Readers’ Picks 2005 – Memphis Flyer

GOODS & SERVICES

Best Grocery Store

1. Kroger

2. Schnucks

3. Fresh Market

Best Liquor Store

1. Buster’s Liquors & Wine

2. Joe’s Wines & Liquor

3. Arthur’s Wine & Liquor

Best Department Store

1. Macy’s

2. Target

3. Dillard’s

Best Shopping Mall

1. Wolfchase Galleria

2. Oak Court Mall

3. The Shops of Saddle Creek

Best Gift Shop

1. Target

2. Kirkland’s

3. Pier One

Best Book store (new)

1. Davis-Kidd Booksellers

2. Barnes & Noble Booksellers

3. Borders Books Music & Cafe

Best Book store (used)

1. Burke’s Book Store

2. Midtown Books/Sip

3. Tiger Book Store

Best Bank

1. First Tennessee Bank

2. Regions Bank/Union Planters

3. Bank of America

Best Women’s Clothing

1. Macy’s

2. Victoria’s Secret

3. Ann Taylor

Best Men’s Clothing

1. James Davis

2. Oak Hall

3. Macy’s

Best Vintage Clothing

1. Flashback

2. Goodwill

3. Salvation Army

Best Shoe Store

1. Designer Shoe Warehouse

2. Rack Room Shoes

3. Payless Shoe Source

Best Home Furnishings

1. Pottery Barn

2. Pier One

3. Bed Bath & Beyond — tie —

Samuels Furniture & Interiors

Best Hair Salon

1. Gould’s Styling Salon

2. Supercuts

3. Dabbles Hair Company — tie —

Hi Gorgeous

Best Day Spa

1. Gould’s

2. Touch of Health

3. Germantown Day Spa — tie —

Serenity Day Spa

Best Fitness Club

1. YMCA

2. French Riviera Spa

3. 24 Hour Fitness

Best Jewelry Store

1. Las Savell Jewelry

2. Mednikow Jewelers

3. Kay Jewelers

Best Tattoo Parlor

1. Underground Art

2. Trilogy

3. Memphis Tattoo Co.

Best Antique Store

1. Bojo’s Antique Mall

2. Palladio

3. Antique Mall of Midtown — tie —

Flashback

Best Smoke Shop

1. Tobacco Corner

2. Wizard’s

3. Madison Ave. Tobacco (Vince’s) — tie —

Whatever

Best Dry Cleaners

1. Bensinger’s Fine Cleaners

2. Dryve Cleaners

3. Mercury Valet

Best Florist

1. Pugh’s Flowers

2. Flowers by Sandy

3. Holliday’s Flowers

Best Sporting Goods

1. Bass Pro Shop

2. Sports Authority

3. Outdoors Inc.

Best Place to Buy A Computer

1. Best Buy

2. Dell

3. Apple Store

Best Place to Buy a Bicycle

1. The Peddler

2. Midtown Bicycle Co.

3. Outdoors Inc.

Best Video

1. Blockbuster Video

2. Black Lodge Video

3. Hollywood Video

Best Record Store (new)

1. Cat’s Compact Discs & Cassettes

2. Tower Records

3. Best Buy — tie —

Pop Tunes Record Shops

Spin Street

Best Record Store (used)

1. Cat’s Compact Discs & Cassettes

2. Pop Tunes Record Shops

3. Shangri-La Records

Best Music Equipment

1. Strings & Things

2. Yarbrough’s Music

3. Amro Music Stores

Best Car Dealership

1. CarMax

2. Dobbs Brothers Honda — tie —

Covington Pike Toyota

Saturn of Memphis

FOOD & DRINK

Best Chef

1. Judd and Alex Grisanti

2. Erling Jensen

3. Jose Gutierrez

Best Lunch

1. Huey’s

2. McAlister’s

3. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

Best Breakfast

1. Brother Juniper’s

2. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

3. IHOP

Best Romantic Restaurant

1. Paulette’s

2. Jim’s Place East

3. The Melting Pot

Best Sunday Brunch

1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

2. Peabody Skyway

3. Boscos Squared

Best Wine List

1. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

2. McEwen’s on Monroe

3. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

Best Steak

1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

3. The Butcher Shop

Best Barbecue

1. Corky’s

2. Central BBQ

3. The Bar-B-Q Shop

Best Burger

1. Huey’s

2. Back Yard Burgers

3. Earnestine & Hazel’s

Best Hot Wings

1. Hooters

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. D’Bo’s Buffalo Wings-N-Things

Best Ribs

1. Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous

2. Corky’s

3. Central BBQ

Best Dessert

1. Paulette’s

2. Peabody’s Deli and Dessert

3. The Melting Pot

Best Italian

1. Ronnie Grisanti & Sons

2. Pete and Sam’s Restaurant

3. Olive Garden

Best Mexican

1. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

2. Molly Gonzales’ La Casita Mexican Restaurant

3. On the Border Mexican Cafe

Best Chinese

1. PF Chang’s China Bistro

2. Wang’s Mandarin House

3. Formosa Restaurant

Best Thai

1. Bhan Thai

2. Bangkok Alley

3. Sawaddii Thai Cuisine — tie —

Jasmine Thai Restaurant

Best Vietnamese

1. Saigon Le

2. Pho Saigon

3. Pho Hoa Binh

Best Japanese/Sushi

1. Sekisui

2. Benihana of Tokyo

3. Pacific Rim

Best Indian

1. India Palace

2. Bombay House

3. Golden India

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

1. The Cupboard

2. Gus’s Fried Chicken

3. Blue Plate Café

Best Vegetarian

1. Wild Oats Market

2. The Cupboard

3. La Montagne Natural Food Restaurant

Best Seafood

1. Red Lobster

2. Anderton’s

3. Joe’s Crab Shack — tie —

Blue Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Bonefish Grill

Tsunami

Best Pizza

1. Memphis Pizza Cafe

2. Exline’s

3. Papa John’s — tie —

Camy’s

Best Deli

1. Lenny’s Sub Shop

2. McAlister’s

3. Fino’s from the Hill

Best Service

1. Huey’s

2. Houston’s

3. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

Best Place that Delivers

1. Camy’s

2. Papa John’s

3. Pizza Hut — tie —

Young Avenue Deli

Best Bakery

1. La Baguette

2. Howard’s Donuts

3. Kay Bakery — tie —

Atlanta Bread Company

Best Coffeehouse

1. Starbucks

2. Otherlands

3. Java Cabana

Best Restaurant in Memphis

READERS’ CHOICE

Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

Best New Restaurant opened 2005

1. LoLo’s Table

2. Blue Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar

— tie — Big Foot Lodge

3. Casablanca

NIGHTLIFE

Best Place To See Live Music

1. Hi-Tone Cafe

2. New Daisy Theatre

3. B.B. King’s

Best Local Band

READERS’ CHOICE

Ingram Hill

Lucero

Gabby Johnson

The Dempseys

Twin Soul

Best Bar

READERS’ CHOICE

Young Avenue Deli

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

Blue Monkey

Fox & Hound English Tavern

Best New Bar opened 2005

1. Celtic Crossing — tie —

Big Foot Lodge

2. Lolo’s Table — tie —

Dish

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Alex’s

2. P&H Cafe

3. Earnestine & Hazel’s

Best After Hours Club

1. Raiford’s Hollywood

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. Alex’s — tie —

Two Way Inn

Best Beer Selection

1. Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

Best Happy Hour

1. Chili’s

2. Blue Monkey

3. Flying Saucer Draught Emporium — tie —

On the Border Mexican Cafe

Best Place to Dance

1. Senses

2. Alfred’s

3. Club 152 on Beale

Best Jukebox

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

Best Place to Play Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Highland Cue

3. Young Avenue Deli

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mulligan’s — tie —

Hooters

RECREATION

Best Museum

1. Memphis Pink Palace Museum

2. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

3. Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Best Art Gallery

1. Memphis College of Art

2. Midtown Artist Market Gallery

3. David Lusk Gallery

Best Live Theater

1. The Orpheum

2. Playhouse on the Square

3. Theatre Memphis

Best Movie Theater

1. Paradiso

2. Studio on the Square

3. Muvico Peabody Place 22

Best Golf Course

1. TPC at Southwind

2. The Links at Galloway

3. The Links at Overton Park

Best Casino

1. Horseshoe Casino

2. Grand Casino

3. Gold Strike Casino

Best Place for a Picnic

1. Shelby Farms

2. Overton Park

3. Memphis Botanic Garden

Best Family Entertainment

1. Redbirds Game

2. Memphis Zoo

3. Grizzlies Game

Best Sports Team

1. Memphis Grizzlies

2. Memphis Redbirds

3. University of Memphis Football

Best Local Athlete

1. DeAngelo Williams,

University of Memphis Football

2. Shane Battier, Memphis Grizzlies

3. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

MEDIA

Best FM Station

1. WEGR-FM 102.7, Rock 103

2. WMBZ-FM 94.1, The Buzz

3. WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max — tie —

WEVL-FM 89.9, Weevil

Best AM Station

1. WHBQ-AM 560

2. WWTQ-AM 680

3. WMC-AM 790

Best Drive-Time Show

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

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

3. Howard Stern, WMFS-FM 92.9, 93X

Best Sports Radio Show

1. SportsCall, WMC-AM 790

2. Sportstime with Lapides & Calkins, WHBQ-AM 560

3. Sports with Marky B, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

Best Talk Show

1. Mike Fleming, WREC-AM 600

2. The Leon Gray Show, WWTQ-AM 680

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

Best Newspaper Columnist

1. Wendi C. Thomas,

The Commercial Appeal

2. Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal

3. Tim Sampson, The Memphis Flyer

Best Weatherperson

1. Dave Brown, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Jim Jaggers, WREG-TV, Channel 3

3. Tim Simpson, WREG-TV, Channel 3

Best TV Sportscaster

1. Jarvis Greer, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Greg Gaston, WPTY-24, Channel 24

3. Glenn Carver, WREG-TV, Channel 3

Best TV News Anchor

1. Joe Birch, WMC-TV, Channel 5

2. Kym Clark, WMC-TV, Channel 5

3. Donna Davis, WMC-TV, Channel 5

Best Radio Personality

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

2. Ron Olson, WMC-FM 99.7, FM 100 3. Drake & Zeke, WXMX-FM 98.1, The Max

Best Memphis-Themed Web Site

1. MemphisFlyer.com

2. Rock103.com — tie —

CommercialAppeal.com

3. MemphisTigers.org

Best Memphis Blog

1. RachelandtheCity.com

2. Halfbakered.blogspot.com — tie —

Scenestars.net

Goner-Records.com/board

AND THE REST

Best Category We Left Out

READERS’ CHOICE

Bartender

Strip Joint (Gentlemen’s Club)

Neighborhood

Best Memphian

1. Shelby County mayor A C Wharton

2. FedEx founder Fred Smith

3. State representative Harold Ford Jr. — tie — Elvis

Best Locally Produced Product

1. Barbecue

2. Music

3. FedEx

Best Memphis Failure

1. Memphis mayor Willie Herenton

2. Former state senator John Ford

3. Park names debate

Best Memphis Success

1. The Tennessee Waltz sting

2. FedExForum — tie —

John Ford resigns as state senator

3. International Paper headquarters moves to Memphis — tie —

University of Memphis football program

Flyer Readers