Argh, why do I let myself get sucked into this every damn year! Voting ends September 20th in the Press Citizen's Best of the Area and once again, I spent way, way too much time doing this. The ballot is ridiculously long and some categories (like Banquet Facility) just made me laugh. I mean, how many banquets do you have in any given year?
Best New Restaurant: Brix (I recognized none of the other restaurants in this category that's how new they were, so Brix wins by default. I've been in there, it looks nice and the cheese we purchased was delicious.)
Overall Best Restaurant: Blackstone
Mexican Restaurant: La Michoacana Taqueria (was a toss-up between this and Los Portales. If there was a category for Best Margarita, Los Portales would obviously win.)
Coffee Shop: Caribou Coffee (Sparking Peach Black Tea FTW!)
Vegetarian Restaurant: Oasis
Italian: Baroncini (If you haven't gone here yet, go here. Perfect for a date night.)
Chinese: Taste of China
Japanese: Oyama Sushi
Thai: Thai Spice (I have dreams about moo pad prik thanks to Thai Spice.)
Indian: Exotic India (Oh, the vindaloo. And the naan. Winning!)
Steakhouse: Outback Steakhouse (because they were the last Steakhouse I went too around here.)
Fine Dining Restaurant: Baroncini
Family Friendly: Bob's Your Uncle (I would have preferred to test this category with Little Man but what the hell- Bob's Your Uncle makes good pizza.)
Outdoor Dining: Atlas
Quick Casual Lunch: Z'Mariks (Buffalo Mac N'Cheese FOREVER.)
Pizza: The Wedge (Pagliai's, Wig and Pen, Airliner and Mesa were all in the mix.)
Ice Cream: Heyn's (Close by and The Cigarillo is a fan.)
FroYo: YoTopia (Naturally.)
Breakfast: Hamburg Inn No 2. (Was tempted to go w/IHOP because they have chicken and waffles but their c & w is really chicken tenders and waffles. Little but of a let down.)
Bakery: Molly's Cupcakes (Until Scratch opens in Coralville!)
Burgers: Short's (For barebones straight up burgers, George's can't be beat but Short's elevates the burger into awesomeness. So I went with them.)
Fries: Oasis
Wings: The Vine
Tenderloin: Red's
BBQ: Jimmy Jack's
Sushi: Oyama
Brunch: Blackstone (never been but I bet it's good.)
Cocktail: Blackstone
Liquor Store: Hy-Vee Drug (For pure beer, it's John's hands down. Hy-Vee Drug has a better overall selection.)
Bar: Shakespeare's
Art Gallery: McNutt Gallery
Festival: Iowa Arts Festival
Live Entertainment: The Mill
Theater: Young Footliters
Caterer: John's
Banquet Facility: Coralville Marriot
Brewery: Backpocket Brewery
Fitness Center: CRWC
Yoga: Downward Dog Yoga (because I do oh so much Yoga)
Tattoo: Nemesis
Hair Salon: Zender's
Barber Shop: Hawkeye Barber
Nail Salon: Modern Nails (again, because I get my nails done all the time.)
Bank: US Bank
Car Dealership: Carousel
Auto Repair: White Dog
Auto Body Repair: Chuck Smith Body Shop
Doggie Day Care/Kennel: Lucky Pawz
Pet Store: PetCo
Vet: Bright Eyes and Bushy Tails
Women's Clothing: Revival
Men's Clothing: Ewers
Bookstore: Haunted Bookshop
Resale Shop: Ragstock
Gift Shop: AKAR
Jewelry: Hands
Music Shop: West Music
Optical: Eye Associates
Grocery Store: Hy-Vee
Outdoor Store: Fin and Feather
Hardware: Menards
Furniture: McGregor's
Appliance: The Appliance Barn
Flooring Store: Bachmeier
Garden Shop: Earl May
Home Décor: AKAR
Park: Terry Trueblood Recreation Area (go check this place out if you haven't already!)
Bikeshop: World of Bikes
Golf: Finkbine
Dance Studio: Kate Carol
Martial Arts: Kang's Martial Arts
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