Home Ace Issues Ace Best of Lexington 2005 9.15.2005

Ace Best of Lexington 2005 9.15.2005

 

Welcome


The best products are the beacons of utopia, and it’s out job to figure out how to use them to make the kinds of utopia WE want, to use them to choose a life that’s more exciting instead of more complacent. Ben Franklin found a way to turn a household item and a child’s toy into a way to electrocute people. How cool is that? The truth is, no matter how menu-tasting obese, reality-TV lazy, math-stupid, geography-ignorant we get, we’ll still be ahead of the rest of the world. Because we will always believe, like Walt Whitman and every rapper, in our own greatness. Convincing ourselves that the world is getting better is what causes us to actually make it better.

-Joel Stein, in Men’s Journal (the 99 Perfect Things Edition)

 

Welcome to the ninth annual Real Best of Lexington.
Ace Best of Lexington 2005 CoverThis is the second time in Ace history that the Best of Lex has gone to print directly on the heels of a national disaster (first 9/11 and this year, in the wake of Katrina).

It lends a certain perspective to polls and popularity contests that we might not always have-but it also gives us a moment to celebrate what’s good in our community.

What Ace seeks to do (during Best of, and the other 51 weeks of the year as well) is provide the readers with an Owner’s Manual to the City. It’s what newsweeklies all over the country have been doing for decades-from the Village Voice to the Chicago Reader to unique icons like New Orleans’ Gambit Weekly (decimated by Katrina but still publishing online).

Everyone has to find a way to live life on a scale that’s manageable, when the world’s become too epic. Community newsweeklies try to help life those voices, and celebrate them.

Susan Orlean has written eloquently about how collectors distill and focus and channel their passions in The Orchard Thief, while Nick Hornby and Buzz Bissinger have addressed the same topic in sports (in Fever Pitch, and Friday Night Lights, respectively). Everyone’s life needs a witness, in some form or fashion, and countless authors have spilled barrels of ink on how marriage or family fulfills that function for many (or dysfunction).

But Community’s part of the equation as well-and everything it entails-including pause for celebration. And this is the time when the Ace readers get their say-and celebrate their favorites.

As for the categories you may miss this year (from pancakes to barbecue) three consecutive wins means the category is retired, at least for a time, to make room for some new faces. (We’re not even sure if Alfalfa has enough wall-space to display one more winner’s certificate in the Best Pancake field.)

Ace is happy to be celebrating our “Sweet 16” this year-celebrating 16 years of devoted readers, for whom we are grateful every day.

WELCOME!!

 

Arts and Entertainment


BEST JUKEBOX IN TOWN

Buster’s

Marikka’s German Bier Stube

Malibu Pub

 

BEST PLACE TO SHOOT POOL

Yesterday’s 

Buster’s

Marikka’s German Bier Stube

 

BEST VISUAL ART EXHIBIT IN LAST YEAR

Woodland Arts Fair

Ink & Blood (tie for 2nd)

Lexicon Project (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST LOCAL VISUAL ARTIST

Bill Santen

James Shambhu

Richie Wireman

 

BEST LOCAL THEATER PRODUCTION IN LAST YEAR

Kentucky Ballet Theatre’s Wizard of Oz

Lexington Shakespeare Festival’s Fiddler on the Roof

 

BEST LOCAL BAND DUE FOR A NATIONAL BREAKOUT

Lucid Grey

Emily Hagihara

Club Dub

 

Beauty, Health & Fitness


 

Posh Salon
Posh Salon is a triple threat this year. Photo by Rebecca C. Wilson

BEST HAIR SALON

Posh

J. Allen

Hair and Now

 

BEST WAX JOB

Posh

Planet Salon (tie for 2nd)

Hair and Now (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST YOGA/PILATES STUDIO

Pilates Place

The Massage Center

Gold’s (tie for 3rd)

LAC (tie for 3rd)

 

BEST GYM

Gold’s

LAC

YMCA

 

BEST MASSAGE

The Massage Center

Posh

 

BEST PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL

Posh

Dr. Clifton Smith

 

Eat & Drink


BEST NEW RESTAURANT (OPENED IN LAST YEAR)

Bonefish Grill

Azur

Cosi

 

BEST DATE RESTAURANT

Rossi’s

a la lucie (tie for 2nd)

Dudley’s (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST HAPPY HOUR

Ramsey’s

Cheapside (tie for 2nd)

Annabella’s (tie for 2nd)

Merrick Inn (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST CATERER

Season’s Catering

Dupree Catering

Belle’s Bakery

 

BEST DIVE

Tolly Ho

Tonio’s

 

BEST CUP OF COFFEE IN TOWN

Common Grounds

3rd St. Stuff

 

BEST ICE CREAM

Graeter’s

Mollie’s (tie for 2nd)

Coldstone Creamery (tie for 2nd)

Marble Slab (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST KENTUCKY BOURBON

Maker’s Mark

Woodford Reserve

Knob Creek

 

BEST SMOKING PATIO

Triple Crown Lounge

Atomic

Two Keys Tavern

 

BEST VETERAN LOCAL RESTAURANT (DECADE OR OLDER)

Dudley’s

Merrick Inn

deSha’s

 

The Goods


BEST NEW STORE

Off Broadway Shoes

Boutique Milan

Jonk

 

BEST AUTO DEALER

Green’s Toyota

Tri-City Auto (tie for 2nd)

Don Jacob’s (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST USED/NEIGHBORHOOD BOOKSTORE

Black Swan

Morgan Adams

 

BEST PLACE TO BUY/SELL USED MUSIC

CD Central

Disc Jockey

Pop’s

 

BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING

Bella Rose

Isle of You

Chico’s

 

BEST MEN’S CLOTHING

Logan’s

Dillard’s

J. Crew

 

BEST ECLECTIC/ARTSY/FUNKY JEWELRY

Black Market

Artique (tie for 2nd)

General Eccentric (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST FINE JEWELRY

Sheila’s Fine Jewelry

Silver Treasures

Artique

 

 

Artique
Artique has the best gifts this year according to Ace readers.

BEST GIFT SHOP

Artique

Peggy’s Gifts

Front Porch (tie for 3rd)

3rd St. Stuff (tie for 3rd)

 

BEST STORE YOU WISH LEXINGTON HAD

Pottery Barn

Saks

Neiman Marcus

 

Services & Professional


 

Dr Eric Headley DVM
Dr Eric Headley wins again!

BEST VETERINARIAN

Eric Headley, DVM

Masterson Animal Clinic

Beaumont Veterinary Clinic

 

BEST LAW FIRM

Darling & Reynolds PSC

Frost, Brown & Todd LLC

Stoll, Keenon & Park

 

BEST FLORIST

Best of Flowers

Michler’s Florist

Oram Flowers

 

BEST MECHANIC

Lowell’s

Motorsports

Stuttgart Motors

 

Home & Garden


 

Pohl Rosa Pohl is a favorite once again.

BEST ARCHITECTURAL FIRM

Pohl Rosa Pohl

Omni Architects

Ross/Tarrant Architects

 

BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER

Jennifer Schnabel Interior

Matthew Carter Interiors

Kimbrell/Birkman Interior Design

 

BEST CONTEMPORARY/MODERN FURNISHINGS

TK Designs

Alteriors

Arhaus

 

BEST ANTIQUES

Heritage Antiques

Greentree Antiques

Lexington Antique Exchange

 

BEST PLUMBER

Senninger Plumbing Services

Fayette Plumbing

 

BEST HOME INSPECTOR

John Bain Property Inspections (tie for 1st)

Pruitt Property Inspections (tie for 1st)

Jerry Abney

 

BEST GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Back Construction

Padgett Construction

Congelton-Hacker

 

BEST HONEST ROOFER

Burnett & Sons (tie for 1st)

Jodie Shadbolt (tie for 1st)

Reliable Residential Roofing

 

BEST LUXURY APARTMENT COMMUNITY

Park Place

Grand Reserve

Merrick Place

 

Media


BEST EVENING NEWSCAST

WLEX-18

WKYT-27

WDKY-56

 

BEST NEWS HAIR

Marvin Bartlett

Dia Davidson (tie for 2nd)

Nancy Cox (tie for 2nd)

 

BEST ACCURATE WEATHERCAST

WLEX-18

WKYT-27

WTVQ-36

 

BEST LOCAL RADIO TALK SHOW

Sue Wiley (590 WVLK)

Jack Pattie (590 WVLK)

Kruser & Co. (590 WVLK)

 

BEST RADIO STATION

91.3 (WUKY)

103.3 (WXZZ)

104.5 (WKYT)

 

Sex & The City


 

Dia Davidson
Dai Davidson is this year’s Best Available Bachelorette and Sexiest Local Newscaster.

BEST ELIGIBLE BACHELORETTE

Dia Davidson

 

BEST POWER COUPLE

Alan & Kathy Stein

Anita & Preston Madden

Bill & Kim Farmer

 

BEST PLACE FOR BACHELORETTE PARTY TOYS

Hustler

Priscilla’s

Intimate Apparel

 

BEST BAR FOR A HOOK-UP

Cheapside

Bigg Blue Martini

Two Keys Tavern

 

SEXIEST LOCAL NEWS ANCHOR (MALE) 

Marvin Bartlett

Sam Dick

T.G. Shuck

 

SEXIEST LOCAL NEW ANCHOR (FEMALE)

Dia Davidson

Megan Newquist

Jennifer Nime

 

SEXIEST RADIO PERSONALITY

Mary Jane (Z-103)

Andrea Sayre (98.1)

Jack Pattie (590)

 

SEXIEST LOCAL OFFICIAL

Teresa Isaac (tie for 1st)

Bill Farmer (tie for 1st)

 

BEST DIVORCE ATTORNEY

Anita Britton (tie for 1st)

Sandy Dawahare (tie for 1st)

Natalie Wilson (tie for 1st)

 

Local Color


 

Abandoned Lexington Mall
Pretty Vacant.

BEST USE FOR LEXINGTON MALL’S CURRENT CARAPACE

New Mall

Upscale Apartments

Office Space

 

BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO DOWNTOWN THIS YEAR

Downtown facelift (new real estate developments)

Courthouse/fountains

Resurfaced streets

 

 

Gatewood Galbraith
Gatewood is never short of character. By artist Zach Trenholm.

BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST/HELLRAISER

Gatewood Galbraith

Mike Scanlon

Don Pratt

 

BEST COUNCIL MEMBER

Bill Farmer

Bill Cegelka

 

BEST  STATE LEGISLATOR

Ernesto Scorsone

Kathy Stein

Alice Forgy Kerr

 

BEST FUNDRAISER THIS YEAR

Decorator’s Showcase

KET Summer Celebration

Beastie Ball

 

BEST LFUCG SCANDAL

Mike Scanlon allegedly roughing up car dealership employee

Water company

Smoking ban

 

BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL

Sayre

Lexington Catholic

Lexington School

 

BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

Marilynn Cunningham-Amos (SCAPA)

Nora Alexander (Lafayette)

Jenny Forgy (Lexington Catholic)

 

Optional Essay Questions


WHAT LEXINGTON NEEDS

More downtown entertainment options

More bike lanes

More green space

 

WHAT LEXINGTON DOESN’T NEED

More suburban sprawl

A water company

A smoking ban