| From the great food to the skankiest washrooms, Fast Forward brings you the Best of Calgary. It was certainly a year for old favourites – the same TV hunks and the same local villains – with a few notable first-time winners. The colourful, lego-inspired Alberta Children’s Hospital edged out the innovative, futuristic City Water Centre in the category of best new building. Thankfully, environmentalism beat Facebook to take best new trend, while the young Art Central unseated the world-class Glenbow as the city’s best art gallery. Fast Forward’s resident scribe Amy Steele took the best writer crown from veteran music reporter Mike Bell. While some of our likes and dislikes have stayed the same, a few pugnacious first-timer winners made a well-deserved appearance. Seriously though, Facebook?
THE CITY
Best new trend
1. Going Green / Environmentalism
2. Facebook
Worst new trend
1. Skinny Jeans
2. Leggings
Best kept Calgary secret
1. Inglewood
2. Fish Creek Provincial Park
Best new building or structure
1. The Alberta Children's Hospital
2. City of Calgary Water Centre
Best historic structure
1. Lougheed House
2. Old City Hall
Scariest intersection
1. Deerfoot Trail & Memorial Drive N.E.
2. Deerfoot Trail & 16th Ave N.E.
Coolest place to take visitors
1. 17th Avenue S.W.
2. The Calgary Tower
Most livable neighbourhood
1. Kensington
2. Marda Loop
Best bedroom community
1. Cochrane
2. Okotoks
Best day trip
1. Banff
2. Kananaskis Country Golf Course
Best place to waste an entire day
1. 17th Avenue S.W.
2. The Calgary Zoo
Best place to ride your bike
1. Fish Creek Provincial Park
2. Bow River Pathways
Best place to go for a stroll
1. Prince's Island Park
2. 17th Avenue S.W.
Best place to play in the water
1. Elbow River
2. Sandy Beach
Best inner-city escape
1. Prince's Island Park
2. Devonian Gardens
Best place to watch the sunset
1. Nose Hill Park
2. The Calgary Tower
Best place for picnic
1. Prince's Island Park
2. Bowness Park
Most romantic place for a first kiss
1. Crescent Road NW
2. Prince’s Island Park
Best place to pick up someone of the opposite sex
1. Ship & Anchor Pub
2. Cowboys Dance Hall
Best place to pick up someone of the same sex
1. Twisted Element
2. 17th Avenue S.W.
Best place to meet your web date
1. Caffé Beano
2. Higher Ground
Best public place to "do it"
1. Nose Hill Park
2. Fish Creek Provincial Park
Best place to people-watch
1. 17th Avenue S.W.
2. Stephen Avenue Walk
Best local cause
1. Affordable housing
2. The Mustard Seed
Best thing to put in the East Village
1. Affordable housing
2. Police
Calgary’s claim to shame
1. Homelessness
2. The Calgary Stampede
Best use of local tax dollars
1. Public Transit
2. Parks / Pathways
Worst use of local tax dollars
1. Roads
2. Traffic circles / calming devices
URBAN LIFE
Best radio station
1. CJSW 90.9 FM
2. Xtreme 92.9 FM
Best television station
1. CityTV
2. Global
Best art gallery
1. Art Central
2. Art Gallery of Calgary
Best dance company
1. Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
2. Albert Ballet
Best theatre company
1. One Yellow Rabbit
2. Alberta Theatre Projects
Best alternative cinema
1. The Uptown Stage & Screen
2. Globe Cinema
Most comfortable cinema
1. Paramount Chinook
2. The Uptown Stage & Screen
Best area ski hill
1. Sunshine Village
2. Lake Louise
Best golf course
1. Shaganappi Point Golf Course
2. Kananaskis Country Golf Course
Best casino
1. Elbow River Casino
2. Deerfoot Inn & Casino
Best festival
1. Calgary Folk Music Festival
2. Lilac Festival
Best free event
1. Lilac Festival
2. Calgary Zombie Walk
Best fund-raising event
1. Calgary Cares
2. CJSW Funding Drive
Best coffeehouse
1. Caffé Beano
2. Higher Ground
Swankiest washroom
1. Earls Bankers' Hall
2. Cactus Club Café
Skankiest washroom
1. Back Alley Night Club
2. The Warehouse
Most beloved Calgarian
1. Jarome Iginla
2. Dave Kelly
Most embarrassing Calgarian
1. Ralph Klein
2. Dave Bronconnier
Most active activist
1. Grant Neufeld
2. Grant Kreiger
Best local villain
1. Dave Bronconnier
2. Ralph Klein
Sexiest man
1. Dave Kelly
2. Matthew Lombardi
Sexiest woman
1. Tara McCool
2. Suzanne Fox
Favourite TV personality
1. Dave Kelly (CityTV)
2. Darryl Janz (CFCN)
Favourite radio personality
1. Gerry Forbes (CJAY 92 FM)
2. Chad Saunders (CJSW 90.9 FM)
Best journalist / writer
1. Amy Steele
2. Andrew Nikiforuk
Best local actor / actress
1. Elisha Cuthbert
2. Meg Roe
Best local band
1. The Dudes
2. Knucklehead
Best visual artist
1. Chris Cran
2. Tom Bagley
Best athlete
1. Jarome Iginla
2. Mikka Kiprusoff
Best poet or author
1. Sheri-D Wilson
2. Andrew Wedderburn
SHOPPING
Best shopping district
1. 17th Avenue S.W.
2. Kensington
Best corner store
1. Kalamata Grocery
2. A&A Foods & Deli
Best outdoor / sports gear shop
1. Mountain Equipment Co-op
2. Sport Swap
Best snowboard / skateboard shop
1. Mission Snow And Skate
2. Skaters Sport Shop
Best ski shop
1. Ski Cellar
2. Fresh
Best bike shop
1. Bow Cycle
2. The Bike Shop
Best CD store
1. Megatunes
2. Play Entertainment
Best place to buy vinyl
1. Recordland
2. Sloth Records
Best bookstore
1. McNally Robinson Booksellers
2. Pages On Kensington
Best used bookstore
1. Fair's Fair
2. Wee Book Inn
Best magazine selection
1. With The Times
2. McNally Robinson Booksellers
Best comics store
1. Phoenix Comic Books
2. Another Dimension
Best DVD store
1. Casablanca Video
2. Bird Dog Video
Best place to buy porn
1. Source Adult Video
1. Priape
Hippest home furnishing store
1. Kit Interior Objects
2. Kilian International Design
Best men’s clothing store
1. Henry
2. Purr
Best women’s clothing store
1. Purr
2. Blame Betty
Best lingerie
1. She Apparel
2. The Cat’s Pajamas
Best place to buy a sex toy
1. Source Adult Video
2. Adam & Eve’s Exotic Boutique
Best consignment / vintage clothing
1. Divine
2. Junk Star
Best shoe store
1. Gravity Pope
2. Skaters Sport Shop
Best place to find cool jewelry
1. I Appeal
2. Purr
Best optical
1. The Brass Monocle
2. 17th Avenue Specs
Best place to spoil your pet
1. Petland
2. Paws Pet Food & Accessories
Best flower shop
1. Peasblossoms
2. Twigs & Company
Best international food store
1. T & T Supermarket
2. Kalamata Grocery
Best natural foods store
1. Community Natural Foods
2. Planet Organic Market
Best farmers’ market
1. Calgary Farmers' Market (Currie Barracks)
2. Crossroads Markets
Best deli sandwich
1. Spolumbo’s Fine Foods & Deli
2. Palace of Eats
Best bakery
1. Glamorgan Bakery
2. Crave Cookies & Cakes
Best cool treat on a hot day
1. Fiasco Gelato
2. Philip’s Forbidden Flavors
Best beer store
1. Willow Park Wines & Spirits
2. Royal Liquor Merchants
Best wine shop
1. Kensington Wine Market
2. Willow Park Wines & Spirits
SERVICES
Best fitness facility
1. Talisman Centre
2. Eau Claire YMCA
Best place for yoga
1. Yoga Passage
2. Yoga Studio
Best place for a haircut (male)
1. Hedkandi Salon
2. Swizzlesticks Salon Spa
Best hair salon (female)
1. Hedkandi Salon
2. Aveda Academy
Best place to get pampered
1. Oasis Wellness Centre & Spa
2. Swizzlesticks Salon Spa
Best tattoo shop
1. Eternal Image Tattoo
2. Bushido
Best piercing studio
1. Bushido
2. To The Point
Best laundromat
1. Pinky’s
2. O’Henry Laundromat & Drycleaners
Best dry cleaner
1. Fishman's Dry Cleaners
2. Martha’s Master Cleaners
Best coin car wash
1. Bridgeland Car Wash
2. Blue Bays
Best pet day care
1. Pawsitively Pooched
2. Superdog Spectrum
NIGHTLIFE
Best new bar
1. The Marquee Room
2. Flames Central
Best cocktail bar
1. Ming
2. Vicious Circle
Best neighbourhood pub
1. Ship & Anchor Pub
2. The Drum & Monkey
Coolest hole-in-the wall
1. A Bar Named Sue
2. Broken City
Best brewpub
1. Wildwood Pub & Grill
2. Brewsters Brewing Company
Best gay/lesbian hangout
1. Twisted Element
2. Moneypennies
Sexiest clientele
1. The Mercury
2. Ship & Anchor Pub
Best redneck bar
1. Ranchmans
2. Cowboys Dance Hall
Best place to watch sports
1. Schanks Athleetic Club
2. Flames Central
Best place to see exotic dancers
1. The French Maid
2. The Speakeasy
Best place to shoot pool
1. Stix Billiards & Sports Bar
2. Garage Billiards Bar & Restaurant
Best place to see something funny
1. Yuk Yuk's
2. Ship & Anchor Pub
Best DJ night
1. Flashlight Fridays (Hi Fi Club)
2. Hi-Karate (Hi Fi Club)
Best place to karaoke
1. Ducky's Pub
2. Broken City
Best club to dance in
1. Hi Fi Club
2. Broken City
Best live rock music club
1. Broken City
2. Hi Fi Club
Best live jazz / blues club
1. Beat Niq
2. Red Onion
Best live country/folk club
1. Ironwood Stage & Grill
2. Ranchmans
Best concert venue (500+)
1. MacEwan Hall
2. Pengrowth Saddledome
Best bartender
1. Christine (formerly Broken City)
2. Jay (Amsterdam Rhino)
Sexiest staff
1. The Metropolitan Grill
2. Cowboys Dance Hall
Surliest staff
1. Coyotes
2. The Metropolitan Grill
Best patio
1. Ship & Anchor Pub
2. Broken City
Coldest beer on a hot day
1. Ship & Anchor Pub
2. Broken City
Best local brew
1. Big Rock
2. Wild Rose Brewery
Most interesting wine list
1. Vintage Chophouse
2. The River Café
DINING OUT
Best new restaurant
1. Capo
2. Globefish Sushi & Izakaya
Best restaurant for a first date
1. The Coup
2. Diner Deluxe
Best restaurant for a last date
1. McDonalds
2. Denny’s
Best restaurant when someone else is paying
1. Teatro
2. The River Café
Best service
1. The River Café
2. The Coup
Best overall restaurant
1. The River Café
2. Capo
Best food at YYC
1. Montana's
2. Tim Horton’s
Best late-night (after 1 am)
1. Tubby Dog
2. Wicked Wedge Pizza
Best cheap eats
1. Tubby Dog
2. Ship & Anchor Pub
Best breakfast
1. Nellie's
2. Diner Deluxe
Best brunch
1. Diner Deluxe
2. Nellie’s
Best pizza
1. Wicked Wedge Pizza
2. Ristorante Pulcinella
Best salsa
1. Salt & Pepper Mexican Restaurante
2. Boca Loca
Best burger
1. Burger Inn
2. Peters’ Drive-Inn
Best veggie burger
1. Ship & Anchor Pub
2. Burger Inn
Best hot dog
1. Tubby Dog
2. Le Chien Chaud
Best fries
1. Ship & Anchor Pub
2. C B Drive Inn
Best bubble tea
1. Atomic
2. Thai Tai
Best falafel
1. Falafel King
2. Tazza Grill & Deli
Most innovative sushi
1. Globefish Sushi & Izakaya
2. Blowfish Sushi Lounge
Best Vietnamese subs
1. Thai Tai
2. Kim Anh Vietnamese Submarines
Best dim sum
1. Silver Dragon
2. Central Grand
Best Indian
1. Moti Mahal
2. Glory of India
Best Italian
1. Mercato
2. Chianti
Best Thai
1. Thai Sa-On
2. Ruan Thai
Best calamari
1. Ouzo Greek Taverna
2. Broken Plate
Best vegetarian
The Coup
Buddha’s Veggie Restaurant
Best place for a spice fix
1. Spicy Hut
2. Glory of India
Best steak
1. Caesar’s Steak House's
2. Vintage Chophouse
Best place for sea food
1. Catch
2. Big Fish
Best dessert
1. The Cheesecake Café
2. The Chocolate Bar |
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