The “And the Rest” is the unofficial section of the ballot, where we allow readers to express themselves — or vent, as in the case of “Best Memphis Failure.”
Best Category
We Left Out
READERS’ CHOICE
Best Bartender
Best Strip Club
Best Charity Event
Best Magazine
Too many votes for too many categories to announce a clear winner in this one. Perhaps our favorite vote was “Best Category We Left In.” We like your attitude. And we like the proactive approach of one write-in voter who suggested several new categories and then included her picks.
Best Memphis
Failure
1. Mayor Willie Herenton
2. Memphis, Light, Gas & Water
3. Memphis Grizzlies
The Flyer‘s Best of Memphis issue hits the stands the day before the city mayoral elections. Could it be that you won’t have Mayor Herenton — a runaway “winner” in this category — to kick around much longer? Of course, it could be argued that if he does lose, he could be voted as “Best Memphis Failure” again next year (or “Best Memphis Success,” depending on how you look at it).
Best Memphis
Success
1. Tiger Basketball Team Elite 8
Appearance
2. Indictments in Tennessee Waltz
3. Downtown Development
Will the University of Memphis men’s basketball team maintain the tremendous promise they showed last year? Only time will tell.
Justin Fox Burks
Best Memphian
1. A C Wharton
2. Fred Smith
3. Steve Cohen
It’s the same-old, same-old for this category. The ranking and winners remain the same as last year — with one interesting exception. State representative Steve Cohen made his way into the 2006 poll at the number-three spot in a tie with Elvis Presley. This year, Elvis, who has received a tremendous amount of press with the 30th anniversary of his death, didn’t receive enough votes to make the top three.
Now let’s hear it for the super-dapper county mayor A C Wharton, who garnered the most votes. He didn’t bow to pressure to enter this year’s city mayoral race. He says he’s committed to the office he was elected to. We — and our readers — like his class.
Best Neighborhood
1. Cooper-Young
2. Midtown
3. Central Gardens
We can’t deny it: Cooper-Young has got it going on. If you’re a Creative Class acolyte, then Cooper-Young is the place to be. It’s got affordable housing, a thriving artists’ community, a strong neighborhood association, a kick-ass annual festival, and some of the city’s tastiest restaurants.
Best Locally
Produced Product
1. Barbecue
2. Music
3. FedEx
Let’s all stop for a moment and concentrate on the sheer delicious brilliance of Memphis barbecue. The taste, the smell, the overall experience of the barbecue our denizens produce has attracted attention worldwide, and we deserve every bit of it. Now where would we be without barbecue? Perish the thought.