Editor’s Letter: Win-Win

Editor’s Letter: Win-Win

Our annual Best of Alameda edition is available on newsstands now.

Just when you thought you knew everything, everybody, and all things Alameda, the annual Best Of issue comes along to prove otherwise.

This year’s contest—we moved it up a month to June—lists 168 awesome winners and featured record-setting participation for phase one voting (the open nomination process) and phase two (the drop-down ballot of top vote-getters). Thousands upon thousands of Alameda Magazine readers cast votes, making this year’s Readers’ Choice poll our best yet. Tallying all those votes on the spreadsheets was a headache but so worth it. It’s gratifying to realize just how passionate people get about their go-to favorites in the categories of food and drink, goods and services, and lifestyle and leisure. The competition was fierce this year, with more than one winner squeaking by with a single vote to earn top honors. Don’t ever think that your vote doesn’t count, especially when it comes to Best Of results.

In the end, surprises and old favorites across the Island rose to the top in this year’s list of amazing winners. The Best Of coverage starts on page 33 of our print edition, with readers’ faves introducing each section. Print copies are available on newsstands now.

We had a lot of fun naming Editors’ Choices that will steer you toward sweet treats, crazy-good jams, cool cafes, and exquisite nail art. These picks also offer the inside skinny on trivia mavens, awesome furniture restoration, and the up-and-coming-est intersection on the West End. We troll the Island from the Park Street Bridge to the Posey Tube looking for the best hidden gems so you won’t have to.

As a reminder, we evaluate Best Of categories every year, jettisoning ones we grow tired of as well as ones that no longer seem to resonate with readers. Drop me an email about categories we might have left out—we always include that question on the first round of balloting. If you conveyed that when you voted, thanks.

Want to rub shoulders with the cream of the crop? They would all appreciate an attaboy, I’m betting. Show your appreciation by congratulating the 2017 Best Of winners: We’re having a Best Of party 6-10 p.m. June 15 at the Alameda Elks Lodge. Visit AlamedaMagazine.com/BestParty to find out the details.

 

Published online on May 31, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.