Best of Louisville 2011 [Louisville Magazine]

[1]

[1]

This article appears in the July 2011 issue of Louisville Magazine [3]. To subscribe, please visit loumag.com [4].

For the 26th consecutive year, Louisville Magazine presents its readers' choices for the top restaurants, retail stores, personalities and services--complemented by 11 Critics' Choice picks.

Critics' Choice winners

Best specialty pancake: Red Velvet 'Cakes

Best place to buy vinyl records: Please and Thank You

Best bar event: Derby City Trivia

Best engraver: Donna Bolton, From the Vault

Best cooking classes: Cooking at the Cottage

Best film festival: Flyover

Featured Readers' Choice winners:

Best TV weathercaster: Kevin Harned [7]

Best weekly print publication: LEO Weekly [8]

Best new restaurant: Mozz [9] Mozzarella Bar & Enoteca

Best farmers' market: Beargrass Christian Church

Best consignment shop: Margaret's Consignment & Collectibles

Best upscale steakhouse: Jeff Ruby's

Best wine specialty shop: Westport Whiskey & Wine [10]

Best female athlete: Shoni Schimmel

Other Readers' Choice winners and finalists:

HIPPEST AREA OF TOWN: 1 Bardstown Road/Highlands; 2 Frankfort Avenue/Crescent Hill/; Clifton; 3 NuLu/East Market

NEIGHBORHOOD (INSIDE WATTERSON): 1 Highlands; 2 St. Matthews ; 3 Crescent Hill

NEIGHBORHOOD (OUTSIDE WATTERSON): 1 Norton Commons; 2 Anchorage; 3 Lake Forest

WEEKLY PRINT PUBLICATION: 1 LEO Weekly; 2 The Voice-Tribune; 3 Velocity

TV WEATHERCASTER: 1 Kevin Harned; 2 Jay Cardosi; 3 Marc Weinberg

TV ANCHOR/MALE: 1 Scott Reynolds; 2 Doug Proffitt; 3 Rick Van Hoose

TV ANCHOR/FEMALE: 1 Dawne Gee; 2 Vicki Dortch; 3 Melissa Swan

TV SPORTSCASTER: 1 Fred Cowgill; 2 Kent Taylor; 3 Matt Hobbs

TV MORNING HOST: 1 Barry Bernson; 2 Candyce Clifft; 3 Jean West

BEFORE/AFTER RESTAURANT FOR ARENA EVENTS: 1 Patrick O’Shea’s; 2 Impellizzeri’s on Main; 3 BBC

NEW RESTAURANT: 1 Mozz; 2 Chuy’s; 3 Doc Crow’s

PIZZA: 1 Wick’s; 2 Tony BoomBozz; 3 Impellizzeri’s

WINE SPECIALTY SHOP: 1 Westport Whiskey & Wine; 2 The Wine Rack [11]; 3 Old Town Liquors (tie) 3 The Wine Market [12] (tie)

SPA SERVICES: 1 Z Salon & Spa; 2 Joseph’s Salon & Spa; 3 Serenity Spa

PLACE TO BUY ACTIVE/OUTDOOR GEAR: 1 Dick’s Sporting Goods; 2 Quest Outdoors; 3 The Trail Store

PLACE TO BUY HOME ACCESSORIES: 1 T.J. Maxx; 2 Target; 3 Eyedia

FURNITURE STORE: 1 Ashley; 2 Haverty’s; 3 Cherry House (tie) 3 Eyedia (tie)

PLACE TO BUY SHOES: 1 Off Broadway; 2 Von Maur; 3 Zappos

PET SUPPLIES: 1 Feeders Supply [13]; 2 PetSmart; 3 Three Dog Bakery

CONSIGNMENT SHOP: 1 Margaret’s; 2 Charlotte’s Web; 3 Rosie’s

FARMERS’ MARKET: 1 Beargrass Christian/St. Matthews; 2 Bardstown Road/Highlands; 3 Jeffersontown (tie) 3 Norton Commons (tie)

HAIR SALON: 1 Z Salon; 2 Joseph’s; 3 Blades

WEDDING RECEPTION SPOT: 1 The Olmsted; 2 The Brown Hotel; 3 Mellwood Arts Center (tie) 3 Whitehall (tie)

BEFORE/AFTER BAR FOR ARENA EVENTS: 1 Patrick O’Shea’s; 2 BBC on Main; 3 Proof on Main [14]

OUTDOOR LIVE MUSIC VENUE: 1 Waterfront Park; 2 Iroquois Amphitheater; 3 Great Lawn

SUBURBAN RESTAURANT (OUTSIDE WATTERSON): 1 Corbett’s; 2 Mojito [15]; 3 Napa River Grill [16]

MARGARITA: 1 El Mundo [17]; 2 Tumbleweed [18]; 3 El Nopal [19]

UPSCALE STEAKHOUSE: 1 Jeff Ruby’s; 2 Pat’s; 3 Ruth’s Chris

OMELETTE: 1 Wild Eggs [20]; 2 Toast on Market [21]; 3 Lynn’s Paradise Cafe

VEGAN DISHES: 1 Ramsi’s Cafe on the World; 2 Zen Garden [22]; 3 North End Cafe [23]

SUSHI: 1 Sapporo; 2 Hiko-a-Mon [24]; 3 Oishii

ITALIAN RESTAURANT: 1 Vincenzo’s; 2 Volare [25]; 3 Porcini [26]

MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT: 1 Shiraz [27]; 2 The Grape Leaf [28]; 3 Safier Mediterranean Deli

FINE DINING RESTAURANT: 1 Jack Fry’s; 2 Proof on Main; 3 Jeff Ruby’s

PATIO DINING: 1 Avalon [29]; 2 Captain’s Quarters; 3 Bristol

LOCAVORE RESTAURANT: 1 Lilly’s; 2 Proof on Main; 3 732 Social

BAND (ACTIVE, PERFORMS LOCALLY): My Morning Jacket; 2 Louisville Crashers; 3 Wax Fang

MALE ATHLETE (LOCAL, ACTIVE): 1 Peyton Siva; 2 Kyle Kuric; 3 Preston Knowles

FEMALE ATHLETE (LOCAL, ACTIVE); 1 Shoni Schimmel ; 2 Angel McCoughtry; 3 Emily Juhl (tie) 3 Tia Gibbs (tie) 3 Monique Reid (tie)

LOUISVILLIAN YOU’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE A DRINK WITH: 1 Greg Fischer; 2 Muhammad Ali; 3 Rick Pitino

OUTDOOR SHOPPING CENTER (NON-MALL): 1 The Summit; 2 Westport Village; 3 Shelbyville Road Plaza

ZOO EXHIBIT: 1 Glacier Run; 2 Gorillas; 3 Elephants

FREE EVENT: 1 Thunder Over Louisville; 2 Waterfront Wednesday; 3 St. James Court Art Show

SUMMER FESTIVAL: 1 Forecastle; 2 Abbey Road on the River; 3 St. Joseph Orphans’ Picnic (tie) 3 Worldfest (tie)

PLACE TO TAKE KIDS: 1 Louisville Zoo; 2 Louisville Science Center ; 3 Waterfront Park

LOCAL WEBSITE: 1 Louisville.com [30]; 2 LouisvilleHotBytes.com [31]; 3 consuminglouisville.com

PLACE TO HIKE (METRO): 1 Cherokee Park; 2 Jefferson Memorial Forest; 3 Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

PLACE TO FISH (METRO): 1 Ohio River/Falls of Ohio; 2 Cherokee Park; 3 Taylorsville Lake

PLACE TO GET MARRIED: 1 Cathedral of the Assumption; 2 Brown Hotel (tie) 2 Duncan Memorial Chapel (tie) 2 Gardencourt (tie)