NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES ITS READERS' CHOICE WINNERS
Here’s a sneak peak at New Orleans Magazine’s Tops of the Town winners who will be officially announced in the magazine’s January 2012 issue. Winners were selected by a vote of the readers using a ballot that appeared in the magazine’s October issue as well online.
(In those cases where there was a high number of votes for more than one selection, second and third places winners were also designated.)
New Orleans Magazine’s January Tops of the Town feature will also include Editors’ Picks as well as a profile on a local institution celebrating its 150th anniversary. The cover story will reveal our picks of the city’s best neighborhood bars. The issue will also include the magazine’s exclusive guide to local schools presented in chart form as well as the recently redesigned magazine's signature sections and columns.
PEOPLE
New Orleanian of the Year
1) Mitch Landrieu
New Orleanian I Admire Most (male)
1) Drew Brees
2) Mitch Landrieu
New Orleanian I Admire Most (female)
1) Angela Hill
Most Attractive New Orleanian (male)
1) Drew Brees
2) Bryan Batt
3) Brad Pitt
Favorite Politician
1) Mitch Landrieu
2) Bobby Jindal
Favorite New Orleans Musician (living in the city)
1) Kermit Ruffins
2) Fats Domino
Favorite New Orleans Musician (living outside the city)
1) Harry Connick Jr.
Favorite Local New Orleans Actor/Actress
1) Becky Allen
2) Ricky Graham
Favorite Saints Player
1) Drew Brees
Favorite Hornets Player
1) Chris Paul
Favorite Local TV News Anchor
1) Angela Hill
2) Lee Zurik
3) Karen Swensen
Favorite TV Sports Reporter
1) Jim Henderson
Favorite TV Meteorologist
1) Bob Breck
2) Carl Arredondo
3) Margaret Orr
Favorite Local Writer
1) Chris Rose
PLACES
Favorite Grocery Store/Deli
1) Rouses Supermarket
2) Dorignac’s Food Center (tie)
2) Whole Foods Market (tie)
Favorite Gym
1) Elmwood Fitness Center
2) French Riviera Fitness Center (tie)
2) New Orleans Athletic Club (tie)
Favorite Day Spa
1) The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
2) Belladonna Day Spa
3) Earthsavers (tie)
3) H2O Salon & Spa (tie)
Favorite Antiques Store
1) M.S. Rau Antiques
Favorite Place to Buy an Engagement Ring
1) Adler’s Jewelry
2) Aucoin Hart Jewelers
3) Boudreaux’s Jewelers
Favorite Florist
1) Villere’s Florist
2) Federico’s Family Florist
Favorite Lawn/Garden Supply
1) Perino’s Garden Center
2) The Plant Gallery
Favorite Movie Theater
1) The Theatres at Canal Place
2) Prytania Theatre
Favorite Place to Hear Live Music
1) House of Blues New Orleans
2) Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
Favorite Jazz Club
1) Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
2) Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse
Favorite Museum
1) New Orleans Museum of Art
2) The National World War II Museum
3) The Historic New Orleans Collection
Favorite Historical Landmark
1) Jackson Square
2) The St. Louis Cathedral
3) Lee Circle
Favorite Remodeled/Renovated Building
1) The Roosevelt Hotel
2) The Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Favorite Place to Spot Celebrities
1) The French Quarter
Favorite Place to Take Out-of-Towners
1) The French Quarter
2) Bourbon Street
3) Café Du Monde
4) Frenchmen Street
Favorite Place to Play Hooky
1) The French Quarter
2) City Park
Favorite Golf Course
1) Audubon Park Golf Course
Favorite Biking/Running Route
1) Audubon Park
2) City Park
3) The Levee
Favorite Weekend Getaway
1) Destin, Fla.
Favorite Street for a Sunday Drive
1) St. Charles Avenue
2) Lakeshore Drive
Favorite Up-and-Coming Neighborhood
1) Lakeview
2) Freret Street
3) Bywater
Favorite Neighborhood in Which to Raise a Family
1) Metairie (tie)
1) Uptown (tie)
2) Lakeview
3) Old Metairie
Favorite Place to Buy a Wedding Dress
1) Town & Country Bridal Salon & Ladies Apparel
Favorite Place to Place Your Bets
1) Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
2) Harrah’s New Orleans
Favorite Hotel
1) The Windsor Court Hotel (tie)
1) Hotel Monteleone (tie)
2) The Roosevelt Hotel
MISC.
Favorite Local Event Open to the Public
1) French Quarter Festival
2) Mardi Gras
3) New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (tie)
3) The Young Leadership Council’s Wednesday at the Square Concerts (tie)
Favorite Sound in New Orleans
1) Streetcars
2) Jazz music
3) Steamboats on the River
Least Favorite Sound in New Orleans
1) Gunshots
2) Sirens
Favorite New Orleans Song
1) “Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?”
2) “Mardi Gras Mambo” (tie)
2) “When the Saints Go Marching In” (tie)
Favorite Local Radio Station
1) WWL
2) WWOZ
Favorite Local TV Station
1) WWL-TV
2) WDSU
Favorite Festival
1) French Quarter Festival
2) New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Favorite Carnival Parade
1) Muses
2) Endymion
3) Bacchus
Favorite Local Theater Company
1) Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré
2) Southern Rep Theatre
Photo Courtesy of HBO
Favorite “Treme” Character
1) Davis McAlary, played by Steve Zahn
Favorite Charter School
1) Lusher Charter School
Favorite Private Elementary School
1) Isidore Newman School (tie)
1) St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School (tie)
Favorite Private Secondary High School
1) Mount Carmel Academy
2) Isidore Newman School
3) Jesuit High School
DINING
Favorite Place to Buy King Cakes
1) Manny Randazzo King Cakes
2) Haydel’s Bakery
3) Rouses Supermarket
Favorite Takeout
1) Five Happiness
Favorite Fried Chicken
1) Popeyes
2) Mr. Ed’s
Favorite Tacos
1) El Gato Negro
2) Juan’s Flying Burrito
Favorite Sushi
1) Sake Café
2) Shogun
3) Ninja
Favorite Wings
1) WOW Café & Wingery
Favorite Snowballs
1) Plum Street Snoballs
2) Hansen’s Sno-Bliz
3) Casey’s Snowballs
4) Sal’s Snowballs
NATIVE CUISINE
Favorite Place for Cajun Food
1) Cochon
2) K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen
Favorite Place for Creole Food
1) The Creole Grille & Bar
2) Commander’s Palace
ETHNIC
Favorite Middle Eastern Restaurant
1) Byblos
2) Mona’s Café & Deli
3) Lebanon’s Café
Favorite Italian Restaurant
1) Vincent’s Italian Cuisine
2) Andrea’s Restaurant
Favorite Asian Restaurant
1) Five Happiness
Favorite Indian Restaurant
1) Nirvana
Favorite Mexican/Southwest Restaurant
1) Superior Grill
2) Casa Garcia
SEAFOOD
Favorite Seafood Restaurant
1) Deanie’s Seafood
2) R & O’s
3) Drago’s Seafood Restaurant (tie)
3) GW Fins (tie)
Favorite Place to Get Raw Oysters
1) Acme Oyster House
2) Drago’s Seafood Restaurant
3) Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar
PIZZA
Favorite Pizza Restaurant
2) Mark Twain’s Pizza
3) Louisiana Pizza Kitchen
Favorite Pizza Topping
1) Pepperoni
2) Sausage
MEAT
Favorite Restaurant for Steaks
1) Ruth’s Chris Steak House
2) Austin’s Restaurant
3) Crescent City Steak House
Favorite Burger
1) Port of Call
2) Lakeview Harbor
3) Swamp Room
SOUP
Favorite Place for Gumbo
1) Gumbo Shop
Favorite Place for Turtle Soup
1) Commander’s Palace
2) Mandina’s Restaurant
COFFEE & DESSERT
Favorite Coffeehouse
1) PJ’s Coffee
2) CC’s Community Coffee House
3) Starbucks
4) Café du Monde
Favorite Coffeehouse for Food
1) Caffe! Caffe!
Favorite Dessert Menu
1) Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro
2) Commander’s Palace
Favorite Bakery
1) Haydel’s Bakery
2) Swiss Confectionery
3) Gambino’s Bakery
4) La Boulangerie
Favorite Sweets Shop
1) Sucré
Favorite Gelato Flavor and From Where
1) Spumoni; Angelo Brocato’s Italian Ice Cream Parlor
AMBIANCE
Favorite Restaurant for Fine Dining
1) Commander’s Palace
2) Ralph’s on the Park
3) Galatoire’s Restaurant
Favorite Casual Restaurant
1) The Creole Grille & Bar
Favorite Outdoor Dining
1) The Court of Two Sisters
2) Bayona
Favorite Restaurant for a Power Lunch
1) Galatoire’s Restaurant
DRINKS
Favorite House Specialty Drink
1) Sazerac; Sazerac Bar
Favorite Place for a Margarita
1) Superior Grill
Favorite Wine List
1) Wine Institute New Orleans
Favorite Sports Bar
1) Walk-On’s
2) The Bulldog
Favorite Dive Bar
1) Swamp Room
Favorite Hotel Bar
1) The Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone
Favorite Local Beer
1) Abita Amber
MISCELLANEOUS
Favorite French Bread
1) Leidenheimer Baking Company
Favorite Place for a Salad
1) Houston’s Restaurant
Favorite Place for Breakfast or Brunch
1) The Ruby Slipper Café
2) The Camellia Grill
3) Brennan’s Restaurant
PERSONALITIES & PLACES
Favorite Chef
1) John Besh
2) Jeff Smith
3) Susan Spicer
Favorite Restaurant
1) The Creole Grille & Bar
2) Galatoire’s Restaurant
Favorite Restaurant Worth the Drive
1) Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant
