Ladies and gentlemen, we give you…
Hold on a second; let’s spill some ink before we introduce our first “Best of Broward and Palm Beach” issue. First off, the title gives the process away. We’re talking two huge counties here, each vastly different from the other, each peppered with various cities, ethnicities, races, and lifestyles. (See “Best Drag Queen” in the Arts & Entertainment section.) Although our “Best Of” list is comprehensive, we discovered during this, our first outing, that there are so many worthwhile things to write about in Broward and Palm Beach that there’s simply no way we can include them all.
That said, we did a heck of a job of (a) switching from cranky to positive mode, so as to celebrate — not just criticize — our fair counties; and (b) focusing on life’s absolute necessities. (See “Best Place to Break Up” in the People & Places section.)
And you guys helped. It took a couple weeks for those polls to roll in, but they eventually arrived (results are listed on the first page of each section), giving us a sense of your tastes. In some cases we concurred; in others we noticed some ballot-stuffing; and in a few instances, we scratched our heads, wondering whether bigwigs like Jeb Bush (for “Best Local Politician”) and McDonald’s (for “Best French Fries”) really deserved the local recognition you bestowed.
Whatever the outcome, you made your mark, just as New Times did during its first year in Broward and Palm Beach counties. In fact this whole issue is about making a mark, about recognizing the people, places, shops, and restaurants that make our region so appealing and stimulating. (See “Best Spot For Skinny-Dipping” in the Recreation section.) Our staff and a handful of freelancers searched high and low for these items, and we’re confident that our results, while not always popular, will stand up to scrutiny.
So without further ado, we give you New Times’ first “Best of Broward and Palm Beach” issue. Read it, savor it, put it under your pillow. Whatever you do, don’t lose it — until next year’s issue is published.
