BEST OF BROWARD/PALM BEACH® 2002

What with terrorists camping out in SoFla and the anthrax panic starting here, the past year didn't follow the region's sunny tradition. We at New Times Broward-Palm Beach, however, have chosen to rise above the gloom and peer down at the two counties we call home. And while the blemishes are clearly apparent, the subtropical beauty overwhelms -- not just the sun and sand but the sensually slow-moving River of Grass, the violet shades of twilight, the palms, blossoms, and freshly cut lawns. Even the cityscapes of Fort Lauderdale, West Palm, Boca, Pompano, Hollywood, and Delray can elicit a sigh if seen in the dawn light.

Fueled by this sense of aesthetic wonder, we present 306 examples of what we consider the area's finest. There are the old faithfuls -- Best Restaurant, Bar, and Politician -- as well as the less conventional: Best Dolce Vita for Dogs, Best Edible Florida Souvenirs, and Best Place to Poke an Iguana with a Stick. Then there are your choices. Dozens of readers filled out ballots on-line and on paper to come up with inspired nominations like Big Lip Bandit and Gnarly Charlie for best radio host. As for your responses to Best Category We Didn't Ask, well... here in the oversexed, Viagra-drunk mecca of America, the winner should have been obvious: Swingers Redoubt.

Because two is the magic number in this year of 2002, we've also sought out the area's most dynamic duos -- restaurateurs, coaches, theatrical designers, a mother and daughter, and even bureaucrats -- who work flawlessly together. The stories of their teamwork are both a guide to this millennium and a lesson from the last. They complement each other, build upon each other's work, and overcome sometimes substantial differences.

So page slowly through our fourth Best of Broward-Palm Beach issue. Ponder the choices, and visit the places. Savor them as if you had risen above all that afflicts you.