Now, before anyone gets upset, let’s just be clear: these
are not last year’s Best of Greater Rochester Readers’ Choice Awards. Some of
you might be experiencing dรฉjร vu, and that’s understandable. But the people of
Greater Rochester are a loyal people. And after years of repetition we at City are finally starting to get it
through our thick skulls: the best desserts are at Phillips European, the best
barbecue is at Dinosaur, and Golden Dynasty has the best Chinese. Silly us. We
were crazy to think the answers might change.
Sure, with some of these categories we’re just asking for
it. (The best grocery store? C’mon.) But other repeat winners give us pause.
For example: what is it about Don Alhart that is so bewitching, year after
year? And are the best bagels in all of Rochester and its suburbs really at
Bruegger’s? Really?
Other answers just don’t add up.
Uncle Plum finds a way to get the most votes each and every blessed year, even
though it is NOT an original band. And not to break any hearts here, but you
can’t shoot pool at Jillian’s or eat at Bahama Breeze because — brace
yourselves — they have both closed. (Many condolences.)
Our conclusion? Our readers like what
they like, dammit, no matter how many times we ask the questions.
So, in the Readers’ Choice Awards you’ll find a lot of old
favorites, a lot of chain establishments, and still some of the best places in
Rochester. We also got some weird, funny, or just plain confused votes.
Our writers came through one more time to contribute their
honest-to-goodness opinions of what makes the Rochester area great. Their
choices are their own — you don’t have to agree with them. What they’ve tried
to do is highlight the places, things, people, and ideas that you might not
have heard about yet. Find the Critics’ Choice Awards here.
And finally, a note to all the ballot stuffers: you should
know that cheaters never win. And that’s all we’re going to say.
Enjoy. Rochester is the best.
Readers’ choicehere!
Critics’ choicehere!
Best of the worsthere!
This article appears in Nov 10-16, 2004.
