Best of 2008

In elections across the country, 2008 was a year of change. After a history-making presidential campaign, voters in Pennsylvania and other right-thinking states chose Barack Obama to be president. Republican incumbents were toppled in Congressional races across the land

But the City Paper "Best of 2008" readers' poll was an exception. During troubled times, voters here stuck with the tried and the true -- selecting winners whose names are familiar from previous years' results.

Far be it from us to cast aspersions on the culinary excellence of Mallorca or Le Pommier -- perennially chosen as the city's best Spanish and French restaurants, respectively. And God knows we've got nothing against The Clarks. On the other hand, seeing them named the city's best rock band was as surprising as ... as ... a White House cabinet made up of holdovers from the Clinton administration.

So we City Paper staffers got to thinking. In this year of change, what if we tipped our hats to the "Best Of" winners of tomorrow? What if, while honoring our readers' selections this year, we tried to point them to some of the Pittsburgh institutions they may not yet have heard of?

In that spirit, we offer the "Best Of" issue on the pages that follow. The winners of our readers' poll are honored in the list just below. But for the first time, we're supplementing those choices with some picks of our own. We do so in the hopes that readers and voters alike will see that the city offers more choices than even the most extensive ballot can encompass.

And if some of these end up winning the readers' poll next year, you won't hear us complaining.

Staff picks: nightlife + culture

Staff picks: food + drink

Staff picks: goods + services

Staff picks: people + places + propaganda

2008 Best of Pittsburgh Readers' Poll Results

NIGHTLIFE & CULTURE
Best overall club/bar
1^st Brillobox / Bloomfield
2^nd Club Café / South Side
3^rd Zen / Station Square

Best new bar/club
1^st Zen / Station Square
2^nd Barroom / Station Square
3^rd S-Bar / South Side

Best dance club
1^st Matrix / Station Square
2^nd Diesel / South Side
3^rd Zen / Station Square

Best all-ages club
1^st Mr. Small's Funhouse & Theater / Millvale
2^nd Club Zoo / Strip District
3^rd Diesel / South Side

Best hipster bar/club
1^st Brillobox / Bloomfield
2^nd Matrix / Station Square
3^rd Lava Lounge / South Side

Best bar to see strippers
1^st Blush / Downtown
2^nd Club Erotica / McKees Rocks
3^rd Cricket Lounge / Bloomfield

Best happy hour
1^st Mad Mex / various locations
2^nd McCormick & Schmick's / South Side
3^rd Sharp Edge / various locations

Best lounge bar
1^st Firehouse Lounge / Strip District
2^nd Lava Lounge / South Side
3^rd Bossa Nova / Downtown

Best karaoke bar
1^st Nico's Recovery Room / Bloomfield
2^nd Ryan's Pub / Regent Square
3^rd Cappy's / Shadyside

Best sports bar
1^st Sports Rock / Strip District
2^nd Buffalo Blues / Shadyside
3^rd Bettis Grille / North Side

Best place to play darts
1^st Shootz Café & Billiards / South Side
2^nd Dee's Café / South Side
3^rd Jack Rose Bar / South Side

Best place to shoot pool
1^st Shootz Café & Billiards / South Side
2^nd Dee's Café / South Side
3^rd Dave & Buster's / Waterfront

Best bar to play poker
1^st Shootz Café & Billiards / South Side
2^nd Rhythm House Café / Bridgeville
3^rd Ryan's Pub / Regent Square

Best GLBT-friendly bar
1^st 5801 Video Lounge / Shadyside
2^nd Pegasus Lounge / Downtown
3^rd Spin Bartini & Ultralounge / Shadyside

Best club to see live music
1^st Club Café / South Side
2^nd Diesel / South Side
3^rd Mr. Small's Funhouse & Theater / Millvale

Best concert venue
1^st Post-Gazette Pavilion / Burgettstown
2^nd Mr. Small's Funhouse & Theater / Millvale
3^rd The Rex Theatre / South Side

Best solo artist
1^st Joy Ike
2^nd Bill Deasy
3^rd (tie) Cathasaigh / Brad Yoder

Best blues band
1^st Jill West & the Blues Attack
2^nd The Blues Orphans
3^rd Sweaty Betty Blues Band

Best underground band
1^st Ishtar
2^nd Gramsci Melodic
3^rd Triggers

Best pop/rock band
1^st The Clarks
2^nd The Bill Deasy Band
3^rd (tie) Good Night, States / Gramsci Melodic

Best tribute band
1^st Bon Journey
2^nd Velveeta
3^rd Lez Zeppelin

Best jazz band
1^st Boilermaker Jazz Band
2^nd (tie) Neon Swing Experience / Opek
3^rd Jazzam

Best club DJ
1^st DJ Digital Dave
2^nd DJ Bonics
3^rd DJ Humanaut

Best hip-hop performer
1^st Wiz Khalifa
2^nd Formula 412
3^rd Kellee Maize

Best artist
1^st Joy Ike
2^nd Bill Deasy
3^rd Cathasaigh

Best art gallery
1^st ModernFormations / Garfield
2^nd Space Gallery / Downtown
3^rd Wood Street Galleries / Downtown

Best local stage production
1^st City Theatre -- Without You
2^nd Pittsburgh Public Theater -- The Chief
3^rd Quantum Theatre -- Cymbeline

Best local dance company
1^st Attack Theatre
2^nd Pittsburgh Ballet Theater
3^rd Dance Alloy

Best theater for film-lovers
1^st Regent Square Theater / Regent Square
2^nd Harris Theater / Downtown
3^rd AMC Loews / Waterfront

Best place to take the kids for the afternoon
1^st Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium / Highland Park
2^nd Children's Museum / North Side
3^rd Carnegie Science Center / North Side

Best outdoor cultural event
1^st Three Rivers Arts Festival / Downtown
2^nd Hartwood Acres concerts / Hartwood Acres
3^rd Free movies at Flagstaff Hill / Schenley Park


FOOD & DRINK
Best new restaurant
1^st Legume Bistro / Regent Square
2^nd Richard Chen / East Liberty
3^rd Pangea / Shadyside

Best kids' menu
1^st Eat'n Park / various locations
2^nd Moe's Southwest Grill / various locations
3^rd Max & Erma's / various locations

Best fine dining
1^st Eleven / Strip District
2^nd Le Mont / Mount Washington
3^rd Monterey Bay / Mount Washington and Monroeville

Best BYOB dining
1^st Piccolo Forno / Lawrenceville
2^nd La Filipiniana & Sweet Basil / Lawrenceville
3^rd Abay Ethiopian Cuisine / East Liberty

Best outdoor dining
1^st Harris Grill / Shadyside
2^nd Doublewide Grill / South Side
3^rd Mallorca / South Side

Best American restaurant
1^st Fat Heads / South Side
2^nd Six Penn Kitchen / Downtown
3^rd Harris Grill / Shadyside

Best Caribbean restaurant
1^st Kaya / Strip District
2^nd Royal Caribbean / East Liberty
3^rd Bahama Breeze / North Fayette

Best Chinese restaurant
1^st Sesame Inn / various locations
2^nd China Palace / various locations
3^rd PF Chang's / Waterfront

Best French restaurant
1^st Le Pommier / South Side
2^nd (tie) Ma Provence / Squirrel Hill & Palate / Downtown
3^rd Café du Jour / South Side

Best German restaurant
1^st Penn Brewery / North Side
2^nd Max's Allegheny Tavern / North Side
3^rd Kleiner Deutschmann / Springdale

Best Greek restaurant
1^st Mike & Tony's / Downtown
2^nd Christos' / Downtown
3^rd Salonika Gyros / Downtown

Best Indian restaurant
1^st India Garden / Monroeville and Oakland
2^nd People's Indian Restaurant / Garfield
3^rd Taj Mahal / North Hills

Best Italian restaurant
1^st (tie) Bravo / various locations & Del's / Bloomfield
2^nd Piccolo Forno / Lawrenceville
3^rd Girasole / Shadyside

Best Japanese restaurant
1^st Nakama Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar / South Side
2^nd Umi / Shadyside
3^rd Chaya Japanese Cuisine / Squirrel Hill

Best Mexican restaurant
1^st Mad Mex / various locations
2^nd El Campesino / various locations
3^rd Taqueria Taco Loco / South Side

Best Middle-Eastern restaurant
1^st Ali Baba Middle Eastern Restaurant / Oakland
2^nd Aladdin's Eatery / various locations
3^rd Kassab's Lebanese Cuisine / South Side

Best Mediterranean restaurant
1^st Aladdin's Eatery / various locations
2^nd The Mediterranean Grill / Squirrel Hill
3^rd Casbah / Shadyside

Best pub-style restaurant
1^st Piper's Pub / South Side
2^nd Sharp Edge / various locations
3^rd Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle / Strip District

Best romantic restaurant
1^st LeMont / Mount Washington
2^nd Monterey Bay / Mount Washington amd Monroeville
3^rd The Melting Pot / Station Square

Best Spanish restaurant
1^st Mallorca Restaurant / South Side
2^nd Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar / South Side
3^rd La Casa Tapas & Wine Bar / Shadyside

Best Thai restaurant
1^st Thai Cuisine / Bloomfield
2^nd Thai Place Restaurant / Shadyside
3^rd Bangkok Balcony / Squirrel Hill

Best Vietnamese restaurant
1^st Tram's Kitchen / Bloomfield
2^nd Pho Minh / Garfield
3^rd Pho Kim 88 / Castle Shannon

Best fusion restaurant
1^st Soba Lounge / Shadyside
2^nd Kaya / Strip District
3^rd Spice Island Tea House / Oakland

Best local pizza shop
1^st Fiori's / Dormont
2^nd Mineo's / Squirrel Hill
3^rd Pizza Sola (formerly Vesuvio) / South Side and East Liberty

Best pizza (chain)
1^st Vocelli's Pizza / various locations
2^nd Pizza Hut / various locations
3^rd Papa John's / various locations

Best seafood restaurant
1^st Monterey Bay / Mount Washington and Monroeville
2^nd Mitchell's Fish Market / Waterfront and Mount Lebanon
3^rd Original Fish Market / Downtown

Best sushi
1^st Nakama Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar / South Side
2^nd Umi / Shadyside
3^rd Little Tokyo Bistro / South Side

Best steakhouse
1^st Ruth's Chris Steakhouse / Downtown
2^nd Morton's / Downtown
3^rd Pittsburgh Steak Company / South Side

Best tapas selection
1^st Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar / South Side
2^nd Tusca Global Tapas / South Side
3^rd Seviche / Downtown

Best Sunday brunch
1^st Grand Concourse / Station Square
2^nd Zenith Tea Room / South Side
3^rd Coco's Café / Lawrenceville

Best buffet
1^st Eat'n Park / various locations
2^nd Grand Concourse / Station Square
3^rd The Golden Corral / various locations

Best vegan/vegetarian restaurant
1^st The Quiet Storm Coffeehouse & Restaurant / Friendship
2^nd Zenith Tea Room / South Side
3^rd Maggie's Mercantile / Oakland

Best appetizers
1^st Fat Heads / South Side
2^nd Kaya / Strip District
3^rd TGI Fridays / various locations

Best breakfast
1^st Pamela's / various locations
2^nd Eat'n Park / various locations
3^rd Deluca's / Strip District

Best coffeehouse
1^st Your Inner Vagabond Coffeehouse & World Lounge / Lawrenceville
2^nd The Beehive / South Side
3^rd Crazy Mocha / various locations

Best bagel
1^st Bruegger's / various locations
2^nd Panera Bread Co. / various locations
3^rd Einstein Bros. Bagels / various locations

Best sandwich
1^st Primanti Brothers Restaurant / various locations
2^nd Fat Heads / South Side
3^rd Carson Street Deli / South Side

Best deli
1^st Smallman Street Deli / Strip District
2^nd Carson Street Deli / South Side
3^rd Kazansky's Delicatessen / Squirrel Hill

Best hamburger
1^st Tessaro's / Bloomfield
2^nd Fat Heads / South Side
3^rd Red Robin / various locations

Best hot dog
1^st D's Six Pax & Dogz / Regent Square
2^nd The Original Hot Dog Shop / Oakland
3^rd Franktuary / Downtown

Best wings
1^st Quaker Steak & Lube / various locations
2^nd Fat Heads / South Side
3^rd Buffalo Blues / Shadyside

Best burrito
1^st Mad Mex / various locations
2^nd Qdoba Mexican Grill / various locations
3^rd Chipotle / various locations

Best chocolates
1^st Sarris Candy / various locations
2^nd Mon Ami / Strip District
3^rd The Chocolate Moose / Squirrel Hill

Best desserts
1^st Gullifty's / Squirrel Hill
2^nd The Cheesecake Factory / South Side
3^rd Dozen Cupcakes/Bakeshop / Squirrel Hill and
Lawrenceville

Best ice cream
1^st Dave & Andy's / Oakland
2^nd Bruster's / various locations
3^rd Cold Stone Creamery / various locations

Best bakery
1^st Prantl's / Shadyside
2^nd Dozen Cupcakes/Bakeshop / Squirrel Hill and
Lawrenceville
3^rd Oakmont Bakery / Oakmont

Best late-night menu
1^st Eat'n Park / various locations
2^nd Tom's Diner / South Side and Dormont
3^rd Fuel & Fuddle / Oakland

Best cheap eats
1^st Eat'n Park / various locations
2^nd Moe's Southwest Grill / various locations
3^rd Tom's Diner / South Side and Dormont

Best beer selection
1^st Sharp Edge / various locations
2^nd D's Six Pax & Dogz / Regent Square
3^rd Fat Heads / South Side

Best local microbrew
1^st Church Brew Works / Lawrenceville
2^nd East End Brewing / Homewood
3^rd Penn Brewery / North Side

Best wine list
1^st Sonoma Grille / Downtown
2^nd Eleven / Strip District
3^rd Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar / South Side

Best martini list
1^st Olive or Twist / Downtown
2^nd Soba Lounge / Shadyside
3^rd Bossa Nova / Downtown

GOODS & SERVICES
Best bookstore
1^st (tie) Borders Books & Music & Barnes & Noble / various locations
2^nd Joseph-Beth Booksellers / South Side
3^rd Half Price Books / various locations

Best used bookstore
1^st Half Price Books / various locations
2^nd Caliban Bookstore / Oakland
3^rd Eljay's Used Books / South Side

Best comic bookstore
1^st Phantom of the Attic / Oakland & Monroeville
2^nd Eide's Entertainment / Strip District
3^rd Copacetic Comics / Squirrel Hill

Best place to buy used CDs
1^st Paul's Compact Discs / Bloomfield
2^nd The Exchange / various locations
3^rd Dave's Music Mine / South Side

Best place to still buy vinyl
1^st Jerry's Records / Squirrel Hill
2^nd Paul's Compact Discs / Bloomfield
3^rd Dave's Music Mine / South Side

Best art-supply store
1^st Utrecht / South Side
2^nd Artist & Craftsman Supply / Squirrel Hill
3^rd Michael's / various locations

Best place to buy outdoor gear
1^st REI / South Side
2^nd Dick's Sporting Goods / various locations
3^rd Gander Mountain / various locations

Best place to buy furniture
1^st IKEA / North Fayette
2^nd Perlora / South Side
3^rd Levin Furniture / various locations

Best place to buy antiques
1^st Zenith Antiques / South Side
2^nd Elements / Lawrenceville
3^rd Who Knew? / Lawrenceville

Best place to buy vintage clothing
1^st Avalon Exchange / Squirrel Hill
2^nd Goodwill / various locations
3^rd Eons / Shadyside

Best place to buy women's clothing
1^st Macy's / various locations
2^nd H&M / South Side and Tarentum
3^rd Avalon Exchange / Squirrel Hill

Best place to buy men's clothing
1^st Macy's / various locations
2^nd Moda / Shadyside
3^rd (tie) Kohl's & Goodwill / various locations

Best shoe store
1^st Littles' Shoes / Squirrel Hill
2^nd DSW / various locations
3^rd Pavement / Lawrenceville

Best boutique
1^st Sugar Boutique / Lawrenceville
2^nd Jupe Boutique / South Side
3^rd Hip'tique / Shadyside

Best local jewelry store
1^st Orr's / Squirrel Hill
2^nd Henne Jewelers / Shadyside
3^rd (tie) Julep / Lawrenceville & King's / various locations

Best florist
1^st Johnston the Florist / various locations
2^nd Hepatica / Regent Square
3^rd Gidas Flowers / Squirrel Hill

Best tattoo studio
1^st South Side Tattoo / South Side
2^nd Angry Moon Tattoo & Piercing / South Side
3^rd Inka Dinka Doo / Lawrenceville

Best piercing parlor
1^st Hot Rod Piercing / South Side
2^nd South Side Tattoo / South Side
3^rd Angry Moon Tattoo & Piercing / South Side

Best bike shop
1^st Gatto / Wexford and Tarentum
2^nd Kraynick's Bike Shop / Garfield
3^rd Trek Bikes / various locations

Best pet store
1^st (tie) PetSmart & PetCo / various locations
2^nd Smiley's Pet Pad / Shadyside
3^rd Burton's Total Pet / various locations

Best hair salon
1^st Evolve Modern Hairstyling / Lawrenceville
2^nd Philip Pelusi / various locations
3^rd Izzazu / Downtown

Best day spa
1^st Sewickley Spa / Sewickley
2^nd La Pomponnee / Mount Lebanon
3^rd Esspa Kozmetika / Aspinwall

Best tanning salon
1^st Hollywood Tan / various locations
2^nd The Tanning Room / South Side
3^rd Anytime Tan / various locations

Best health club
1^st (tie) YMCA & Club One / various locations
2^nd X Shadyside / Shadyside
3^rd Gold's Gym / Downtown

Best real-estate agency
1^st Howard Hanna
2^nd Coldwell Banker
3^rd Prudential

Best dating service
1^st match.com
2^nd eHarmony
3^rd Craigslist

Best movie theater
1^st AMC Loews / Waterfront
2^nd SouthSideWorks Theater / South Side
3^rd The Oaks Theater / Oakmont

Best hotel
1^st Omni William Penn / Downtown
2^nd The Renaissance Hotel / Downtown
3^rd Westin / Downtown

Best yoga studio
1^st Amazing Yoga / Shadyside
2^nd Schoolhouse Yoga / Lawrenceville
3^rd Breathe Yoga / South Side

Best martial arts studio
1^st CS Kim Karate / various locations
2^nd Rothrock's Kung Fu & Tai Chi / South Side
3^rd USA Karate / Squirrel Hill

Best golf course
1^st Oakmont Country Club / Oakmont
2^nd Bob O'Connor Golf Course / Schenley Park
3^rd Cranberry Highlands / Cranberry

Best bowling alley
1^st Arsenal Lanes / Lawrenceville
2^nd Forward Lanes / Squirrel Hill
3^rd Princess Lanes / Whitehall

Best ski resort
1^st Seven Springs Mountain Resort / Champion, Pa.
2^nd Hidden Valley / Donegal, Pa.
3^rd Peek'n Peak / Clymer, N.Y.


PEOPLE, PLACES & LIFESTYLE
Best Pittsburgh politician
1^st Luke Ravenstahl
2^nd Bill Peduto
3^rd Dan Onorato

Best Pittsburgh writer
1^st Michael Chabon
2^nd Gene Collier
3^rd Tony Norman

Best Pittsburgh radio personality
1^st Jim Krenn -- WDVE
2^nd Bubba -- B94
3^rd Lynn Cullen

Best morning radio show
1^st Jim & Randy -- WDVE
2^nd Mikey & Big Bob -- The Freak Show, Kiss FM
3^rd Cindy Howes -- WYEP

Best local athlete
1^st Sidney Crosby
2^nd Hines Ward
3^rd Ben Roethlisberger

Best chef
1^st Kevin Sousa
2^nd Bill Fuller
3^rd James Grey

Best bartender
1^st Billy, Squirrel Hill Café / Squirrel Hill
2^nd Nigel, Rock Room / Polish Hill
3^rd Brian, Brillobox / Bloomfield

Best-looking male Pittsburgh personality
1^st Sidney Crosby
2^nd Hines Ward
3^rd Troy Polamalu

Best-looking female Pittsburgh personality
1^st Sonni Abatta -- KDKA
2^nd (tie) Darieth Chisolm -- WPXI / Christina Aguilera
3^rd Allison Morris -- KDKA

Best day trip
1^st Ohiopyle
2^nd Fallingwater
3^rd Seven Springs

Best weekend trip
1^st Lake Erie
2^nd Washington, D.C.
3^rd Seven Springs

Best wi-fi hotspot
1^st Panera Bread / various locations
2^nd Crazy Mocha / various locations
3^rd Your Inner Vagabond Coffeehouse & World Lounge / Lawrenceville

Best place to take an out-of-towner
1^st Mount Washington
2^nd The inclines
3^rd Primanti Brothers / various locations

Best local green space
1^st Schenley Park
2^nd Frick Park
3^rd Point State Park

Best trail
1^st Frick Park trails
2^nd Montour Trail
3^rd Riverfront Trail / North Side

Best place to swim
1^st Sandcastle
2^nd Dormont Pool
3^rd Settler's Cabin Park Wave Pool

Best Kennywood ride
1^st The Thunderbolt
2^nd Phantom's Revenge
3^rd The Jackrabbit

Best Pittsburgh newscast
1^st KDKA
2^nd WPXI
3^rd WTAE

Best local ad campaign
1^st KDKA -- Your Home
2^nd wallsarebad.com
3^rd N/A

Best local sports moment
1^st Penguins' run for the Stanley Cup
2^nd University of Pittsburgh football
3^rd Pittsburgh Steelers

Best loft-style living
1^st The Cork Factory / Strip District
2^nd Heinz Factory Lofts / North Side
3^rd SouthSideWorks Lofts / South Side

Best place to work
1^st At home
2^nd UPMC
3^rd Downtown