Best Restaurant for Vegetarians
Grass Root
Best Concert in the Last 12 Months
Radiohead at Ford Amphitheatre
BEST “BIG” NIGHT OUT
Club Rubenesque
FUNNIEST COMEDY
Funny Money at Hat Trick
Best Mexican/Tex-Mex Restaurant
Estela’s
The Winners:
The results of the record-breaking Readers’ Poll vote have been revealed and here they are in red, white and blue. Some of the votes were as close as Bush/ Gore, if more verifiable. For instance, The Table & Mesa Lounge just squeaked by Bungalow Bistro for Best New Restaurant, and a tight three-way race for…
Best Local Hip-Hop Act
The Stick Martin Show
BEST DEALS
The Garage Sale Store
Local Hero
Joe Redner
Best Local Band
Basic Rock Outfit
BEST RAY WHO SHOULD GET MORE LOVE
Akinori Iwamura
BEST CHEF WHO’S GONE MISSING
Daniel Womack
BEST HIP-HOP CD
Blac Soap, Green Music For Blue People
BEST PLACE TO CAMP
Pinellas Hope
BEST SHOW AT THE MAHAFFEY
Sweeney Todd
BEST STATE TO TAKE A GUN TO WORK
Florida
BEST THEATER NEWS OF THE YEAR
Eric Davis founds freeFall Theatre
Best Gay/Lesbian Bar
Georgie’s Alibi
Best Theater Troupe
American Stage
Best Local Sports Team
Tampa Bay Rays
Most Overrated Thing About Tampa Bay
The Weather
Best Local Columnist
Howard Troxler
BEST ICED COFFEE
Indigo Coffee’s Extreme Toddy
BEST WINES BY THE GLASS (PINELLAS)
A Taste for Wine
BEST ATTEMPT TO FLEECE TAXPAYERS
The Jim Smith land scandal
BEST FULL-SERVICE SERVICE STATION
Bob Lee’s
BEST INDIE ROCK BAND
Win Win Winter
BEST ATTEMPT AT TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT
Overpass system on U.S. 19 in Clearwater
BEST SOUTH BEACH IN SUBURBIA
Grille 116
Best Sports Bar
Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill
BEST CHIROPRACTOR
Joseph Papia, D.C.
Annual Event
Gasparilla
Best Lightning Player
Vinny Lecavalier
BEST BUG KILLERS
Professional Pest and Termite Control
BEST ALCOHOLIC TREAT
The Decksickle at Daiquiri Deck
BEST JOURNALISTS (PRINT)
Lindsay Peterson & Billy Townsend of the Tampa Tribune
BEST SET DESIGNER
Scott Cooper
Best Wine Shop
Total Wine
BEST SHOE REPAIR
Florida Shoe Hospital
BEST RAW FISH THAT’S NOT, TECHNICALLY, SUSHI
Crudo at Cheap
BEST MALL (FOR DEALS)
Prime Outlets Ellenton
BEST SPECIALTY ROLLS
Sushi Spot
BEST T-SHIRTS
Owl Movement
Best Beach
Fort DeSoto
BEST IN NEW MEDIA
Santiago Echeverry
BEST AESTHETICIAN
Sith Moth, White Orchid Salon
Best Chinese Restaurant
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
BEST NEW LOCAL INDIE LABEL
Mohawk Bomb Records
Best Local Actor
Petrus Antonius
Food & Drink
text.
Best Cuban Sandwich
Hugo’s Café
MOST PROMISING MUSIC SYMPOSIUM
Homemade
BEST MOBILE MECHANIC
Sam Perez
BEST TRUCKSTOP
Flying J
BEST PERFORMANCE IN THE RAIN
Kimya Dawson, March 22, Cuban Club Patio
BEST BEER MENU
Peg’s Cantina
SECOND MOST AMAZING LOCAL SPORTS STORY OF THE YEAR
USF Bulls Football
BEST REASON TO AVOID THE BEACH
Live bar music
BEST BALLSY MOVE THAT DIDN’T WORK
DeSanto brings in Pierola
BEST WINE LIST THAT ISN’T BERN’S
Ceviche
BEST VENUE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
The Arts Center
BEST CIRCLE JERK
Robert Linger and friends
BEST PLACE TO COMMUNE WITH THE DEAD
Uncle John’s Band, Thursdays at Skipper’s Smokehouse
BEST RAW MEAT THAT’S NOT, TECHNICALLY, TARTARE
Kitfo at Queen of Sheba
BEST SHOWCASE FOR LOCAL FILMMAKERS
Tampa Film Review
BEST CANINE-FREE DOG TRACK
Tampa Greyhound Track
Best Bizarro Local News Story
Teacher/student sex scandals
BEST CAPITALIZING ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM
St. Pete Recycling Solutions
BEST PISSING MATCH
Comments on CL’s 3-19-08 Bella Brava Review
ULTRA-WORST NEW CLUB TREND
Ultra Lounges in St. Pete
BEST FILM PROGRAMMING
Beach Theatre
Best Local Cover Band
Basic Rock Outfit
BEST IN ARTS PATRONAGE
William R. and Hazel Hough
BEST BIG ROCK SHOW (INDOORS)
Pearl Jam, June 12, St. Pete Times Forum
BEST PLACE TO BUY A STUN GUN
Sunoco Food Mart
BEST CONTINUING CRIME WAVE (THAT’S NOT REALLY HAPPENING?)
St. Petersburg
BEST BIG ROCK SHOW (OUTDOORS)
Radiohead at Ford Amphitheatre
Best Local Visual Artist
Markus Aurailius
Best Weekly Club Night
“Pulp the Party” at Czar (Fridays)
BEST FAT BELLY
Pork Belly at O’Bistro
BEST FLORAL DESIGNER
Carmen’s Flowers
BEST UP-AND-COMING BEER GUY
Joey Redner, Cigar City Brewing
Best Local Blues Act
Damon Fowler Band
BEST HEATWAVE PERFORMANCE
Soul Rebels
BEST CIGAR SHOP
Gaspar’s Cigar Shoppe
BEST BEER EVENT
BFBC Brewer’s Ball
BEST GAY MARKETING EXPLOSION
The GaYbor Coalition
Best Radio Personality
MJ on 93-FLZ
BEST HOMECOMING PERFORMANCE
Against Me! at Vans Warped Tour
Best Local Singer/Songwriter
Jeremy Thomas of Basic Rock Outfit
BEST PLACE FOR A FREE BEER (OR TWO)
Yuengling Brewery
BEST OVERHYPED BUZZ
Salvia
Best Neighborhood, Pinellas
Old Northeast (St. Petersburg)
Best Splurge Restaurant
Bern’s Steak House
BEST WINE TASTINGS
B-21
Best Breakfast
First Watch
MOST IGNORANT STATEMENT BY A PUBLIC OFFICIAL
“I don’t even know what a transgendered is.” —Pinellas County Commissioner Calvin Harris
Best Neighborhood, Hillsborough
Seminole Heights
BEST WEEKLY PROTEST
Dunedin Peace Cornering
BEST HARD ROCK SINGLE
Hat Trick Heroes, “Chasing My Tail”
BEST IN PAINTING
Julie Weitz
BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST (ESPECIALLY FOR JOCKS)
Travis Skaggs
BEST PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THAT DOESN’T BEHAVE LIKE ONE
Ruth Eckerd Hall
BEST COMEBACK ALBUM
Will Quinlan, Navasota
BEST EMO HIP-HOP ACT
Daylight District
BEST PERFORMANCE VENUE UPGRADE
The Palladium Theater
BEST HAPPY RETURN
Warrick Dunn
BEST GIRLIE GIFTS
If and Only If
Best Bargain Restaurant
La Teresita
BEST LOCAL CD
Have Gun, Will Travel, Casting Shadows Tall as Giants
Best of the Bay 2008: The choice is clear
With all the smears and e-mail rumors, it’s gotten so that no one except maybe George Washington back from the grave could survive a fight for the White House with grace and reputation intact. (Nah, not even him: They’d dredge up the cherry-tree thing.) But have hope. There’s one election where the choices are still…
Best Seafood Restaurant
Bonefish Grill
MOST UNDEREMPLOYED LOCAL THEATER TALENT
Emilia Sargent
BEST BASEMENT BAR
Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant, St. Petersburg
BEST FILM-RELATED EVENT
The Dalí Museum’s Dalí & Film Exhibit and The Surreal Cinema Lecture Series
BEST CHEAP EATS THAT ARE NOW LESS CHEAP
Grillside Central
BEST ACTOR
Steve DuMouchel
BEST IN INSTALLATION
Experimental Skeleton
BEST BURGER HAIKU
Tie: Ian Blenke and Joe Bardi
BEST AMATEUR FLYING COMPETITION
Red Bull Flugtag
BEST FILM PROGRAM FOR KIDS
Tampa Theatre Young Filmmakers Camp
Best Steakhouse
Bern’s Steak House
Best Rays Player
Evan Longoria
BEST PLACE TO WATERBOARD A JOURNALIST
Dale Mabry Highway
BEST RE-ACQUISITION
Brian Griese
Best Golf Course
Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club
BEST DIRECTOR
Jack Holloway
Best Dance Club
The Castle
BEST FASHION SHOW
Wearable Art at Dunedin Fine Arts Center
Best Local Actress
Julie Rowe
BEST WAY TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Burn a raccoon alive, show no remorse.
BEST CHEF
David Miller, Savant Fine Dining
BEST BLOOZE ’N’ TWANG BAND
Mojo Gurus
BEST BROADWAY TOURING SHOW
The Lion King
Best Thai Restaurant
Jasmine Thai
BEST WAY TO TAKE A TRIP WITHOUT LEAVING TAMPA BAY
Gram’s Place
BEST HOOKAH LOUNGE
4U Coffee & Ice Cream
BEST CAREER MILESTONE
Rebekah Pulley, Back to Boogaloo
Worst Local Crisis
Housing market crash
Best Wine Bar
Taps
BEST NIGHTTIME WATERFRONT WALK
The Dunedin Causeway
BEST ASS-KICKIN’ LUNCH BAG GOODIE
The Kitchen’s PB&J
WORST SPORTS MELTDOWN
Tampa Bay Lightning
Best Dive Bar
The Hub
BEST EXHIBIT IN A MUSEUM
Drawing Beyond the Plane at TMA
Best Local Metal Act
The Absence
BEST EXHIBIT IN A GALLERY
Necklust and the Chocolatier at Florida Craftsmen
Best Bucs Player
Derrick Brooks
Best Indian Restaurant
India Grill
QUICKEST WAY TO FAME
Have Sex with an Underage Student — or Several
BEST RESTAURANT
Pelagia Trattoria
BEST POP PUNK BAND
We the Kings
BEST FORMER WEEKEND ANCHOR
Jennifer Leigh, Newschannel 8
BEST PLACE TO GROW POT
Hernando County
BEST NEW VIEW
The Airport Overpass
BEST LUXURY ITEM FOR THE WELL-HEELED SPORTS FAN
Flat-screen TVs in the Ray Jay
Best New Restaurant
The Table & Mesa Lounge
Best Road
Bayshore Boulevard
Best Ice Cream/Gelato Shop
Coldstone Creamery
Best Local Politician
Pam Iorio
BEST DRY CLEANERS
McNatt’s Cleaners
Best Happy Hour
MacDinton’s
BEST NEW GYM
Anytime Fitness, St. Petersburg
WORST SIGNING
Jerramy Stevens
Best Club DJ
Stavros
Best Place to Take the Kids
Lowry Park Zoo
Best Kept Secret
Local Theater Companies
BEST BARTENDER
Kelly at Tiny Tap Tavern
Best Barbecue Restaurant
Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q
Best Juice/Smoothie Bar
Smoothie King
BEST DECADENT BREAKFAST TREAT
Stuffed French Toast at City’s Café
BEST FILM SERIES
Gasparilla International Film Festival’s Global Lens 2008
Most Underrated Thing About Tampa Bay
Local Culture/Arts/Music/Theater
BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN
State Sen. Charlie Justice
MOST AMAZING LOCAL SPORTS STORY OF THE YEAR
Tampa Bay Rays
Best Radio Station
WMNF
MOST UNCONVENTIONAL THEATER EVENT
Jane Eyre
BEST RAINY-DAY INDIE-POP SINGLE
Pemberley, “Wake Up, It’s Raining”
BEST ADDITION TO THE ROADWAYS
Electronic signs
Best Pizza
Cappy’s Pizzeria
Worst Waste of Tax Dollars
Potential waterfront Rays stadium
BEST REBOUND FROM A REALITY SHOW
Très Bien
BEST NEW BAND
Tailgunner Joe and the Earls of Slander
WORST LOCAL POLITICIAN
Buddy Johnson
BEST JOURNALIST (BROADCAST)
Kathy Fountain, Fox 13
BEST PLACE TO HOOK UP AT 5 A.M.
Floyd’s Nightclub at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Best Local Alt-Rock Act
Basic Rock Outfit
BEST COMEBACK
Imago artists
Best Café Con Leche
La Teresita
BEST $450 MILLION TAXPAYER-FUNDED SPORTS PROPOSAL
Rays’ waterfront ballpark plans
Best Sports Coach
Joe Maddon
BEST CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY
Evander Preston’s gifts of vice to the homeless
BEST BLOWING THE LID OFF
“TV chef spiced up his past exploits,” by Ben Montgomery of the St. Petersburg Times
BEST CAR SALESPERSON
Joe Hughes, Clearwater Toyota
BEST WINE SHOP THAT ISN’T VINTAGE WINE CELLARS
Bern’s Fine Wines and Spirits
BEST IN FIBER
Laura Militzer Bryant
BEST LAUNDROMAT
Rainbow Laundromat
BEST NEW BILLBOARD
TIA’s Remote Waiting Lot’s Arrival and Departure Board
BEST ART PARTY
Retro Perspectives
BEST THEATER COMPANY
American Stage
BEST DIVE BAR (PINELLAS)
Emerald Bar
BEST HOMELESS HANDOUT
Homeless Emergency Project’s Freewheel Program
Best Italian Restaurant
Carrabba’s
CRAZIEST IDEAS FOR PRISON NUTRITION
TIE: Cutting calories & “Management Loaf”
BEST BAY AREA CONCERT DEBUT
Shelby Lynne, July 17, Tampa Theatre
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL OUTING
Kayak Nature’s Green Machine
BEST INNOVATIVE ACT (THAT ALSO PLAYS DINNER SETS)
Acho Brother
BEST ROOFTOP BAR
Fly Bar & Restaurant
BEST FASHION DESIGNER
Ivanka Ska
BEST PUBLIC MASTURBATION BY A STATUE
The Kosciuszko Statue in Williams Park, St. Pete
BEST WEDDING CATERERS
Olympia Catering & Events
BEST PHYSICAL THERAPY
Renewal Rehabilitation
Best Place to Volunteer
Animal Shelter/Rescue
BEST PLACE TO BE HARASSED
Downtown St. Petersburg
BEST “NO-DUH” IDEA BY A LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Removing the parking meters from a nearly deserted Ybor City
BEST ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
David Jenkins
BEST NATURE TOUR
Paddling the Upper Hillsborough River
Best Beer Bar
The Independent
BEST COFFEE WITH A SNEER
Café Bohemia
Best Building
Tampa Theater
Best Sushi
SoHo Sushi
BEST AFFORDABLE FORMALWEAR
David’s Bridal
MOST TREACHEROUS MERGE
The Fourth Street onramp to I-275 in St. Pete
Worst Road
US 19, Pinellas
BEST SCANDAL MANAGEMENT
Don Wallace and Barry Cohen
Worst Local Politician
Ronda Storms
BEST IN WEARABLE ART
(tie) Brandon Dunlap & Ivanka Ska, Frank Strunk III
BEST NEW MUSEUM DESIGN
The Salvador Dalí Museum
BEST REASON TO NOT KEEP A GUN IN THE CAR
Bridge traffic
Best Concert Venue
Jannus Landing
BEST LOCAL BEER HERO
Bob Sylvester, Saint Somewhere Brewing Company
BEST WAY TO SOW YOUR OATS (AND TOMATOES, TOO)
Bartlett Park’s Community Garden
BEST PLACE TO WEAR A “V FOR VENDETTA” MASK
Anonymous’ protest of Scientology
BEST PLACE FOR VINTAGE BARWARE
Voscher Home Collection
BEST BLUES BAND
Damon Fowler Group
BEST REUNION
Magadog
BEST PLACE TO WATCH A LOCAL CELEBRITY FUCK UP
Hyde Park Cafe
BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER CD
Geri X, Anthems of a Mended Heart
BEST IN DRAWING
Roger Palmer
BEST SURPRISING HOTBED OF MUSIC
Lakeland
BEST WAY TO RAISE A RUCKUS WITH A RACIST EMBLEM
Sons of Confederate Veterans’ giant flag
BEST LOCAL SCENE STALWART
Keith Ulrey
Best Local Troublemaker
Joe Redner
BEST PLAY
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at Jobsite
Best Party District
Ybor City
Best Place to Canoe/Kayak
Hillsborough River
BEST GREEN COMMUTE
Green Go’s
BEST MAKE-OUT BEACH
Sunset Beach, south of Caddy’s
BEST RESTAURANT TREND
Crepes
BEST HANDYMAN
Felix Cordero
BEST COMPILATION CD
Cheatin’ Heart: Tales of Lies & Love
BEST ROMANTIC EVENING STROLL
Downtown Gulfport
BEST MEAL FROM THE TOWN OF BEDROCK
Long Bone Cowboy Ribeye, Council Oak Steakhouse
BEST PLACE TO FIND A FIGHT
First Fridays in St. Pete
Best Soul Food
Atwater’s
BEST CHINESE
Tie: Yummy House and China Yuan
BEST IN SCULPTURE
Roger Chamieh
Best Bakery
Alessi Bakery
BEST PLACE TO FEEL OLD
Any Skatepark of Tampa-sponsored rock show
BEST OB/GYN
Katherine Dadisman, Contemporary Women’s Care
Best Local TV Newsperson
Gayle Sierens
BEST LOCAL BLOG
Litbrit
Best Sandwich Shop/Deli
Wright’s Gourmet Deli
Best Burger
Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries
BEST MOVIE STAR SIGHTING
John Travolta at Sunscreen Film Festival
Best Strip Club
Mons Venus
BEST CURATOR OF A LOCAL FILM FESTIVAL
David Audet, Ybor Festival of the Moving Image
BEST USED BOOKSTORE
Book Swap
BEST PRODUCER
Steve Connelly
BEST SQUEEZEBOX EMPORIUM
Accordions and Keyboards
BEST USE OF THE WORD “BEADS”
Gayle Guyardo
BEST WINES BY THE GLASS (HILLSBOROUGH)
Wine Exchange
MOST ATTRACTIVE COLLEGE CAMPUSES
TIE: Eckerd College and the University of Tampa
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Queen of Sheba
BEST GARAGE MECHANIC
Ralph at Tampa Automotive Service Center
BEST RAW GOAT MILK
The Dancing Goat
BEST USE OF THE WORDS “OH YEAHHH”
Bill Ratliff
BEST DIVE BAR (HILLSBOROUGH)
Tiny Tap Tavern
BEST PLACE TO TOTALLY UNLEASH YOUR DOG
Honeymoon Island State Park’s dog beach
BEST MULLETS
Florida State Fair
BEST ACTRESS
Sharon Scott
BEST REC CENTER
Gulfport Recreation Center
BEST ALTERNATIVE TO COFFEE
Yerba Mate at Abuela’s
BEST PLACE TO SWING WITH YOUR GRANDPARENTS’ FRIENDS
Gulfport Casino
BEST 3 A.M. NOSH
Corned Beef Sandwich at Three Coins Diner
BEST MEAL FOR FOUR UNDER $20
Wild Shrimp Company
BEST RADIO TALK SHOW PARTNERS
Ian Beckles and Ron Diaz of The Ron and Ian Show
BEST PLACE TO DRINK PINK
Streetcar Charlie’s
BEST OFF-THE-MENU SANDWICH
Bern’s Steak House
MOST MISPLACED PRIORITIES
USF’s new Lakeland campus
Best Club for Live Music
Skipper’s Smokehouse
BEST BREAK-UP
Jeannie Pierola and David Laxer split
BEST NEO-SOUL SINGER
Bishop Wayne
MOST OVERLOOKED DINING NEIGHBORHOOD
Davis Islands
BEST DJ NIGHT
Soft Rock Renegades, Tuesdays at Crowbar
BALLSIEST WINE LIST
Acropolis
BEST ACOUSTIC GUITAR PICKER
Toby Bonar
BEST INDIE COFFEEHOUSE
Sacred Grounds
BEST DISCOVERY
Baye Kouyaté
Best Cocktail Bar
Blue Martini
