. Samuels Furniture & Interiors

Our readers love Pottery Barn. And there are many reasons this place is a repeat winner for 2007. The Barn’s selection of furniture, rugs, bedding, kitchen utensils, picture frames, bookstands, clocks, dishware, posters, etc., makes it a must-stop-in when any kind of housewares are needed.

Best Pet Store

1. Petco

2. Hollywood Pet Star

3. PetSmart

Petco is number one again this year. And we thought the place was going to the dogs. Actually, it is — and to the cats, birds, ferrets, fish and to people who need the perfect spot to shop for their favorite l’il creatures. Hey, maybe it should be called Creatures’ Comfort.

Best Hair Salon

1. Gould’s Styling Salon

2. Dabbles Hair Company

3. Hi Gorgeous

Gould’s is as good as gold with its loyal Memphis customers. See next category.

Best Day Spa

BOM 1. Gould’s

2. Serenity Day Spa

3. Germantown Day Spa

Yep. Gould’s again. They don’t just do hair; they make you feel good all over with massages, wraps, pedicures, manicures, and even limousine service. Yeah, that’s a good day.

Best Health/Fitness Club

1. YMCA

2. 24 Hour Fitness

3. French Riviera Spa

Young man, there’s a place you can go. I said, young man, when you’re short on your dough. You can stay there, and I’m sure you will find many ways to have a good time. It’s fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A! … Oh, just kidding. Actually the Y’s the best place in town to get fit and stay that way.

Best Jewelry Store

1. Mednikow Jewelers

2. Las Savell Jewelry

3. Kay Jewelers

Mednikow holds onto the top spot again this year. But Jacob Mednikow opened the store in 1891, which gives these guys a bit of a head start. Nonetheless, quality is quality. Our congrats to Mednikow for keeping this award in the family year after year.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Vintage Clothing

Best Tattoo Parlor

1. Underground Art

2. Trilogy

3. Ramesses Shadow Tattoos

Tattoos are forever, and so apparently is our readers’ love for Underground Art, another repeat winner. Just remember, people, divorces happen. Angelina still has the scars from Billy Bob.

Best Antique Store

1. Toad Hall Antiques

2. Flashback

3. Bojo’s Antique Mall

So many antique stores seem to think their customers want to dig through dusty bits of trash, old, broken toys, and a jumbled maze of furniture — even old toilets! — to unearth that antique desk or objet d’art. But Toad Hall, thankfully, has a different take on things. The store is organized and clean. Dressers and tables are decorated with modern touches. Even though Toad Hall’s wares may be antiques, they don’t look like they’re ready to lay down and die. They look as if they’re waiting for their second (or third, or fourth) life.

Best Smoke Shop

1. Tobacco Corner

2. Wizard’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

The great thing about Tobacco Corner is that not only do they provide one of the best selections of tobacco-related products and accessories in town, they also pair it with an impressive newsstand. This makes it easy to pick up a good newspaper and better cigar in one trip — while pretending to be a ’50s-sitcom dad or an ink-stained wretch from a good ’40s movie, of course. Better yet, keeping the linked shops in separate rooms, gives cigar aficionados somewhere to deposit non-smoking companions while they soak in the sights and smells on the other side of the wall.

Best Dry Cleaners

1. Bensinger’s Fine Cleaners

2. Dryve Cleaners

3. Happy Day Laundry and Cleaners

If you want to be old-fashioned and actually drop off or pick up your dry cleaning before or after work, this locally owned chain — which has been a Memphis fixture for more than 50 years — can fix you up, with 12 locations that dot the map heading east from Midtown. But why bother with the hassle when Bensinger’s also offers free home pickup and delivery? Added bonus: a company Web site (Bensingersfinecleaners.com) that delves into “The Mysteries of Moths” and answers the elusive question, “What is dry cleaning?”

Best Garden Center

1. Stringer’s Garden Centers

2. Dan West Garden Center

3. Lowe’s

The Memphis climate is notoriously difficult for those with not-so-green thumbs. But Stringer’s, a family-owned business, makes gardening a little easier. They have a free design service for do-it-yourselfers called “We plan, you plant,” where they’ll do a landscape design based on information you provide. The garden centers, with locations in East Memphis and Germantown, carry the “Plants That Work” and “Proven Winners” lines, as well as organic selections.

Best Sporting Goods

1. Bass Pro Shops

2. Outdoors Inc.

3. Sports Authority

Sure, that long-promised, slow-to-materialize Bass Pro Shops wonderland at The Pyramid would be a great destination for hunters and fishermen across the region. But for Memphis outdoorsmen, the megastore on Macon Road in Bartlett seems to be sufficient. Besides, the current Bass Pro is a destination in its own right — with a new mounted-ducks display, replicas of state-record catches to envy, and, best of all, a large aquarium that’s surrounded by a cool display of fishing lures. What kind of man-made lures did your great-granddaddy use? Go there to find out.

Best Place To Buy a Computer

1. Best Buy

2. Apple Store

3. Dell

With home computers as ubiquitous as television sets, it only makes sense that Best Buy, the home-electronics giant, would emerge as the go-to spot for regular folks computer shopping. Don’t want to make sense of computer-company Web sites? Intimidated by specialty shops? Want a good home system for good value and advice from someone who knows more about it than you do? Best Buy fits the bill.

Best Place To Buy
Home Electronics

BOM 1. Best Buy

2. Circuit City

3. Wal-Mart — tie —

Costco

Best Buy has laptops, desktops, camcorders, digital cameras, cell phones, software, two-way radios, and more. But they’ve got quality as well as quantity. Their buy-online, pick-it-up-at-the-store feature means no hunting all over the store for what you’re trying to find; no getting distracted in the CD section. Just grab and go.

Best Place To Buy a Bicycle

1. Midtown Bicycle

2. The Peddler

3. Outdoors Inc.

Hey, given gas prices and global warming, maybe biking isn’t just for fun and exercise anymore. If you want to invest in some truly environmentally friendly transportation — or just have fun and get some exercise — Midtown Bicycle can find whatever fits your needs and service and repair your purchase later on. Now, if they could just do something about Memphis drivers to reduce the cycling fear factor.

Best Video Store

1. Blockbuster Video

2. Black Lodge Video

3. Midtown Video

Blockbuster has 19 area locations, a huge corporate marketing budget, and an order-from-home plan to combat Netflix. Guess that’s why they are still at the top.

Best Record Store (new)

1. Spin Street

2. Cat’s Music & DVDs — tie —

Best Buy

3. Goner Records

The category may be music, and Spin Street’s got it — new music at discount prices — but that’s not all it’s got. Check out Spin Street for the latest in DVDs and games. You won’t walk out empty-handed. And don’t walk in empty-handed either. The giant store, at the corner of Poplar and Highland, does a brisk business in trade-ins.

Best Record Store (used)

1. Shangri-La Records

2. Goner Records

3. Cat’s Music & DVDs

From blues to garage to indie/alternative. From LPs to CDs, 45s, and 78s. Books and magazines. Turntables and T-shirts. What else does Shangri-La on Madison having going for it? You name it, from free in-store Fridays where you can hear live music to the latest edition of Kreature Comforts, a “low-life guide to Memphis” (and it’s “still only $5.00 cheap!”).

Best Music Equipment

1. Amro Music Stores

2. Guitar Center

3. Yarbrough’s Music

It’s been around since 1921. It’s family owned and operated. And it’s the place in town to go for musical instruments (and that includes rentals, repairs, and tunings) and print music too (over 52,000 titles in stock). It’s Amro, at 2918 Poplar, where Elvis once bought a Gibson, John Mayer dropped by to buy a sax, and Ben Folds picked up a — what else? — piano. No problem, though. When it comes to pianos, Amro delivers.

Best Car Dealership

READERS’ CHOICE

CarMax

Dobbs

Gossett

City Auto Sales

Just like last year, it’s too close to call this category as votes were divided among more than 50 area dealerships.

Best Car Accessories

BOM 1. AutoZone

By “accessories,” are we talking oil and brake fluid? You know your car needs both, and the staff at AutoZone won’t blink an eye if that’s all you know about what keeps your wheels running. But if you’re ready to tear your engine down or do some chrome dressing, AutoZone’s all over town (and headquartered in Memphis) to help you too. No wonder AutoZone’s “da bomb,” or as we say at the Flyer when a winner wins by a landslide in the Best of Memphis poll: the BOM.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Tattoo Parlor

Best Place To Buy a
Motorcycle

1. Bumpus Harley-Davidson

2. Al’s Honda

3. Memphis Motorcycle

And speaking of “accessories”: Flyer readers voted Bumpus Harley-Davidson #1 for motorcycles, but it’s #1 too for Harley gifts for him, for her, for the kids, and for the bike. You’ve got two locations to choose from in the Memphis area: on Whitten Road near Summer and on South Byhalia Road in Collierville. You’ve got a full service department and training classes too. What more do you want?

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Memphis 2007

Here at the Flyer we like to joke that the votes cast in the annual Best of Memphis Readers Poll are the most important ones of the year. And they are important — important to the hundreds of people represented in the categories who strive to make this city a more interesting and vibrant place to live. What it means when someone casts their vote — be it for “Best Restaurant” or “Best Sports Team” — is that they care. As it happens, this issue hits the stands the day before the mayoral and City Council elections. We hope readers hit those polls as well. It’s important.

Congratulations to all the winners. As always, a “BOM” designation means that the winner of that particular category received more than 50 percent of the total votes cast. “Readers Choice” means that the vote was too close to call.

Thanks to the readers who make this issue possible and to our advertisers who make all our issues possible. And special thanks to photographer Justin Fox Burks who came up with the trophy concept to illustrate the sections and went so far as to spray-paint a Huey’s burger gold. Another nod goes to Chad and Taryn at Elite Trophy & Screen Printing, which provided the trophies.

Compiled by Greg Akers, Mary Cashiola, Chris Davis, Pamela Denney, Susan Ellis, Michael Finger, Michael Flanagan, Leonard Gill, Chris Herrington, Preston Lauterbach, Bianca Phillips, and Bruce VanWyngarden. designed by Carrie Beasley.

Goods & Services

Food & Drink

Nightlife

Arts & Entertainment

Media

And the Rest

Staff Picks

Pics from the Memphis Flyer BEST OF MEMPHIS 2007 Party

Goods & Services

Food & Drink

Nightlife

Arts & Entertainment

Media

And the Rest

Staff Picks

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Staff Picks

Best Under-Recognized Hit Single: Three 6 Mafia’s “Stay Fly.” In the wake of their surreal performance and chaotic victory at this year’s Academy Awards, Memphis hip-hop stars Three 6 Mafia have become thought of primarily for their Oscar-winning Hustle & Flow anthem (and headline writer’s best friend) “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” and as emerging media stars from guest spots on Entourage and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to their own upcoming MTV reality series. But lost in all the hype is the group’s artistic growth, best typified by the insistent, musically eloquent, epic “Stay Fly,” the most commercially and critically successful single from a Memphis-based artist since Al Green’s prime. These guys court their cartoonish image, but they’re increasingly accomplished music makers too.

Best Reason to Support Local Music: Quality and Diversity. With another round of hand-wringing over the perceived underperformance of the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission/Foundation upon us, it’s helpful to recognize that — despite failing to live up to the unrealistic expectations of the past — the local music scene is in pretty good shape, with plenty of great music being made by artists all across the commercial and genre spectrum. So support local music because there’s plenty of good music to support, not out of respect for the legacy or mere civic obligation.

Best Reason to Not Support Local Music: Having a Life. Though touring local musicians claim Memphis isn’t unusually extreme in this regard, late start times — especially for weeknight shows and especially at the smaller clubs most likely to host the best local or touring bands — alienate regular music fans with kids and/or day jobs, making many shows prohibitive for people whose social lives don’t revolve around late-night bars.

Best Bold Move: Trading Shane Battier. With attendance down a 1,000 people per game and fan complaint at an all-time high, Jerry West made his boldest move since hiring Hubie Brown four seasons ago. In trading the team’s most popular player for 19-year-old rookie Rudy Gay, West took the right kind of gamble: Sacrificing the safety of a dependable role player for the high-risk/high-reward hope of a kid with true star potential.

Best Grizzlies Gripe to Roll Your Eyes At: The Infamous $4 Bottle of Water. A dull, slow-down style of play. A league-record playoff drought. Concession quality. These are all reasonable complaints made about the Memphis Grizzlies in the past year. But concession prices? Have Grizzlies fans been to the movies lately? Concessions prices are exorbitant everywhere — the Grizzlies are not at all unusual in this regard.

Best Local Sports-Talk Radio Segment: “The Haters” on The Chris Vernon Show. Making a mockery of the usual bluster and gimmickry of most sports-talk radio, ESPN Radio 730-AM’s Chris Vernon and regular guest Gary Parrish (formerly of The Commercial Appeal, currently of CBS.Sportsline.com) spend every Wednesday afternoon (between 4 and 5 p.m.) comically attacking those who are “better looking and more successful” or just luckier than they are, often with hilarious, envelope-pushing results. A recent fave: Parrish “hating” on Pennsylvania citizens successfully evacuated by FEMA during flooding this summer: “I want to see some white people on the roof.”

Best One-Time (?) Concert Event: The Ponderosa Stomp. New Orleans’ venerable roots-music festival relocated to the Gibson Music Showcase this year in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, bringing a host of great soul, blues, and country acts to play before an adoring crowd of locals and music fans from around the country who’d made a special trip. Highlight of highlights: Fifties’ New Orleans soul star Clarence “Frogman” Henry, who spent most of his set sitting down and held the entire room in the palm of his hand.

Best Reason to Put Harold Ford Jr. in the Senate: Subpoena Power.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Memphis/The Photographic Evidence

The Flyer’s annual Best of Memphis party was held last week at “the
warehouse” on G.E. Patterson Boulevard. With music by the Jumpin’ Chi Chis,
the Glass, and Secret Service, and delicious food from many of Memphis
“Best” restaurants, the joint was packed with a veritable Memphis “who’s
who.” Check out all the party pics here:
Partypics.com

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

And The Rest

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

The “And the Rest” section is what we call “just for fun.” No official winners, no prizes given. But it is a good measure of what’s going on in the city. For instance, in the current-affairs department, crime fighting came in number two in “Best Memphis Failure,” surely a reference to Memphis’ appallingly high homicide numbers, and at number three in this same category is the FedExForum garage scandal. Under “Best Success,” the Japanese prime minister’s visit to Graceland got more than a few votes as did the early-voter turnout in August.

And check this out: Steve Cohen, now in an increasingly nasty race for Congress, tied Elvis for third for “Best Memphian.” In the same spot last year? Harold Ford Jr.

Best Memphis Success

READERS’ CHOICE

Tiger Basketball

Downtown Renovation

Tennessee Waltz

Steve Cohen Election

Farmers Market downtown

DeAngelo Williams

While there’s no clear winner in this category, politics and sports dominate the top vote-getters.

Best Memphis Failure

Justin Fox Burks

1. Memphis mayor Willie Herenton

2. Crime Fighting

3. FedExForum Garage

Mayor Herenton has been keeping a relatively low profile these days but not low enough to avoid “winning” this category.

Best Category Left Out

READERS’ CHOICE

Bartender

Politician

Tour To Take

Strip Joint (Gentlemen’s Club)

Hospital

No clear winner in this category, but a couple of usual suspects — bartender and strip joint, to name two — show up once again. We’ve tried “Best Bartender” before, resulting in an uncountable single vote for about 1,000 different bartenders. (What can we say? Memphians love their bartenders.) But never once have we put up “Best Strip Joint” as a category. Maybe in 2007.

Best Memphian

1. Shelby County mayor A C Wharton

2. FedEx founder Fred Smith

3. Elvis — tie — Steve Cohen

No “Impeach Wharton” bumper stickers we’ve seen.

Best Locally Produced Product

1. Barbecue

2. Music

3. Gibson Guitars — tie — Brim’s

In Memphis, we know spring has sprung when national TV shows feature Memphis’ oh-so-quaint barbecue culture in conjunction with the Memphis In May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. But, outside TV-land, we all know that barbecue here is serious business. (Back away from the ribs and nobody gets hurt.) Barbecue has become as inseparable from Memphis’ image as Elvis.

Best Neighborhood

1. Cooper-Young

2. Midtown

3. Central Gardens

In the last decade and a half, Cooper-Young has blossomed into a thriving neighorhood, with some of the best restaurants in town, affordable housing, and a strong neighborhood association.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Media

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Goods & Services
Food & Drink
Nightlife
Arts & Entertainment
Media
And The Rest

Get your scorecards: There’ve been a few changes in Memphis media in 2006, including: WREG’s Tara Pachmayer (tied for third as “Best TV Sportscaster”) leaving the station and taking a job in Cincinnati. Dave Woloshin, whose show SportsCall tied for third for “Best Sports Show,” is also gone from WMC-AM 790, which switched its format to country music. Wendi C. Thomas, first-place winner for “Best Columnist,” left The Commercial Appeal only to come back several weeks later. Leon Gray, last year’s number-two winner in the “Best Talk Show” category, went poof from his former station WWTQ-AM 680, and WREG, winner in several categories, is being sold by its parent company, The New York Times.

Best TV Sportscaster

BOM 1. Jarvis Greer, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Greg Gaston, WPTY-TV, Channel 24

3. Mike Ceide, WREG-TV, Channel 3 — tie — Tara Pachmayer, formerly of WREG-TV, Channel 3

Jarvis Greer dominates this category once again.

Best FM Station

1. WEGR-FM 102.7, Rock 103

2. WEVL-FM 89.9

3. WMC-FM 99.7, FM 100

Rock 103 takes the top spot again with spunky, funky WEVL a surprising second place.

Best AM Station

1. WREC-AM 600

2. WMC-AM 790

3. WWTQ-AM 680 — tie –WHBQ-AM 560

WREC proves that lots of right-wing nutjobs read the Flyer. Or at least people who like to listen to right-wing nutjobs.

Best Drive-Time Show

1. Drake & Zeke, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

2. NPR/All Things Considered/Morning Edition

3. Dennis & Ric, WEGR-FM 102.7, Rock 103 — tie — Brad & Dana, WMBZ-FM 94.1, The Buzz

Drake and Zeke get the edge over the more cerebral (and with fewer fart jokes) NPR.

Best Sports Show

1. Sportstime with George Lapides & Geoff Calkins, WHBQ-AM 560

2. The Jim Rome Show, AM 730 ESPN

3. SportsCall, formerly of

WMC-AM 790 — tie —

The Chris Vernon Show, AM 730 ESPN

George Lapides and Geoff Calkins talked their way into first place again this year. National asshole Jim Rome edged out local nice guys Dave Woloshin, formerly of SportsCall, and Chris Vernon for second.

Best Local Radio Talk Show

1. Mike Fleming, WREC-AM 600

2. Drake & Zeke, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

3. Dennis & Ric, WEGR-FM 102.7, Rock 103

Mike Fleming takes the best local talk-show trophy again, though with the loss of Leon Gray there’s not much competition in the category.

Best Newspaper Columnist

Justin Fox Burks

Jarvis Greer dominates the Best Sportscaster category once again.

1. Wendi C. Thomas, The Commercial Appeal

2. Geoff Calkins, The Commerical Appeal

3. Tim Sampson, Memphis Flyer

Wendi left us and came back, but your affection for the CA columnist never wavered. Geoff and Tim pick up the leftovers.

Best Weatherperson

1. Dave Brown, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Jim Jaggers, WREG-TV, Channel 3

3. Joey Sulipeck, WHBQ-TV, Fox 13

Dave Brown wins Best Weatherman. That was the most unsurprising sentence you’ve ever read.

Best TV News Anchor

1. Joe Birch, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Claudia Barr, WREG-TV, Channel 3

3. Richard Ransom, WREG-TV, Channel 3

Joe Birch: as sturdy as an oak. We pine fir no one else.

Best Radio Personality

1. John “Bad Dog” McCormack, WEGR-FM 102.7, Rock 103

2. Drake & Zeke, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

3. Tom Prestiagiacomo, WMC-FM 99.7, FM 100

He’s a Bad Dog, that John McCormack. But a great personality (and those clean garage commercials) kept him on top for another year.

Best Memphis-Themed Web Site

1. MemphisFlyer.com

2. CommercialAppeal.com

3. Goner-Records.com

MemphisFlyer.com is the best in Memphis. What’s not to like about that?

Best Memphis Blog

READERS’ CHOICE

Rachel and the City, rachelandthecity.com

iDiva, idivamemphis.com

Paul Ryburn Journal, www.paulryburn.com/blog

Whining & Dining,blogs.commercialappeal.com/leslie

The Flypaper Theory, thepeskyfly.blogspot.com

Surf these blogs and you’ll have it all covered: nightlife, beer, eating, women, and politics.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Arts & Entertainment

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Goods & Services
Food & Drink
Nightlife
Arts & Entertainment
Media
And The Rest

One of the new categories in this section, “Best Place To Meet Singles,” isn’t really new. At one time, we had it, or a variation of it, but quit for reasons long forgotten. In fact, in the Flyer‘s very first Readers’ Poll, in 1994, we asked for “Best Place To Meet Mr./Ms. Right” along with an awfully similar-sounding “Best Place To Meet 1st Date.” For the former, church and The Peabody got number one and number two. For the latter, the positions were reversed.

Flash-forward 12 years to the current “Best Place To Meet Singles” category, and the winners run in this order: 1) Church 2) Online 3) Grocery Store. It’s a case of everything old is new again and vice versa, with church being a mainstay and the Internet, still a novelty when our poll began, making its first appearance in this category.

Best Casino

1. Horseshoe Casino

2. Grand Casino

3. Gold Strike Casino

If you’re going to hand your money over, you might as well do it in style. Horseshoe’s wealth of bars, bonuses, and buffets almost makes you forget about the difference in size between your wallet now and your wallet three hours ago.

Best Museum

Justin Fox Burks

1. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

2. Memphis Pink Palace Museum

3. Children’s Museum of Memphis

The Brooks isn’t some stuck-up, high-society art museum. Sure, it has plenty of fine paintings and sculpture on display, but it also knows how to throw down. Each year, the museum hosts Brooks Uncorked (one of the largest wine-tasting events in the city). They’ve also earned their hipster cred by screening indie films and occasionally hosting local rock bands.

Best Art Gallery

1. David Lusk Gallery

2. Jay Etkin

3. Midtown Artist Market — tie — David Mah Studio

Nestled in an unassuming corner of the Laurelwood Shopping Center, David Lusk Gallery has been a staple over the last 11 years for anybody looking for that artful touch of sophistication — something really cool made with paper bags.

Best Live Theater

BOM 1. Playhouse on the Square

2. The Orpheum

3. Theatre Memphis

Playhouse on the Square had a strong 2005-’06 season that featured such hits as Aida and Fiddler on the Roof. The next season — with Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Caroline, Or Change, and Big River, to name a few — promises to be even stronger, and we can’t forget the Batman-esque spotlight guarantee reminding nighttime Union Avenue traffic of the bigger and better facilities to come.

Best Movie Theater

1. Studio on the Square

2. Paradiso

3. Muvico-Peabody Place

If a film’s getting Oscar nominations or festival wreaths, expect to find it at Studio on the Square. Don’t forget your popcorn, wine, and cheese.

Best Golf Course

1. The Links at Galloway

2. TPC at Southwind

3. The Links at Overton Park

Rolling fairways, budding trees, grassy knolls, verdant greens — Galloway’s got it all.

Best Picnic

1. Shelby Farms

2. Overton Park

3. Tom Lee Park

“Let’s … go … fly … a kite!” and, like, chill with the bison at Shelby Farms.

Best Place to Meet Singles

1. Church

2. Online

3. Grocery

This year’s results prove that there’s still no better place than a pew to hang out and get your weekly dose of “God ‘n’ Girls” (or Guys).

Best Free Date

Justin Fox Burks

Best Family Entertainment

1. Mississippi River

2. Shelby Farms

3. Memphis Zoo on Tuesdays

There really is nothing like a nighttime river walk, with the DeSoto Bridge illuminating the background and the sound of the river current keeping you company. Guys, a word of advice: I know it seems like it’d be really funny to throw her in, but for some reason girls don’t tend to appreciate the humor in that.

Best Family Entertainment

Justin Fox Burks

Best Museum

1. Memphis Zoo

2. Redbirds Game

3. Putt Putt

The best part of the zoo experience is hearing the kids make that howler-monkey noise the entire drive home.

Best Sports Team

1. Memphis Grizzlies

2. Memphis Redbirds

3. University of Memphis Tigers Basketball

It’s good to see we’re getting our mileage out of that FedExForum. Now if we could just win a single game in the NBA playoffs.

Best Grizzlies Player

1. Pau Gasol

2. Shane Battier

3. Mike Miller

FIBA World Champion and MVP, NBA All Star, Grizzlies poster-boy — Pau’s done it all. Unfortunately, his broken foot from the FIBA finals will put a damper on his 2006-’07 season with the Grizzlies. At least he’s still got the beard.

Best Local Athlete

Justin Fox Burks

Best Free Date

1. DeAngelo Williams

2. Pau Gasol

3. Shane Battier

First of all, props to Houston Rockets maestro Shane Battier for cinching two of the poll’s spots despite his turn to Texas. But the focus really does belong on our man DeAngelo, whose name was mentioned in the same breath as Reggie Bush’s for the 2005 Doak Walker Award and who finished seventh overall in the 2005 Heisman race. Who would have thought that U of M football would ever be on the map?

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Nightlife

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Goods & Services
Food & Drink
Nightlife
Arts & Entertainment
Media
And The Rest

The category that got the most votes within the Nightlife section was “Best Place To See Live Music.” Forty-three venues received votes, and the total vote for the category was 1,070. The category that received the second-most votes was “Best Beer Selection,” where 939 votes were divided among a mere 25 places. Flying Saucer dominated this category, accounting for more than half of the total and, hence, its being named one of the Best of Best of Memphis winners.

Best Beer Selection

BOM 1. Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. Boscos Squared

With more than 200 varieties of beer on tap, the Flying Saucer has this category on lockdown. If you can dream it up, they’ve most likely got it. And with the recent addition of a branch in Cordova, it just got easier for beer lovers across the area to enjoy the Saucer’s massive selection.

Best Place To See Live Music

1. Hi-Tone Café

2. Beale Street

3. B.B. King’s — tie –Mud Island Amphitheater

Whether it’s local faves Lucero and Harlan T. Bobo or touring acts on a national scale, live rock in Memphis has a dependable home and has for years now: the Hi-Tone. Early evenings, it’s a good spot to have a drink and shoot some pool. Late nights, there’s a good chance your ears’ll be ringing. It’s a good thing.

Best Local Band/Singer

READERS’ CHOICE

The Dempseys

Harlan T. Bobo

Kevin Paige

Twin Soul

Lucero

Lots of votes in this category but no clear winner.

Best Karaoke

1. Yosemite Sam’s

2. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

3. Neil’s

Who needs American Idol when we’ve got Yosemite Sam’s? The regular karaoke crowd at this Midtown dive approaches the art form with a seriousness that cannot be rivaled. They don’t need Paula Abdul or Simon Cowell to cut them down. No sir. They’re good. (Well, at least they think so.) So forget that one-commercial-jingle-wonder Taylor Hicks and head to Overton Square to hear some real talent.

Best Bar

1. Young Avenue Deli

2. Flying Saucer

3. Blue Monkey — tie — Celtic Crossing

Where else can you order the best French fries in Midtown, choose from a great selection of beer, catch a show by some hip indie band, and shoot pool without having to fight for a table? Young Avenue Deli has all the essentials of the perfect bar.

Best New Bar, opened in 2006

1. Coyote Ugly

2. Jordan’s Karaoke

3. Majestic Grille

In the 2000 film of the same name, “coyote ugly” is a term used to describe someone who is so freakin’ ugly, you’d chew your own arm off if they were lying on it in bed. But the girls at the new Memphis bar are anything but. Wearing tight-fitting clothing, they dance on the bar night after night while men ogle from their seats. With that kind of gimmick, it’s no wonder Coyote Ugly was named Best New Bar.

Best Hole in the Wall

1. P&H Café

2. Alex’s

3. Newby’s — tie — Buccaneer

For someone who didn’t know better, the P&H Café would just look like another dive. But with pitchers of the coldest beer in town, a regular crowd of artists and thespians, live bands, and art shows, the P&H isn’t just another hole-in-the-wall. It’s the best in town.

Best After Hours Club

Justin Fox Burks

1. Raiford’s

2. Alex’s

3. Wild Bill’s

A night at Raiford’s is hands-down the most surreal experience one can have at a Memphis club. With your 40-ounce beer in one hand and your best bud’s hand in the other, practice your sexy moves on the mirrored dance floor, which features a stripper pole. Tired? No problem. Pop a squat in one of the fancy office chairs and roll around to the music.

Best Happy Hour

1. Chili’s

2. Flying Saucer

3. Blue Monkey

At most bars, happy hour is actually several hours long. But at Chili’s, it’s all freakin’ day. From the time they open until 10 p.m., Chili’s offers amazing drink specials. They should probably just call it Happy Day.

Best Place to Dance

Justin Fox Burks

Best After Hours Dance Club

1. Raiford’s

2. Senses — tie — Alfred’s

3. Club 152 Beale

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Raiford’s is awesome!

Best Jukebox

1. Alex’s

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. RP Tracks — tie — P&H Café

The folks at Alex’s are clever. They have two jukeboxes set up to alternate songs, a tactic that prevents jukebox hogs from playing every track off of one album (you know who you are!).

Best Place to Play Pool

Justin Fox Burks

Best Place to Dance

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. Highland Cue

At the Fox & Hound bars, you don’t play pool: You shoot billiards. And you do it like a fine English chap. So saddle up and invite your blokes out for a bloody good game and some tasty ale.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. TJ Mulligan’s

Okay, if you’re not into the British thing, there’s still a good ole American time to be had Fox & Hound. With numerous TVs, you can catch the football game (and we do mean American football), the Grizzlies, or whatever suits your fancy. Er, we mean whatever floats your boat.