This edition includes our annual Best of Yazoo edition, and the number of votes we received this year was almost overwhelming. My hands were stained with ink for days from counting so many ballots.
It’s always interesting to see the results.
Some things never change
Hastee Tastee has won the best burger since we started Best of Yazoo. As usual Berry’s was a close second. Hall of Fame, Tom’s on Main and B&B Kitchen also got a lot of votes.
Jamie Patterson continued her streak of winning Yazoo’s Best Writer. The last time someone else one it was when I won it my first year here in 2006. That was also a year before Jamie joined us. This year it wasn’t even close, which of course was a devastating blow to my self esteem.
Speaking of
undisputed champs...
Most of the food categories were very close, but one wasn’t.
Tom’s on Main won Yazoo’s Best Sandwich by a landslide. My theory is because they have a wide variety, and they’re all good. I recently ordered a Bell Road, which allowed me to achieve my goal of trying every one on their menu.
Maybe the only marging of victory more decisive the Best Sandwich was Gloria Elayne Owens being voted Volunteer of the Year.
Is anyone surprised by that? There could not be a more deserving person.
Yazooans love
Main Street
Many Main Street businesses fared well, and I suspect that Jet Griffin and Pat Cheatham were chosen because of the roles they have played in the downtown revival.
Jet is known as the “Mayor of Main Street” for good reason. He’s a great ambassador for the entire area. He is an effective salesman for his business (and he will also distract you so that your wife can shop without you putting the brakes on any purchases), but he always has good things to say about other businesses downtown as well. He’s going to encourage you to try one of the restaurants and check out the other stores too.
Jet believes in downtown Yazoo, and he’s not just cheerleading. He sees the good and has a gift for making sure others see it too.
Pat is an artist when it comes to cooking. I have yet to try anything she has made that wasn’t exceptional. She knows what she’s doing.
Her arrival downtown built on the traffic that followed Tom’s on Main’s arrival. It’s a wonderful thing to have to look for a parking spot downtown.
Black & White continued to earn awards, which are all well deserved. Black & White is one of my favorite stores of all time. They always have what I’m looking for at a good price, but the conversation is even better.
Wilma Curry was named Yazoo’s Best Salesperson, and that’s another great selection in my opinion. She is also a wonderful ambassador for our city.
Yazooans love
their steaks
and barbecue
Some categories are left blank on many ballots, but very few voters didn’t have an opinion about the best steak in town.
Ribeye’s continued its streak with close competition from Coleman’s and Cafe 7. Hines Grocery also had a very strong showing this year.
Another category that rarely got left out was Best Barbecue, and Ubon’s won big this year. It has been closer in recent years, but Ubon’s ran away with it this time.
New
categories
We added some new ones this year. El Sombrero won Best Margarita. Stub’s won Best Place for Healthy Food Choices. Bentonia Bugs won Best Place to Hear Live Music. P’Reaux’s won Best Crawfish.
Maybe we’ll add some more next year.
One idea occured to me as I was leaving my doctor’s office this week.
Dr. Heath Scott won Doctor of the Year this year, and I was thinking that if there was a Yazoo’s Best Beard category he might be the only guy in town who could beat me.
But if you’re reading this Dr. Scott, don’t start making room on the wall for that framed certificate just yet. There’s a whole year to prepare, and if I going to have to accept the fact that I may never get Best Writer again, I’m going to have to start training for a new championship.
