Introduction by BLAKE DRIVER

Stories by BLAKE DRIVER, LOGAN GREELY, BRANDON PICKER + KEVIN HOPPER 

Photography by WES NAMAN

Local iQ has been writing about albuquerque going on two years now. In fact, you hold in your hand our 50th issue, which we decided was the perfect time to try our hand our first ever “Best of ABQ” issue. Since we boast that we are the “Intelligent Alternative,” creating a “Smart List” was an obvious and logical conclusion.

 

To let our readers in on what our judges voted as the best of, well, everything in this town, we created over 100 categories that would best profile the finest this here desert town has to offer. And though we recognize that there’s enough brilliance in this city to necessitate 1000 times the exhaustive amount of voting that we compiled, we narrowed our judging panel to 100 of the city’s most discriminating citizens. Included in our panel of experts are the top ranks of business owners, professionals, artists, designers, critics, style-makers and movers and shakers. To eliminate narcissism in the panel, we directed our judges to not vote for themselves in any category. In other words, if they owned a bar, they couldn’t vote in that particular category.Though we consider ourselves pretty capable, the following list should by no means be held to strict scientific standards, nor to the voting protocols espoused by the Democratic Party of New Mexico. However, that being said, if there’s a category you’d like to see on next year’s Smart List ballot, go online to local-iq.com and comment on our first ever Smart List.

 

Food/Dining
Best Breakfast Spot
Winner: The Range
Multiple Locations
Runner Up: Duran’s Central Pharmacy
As expected, votes in this category were spread out like butter on hot toast. Along with The Range, where you can get a mean serving of huevos rancheros, judges cast votes for Duran’s (a very close 2nd), Flying Star, Weck’s, Milly’s and Gold Street Caffé. —KH 

 

Best Sushi
Winner: Shogun
3310 Central SE, 265.9166
Sushi is best when it’s fresh, artfully assembled and served on little boats that float in a moat right before your eyes. Shogun wins on all three counts. —BP

Best Steakhouse Winner: Paul’s Monterrey Inn
1000 Juan Tabo NE, 294.1461
Runner Up: Gruet Steakhouse
The deep, deep, deep black leather booths at this NE Heights standard, surround the smartest of local steak lovers. Old school as it may be, our judges chose Paul’s over Gruet Steakhouse — only a few votes separated the two. Other votes were divided among Vernon’s Hidden Valley Steaks, Texas Land & Cattle and Great American Steakhouse. —KH

Best Fine Dining
Winner: Artichoke Cafe

424 Central SE, 243.0200
Runners up: Tie between Scalo Northern Italian Grill, Yanni’s Mediterranean Grill and Savoy Bar & Grill

One of the most consistent and refined of ABQ eateries, Artichoke Cafe is also one of the oldest fine dining establishments in town and anchors the now burgeoning EDo neighborhood. Likely, the wine bar addition to the restaurant could have swayed some of our judges’ decisions and we don’t blame them. Interestingly, there was a three-way-tie for second place, all trailed Artichoke by a single vote. —KH

 

Best Diner
Winner: 66 Diner
1405 Central NE, 247.1421
The name says it all for this bobby-socks joint on historic Route 66, boasting one of the few authentic soda jerk stations, 66 not surprisingly made this year’s Smart List in the milkshake category. —BD

Best Seafood
Winner: Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
5011 Pan American NE, 345.0240
Runner up: Pelican’s Restaurant
A national chain yes, but Pappadeaux is as consistent a seafood joint as it gets here in the desert. The majority of votes for a locally-owned fish shack went to Pelican’s and along with a smattering of nods going to sushi restaurants and Mexican mariscos, a couple of judges showed their love by voting for  fish market Nantucket Shoals. —KH

Best Sandwich
Winner: Relish Sandwich Shop
Multiple Locations
Setting up shop only a few years back, Relish quickly established their Cubano as one of the best things to exist between two slices of bread. Ask anyone in town who has had the pleasure of eating one, and they will wax rhapsodic about it for as long as you want to listen. If you can bring yourself to order anything else, their small but stellar lineup has no Achilles heel. — KH

Best Lunch Spot
Winner: Tie

Yanni’s Mediterranean Grill

3109 Central NE, 268.9250
Slate Street Café
515 Slate NW, 243.1677
With Yanni’s in the heart of Nob Hill and Slate Street Café in Downtown ABQ, locals should never be amiss for an answer when a tourist asks the inevitable question, “Where’s a great place to eat lunch around here?” —BD

Best New Mexican Food

Winners: Tie
El Patio De Albuquerque
142 Harvard SE, 268.4245
Los Cuates
Multiple Locations
In this category, locals are obviously the experts. Just about everyone in town has a New Mexican food joint near and dear to their palates, which place the judges in this category in something of a heated race (hence, the tie). Dining in an old UNM-area house turned restaurant makes El Patio’s enchiladas and sopapillas even homier, while Los Cuates makes sure every table gets a basket of warm tortilla chips and their awesome chipotle salsa (which came muy close to winning the salsa category) before each meal. —BD

Best Mexican
Winner: El Norteño
6416 Zuni SE, 256.1431
Having won this category in Weekly Alibi’s “Best of Burque” from 1999-2005, this local South of the Border institution now has the distinction of being on a truly Smart List. —BD

Best Vegetarian
Winner: Annapurna Chai House
2201 Silver SE, 262.2424
Located in the UNM area, the cooks at Annapurna know their way around a mung bean, for sure. When the weather is nice, the outdoor seating at this UNM area Ayurvedic staple is a prime perch to watch all walks of funky and studious university life pass by. —BD

Best Burger
Winner: O’Niell’s Pub
3211 Central NE, 255.4789
O’Niell’s also received the most votes for “Best Happy Hour,” but with so much competition in the burger category — votes were widely spread throughout the city — this is truly an honor for this popular ABQ institution and their “Burger in Paradise.” —LG

 

Best Thai

Winner: Thai Crystal

109 Gold SW, 244.3344
Killer Thom Kah Gai — a soup, not your psychotic neighbor — is one of the more memorable dishes at this superbly decorated Downtown Thai paradise, and arguably the best of its kind citywide. — BD

Best Vietnamese

Food so authentic, at times customers can actually feel the tropical breeze of the South China Sea blowing off the dusty asphalt of Central Avenue while dining at May Cafe. That may be just a slight exaggeration, but our judges agreed that local Vietnamese is best at this long-established eatery — just look for the 50-foot lumberjack holding an axe. —BD

Best Japanese
Winner: Japanese Kitchen
6521 Americas Pkwy, 884.8937
Sitting around a big table with a bunch of friends and strangers while watching a talented knife juggler slice shrimp, steak and vegetables on a sizzling hot grill — a cooking style known as teppanyaki — can sometimes feel more like entertainment than dinner. That is, until the fabulous taste and heaping portions at this Midtown favorite turn your attention to the food.—BD

 

Best Chinese
Winner: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
4440 the 25 Way NE, 344.8282
Local Winner: Chow’s Chinese Bistro
1950 Juan Tabo NE, 298.3000
Our judges seemed to love the way the Chinese use lettuce leaves, in the same manner we use tortillas: to roll up yummy chicken and other yummy ingredients. Both P.F. Chang’s and Chow’s received the lion’s share of votes in this category, however, it wasn’t clear if it was Chow’s Chinese Bistro or Chow’s Asian Bistro was our judge’s local Chinese resto of choice. —BD

Best Pizza
Winner: New York Pizza Department
215 Central NW, 766.NYPD
Runner up: Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
Of this Downtown pie-making enterprise, which recently took over the former Central Connection Cafe space, Local iQ recently gave props to owner Joaquin Garofalo for making a success of his “walk-up pizza joint where famished nocturnes line up to order grease-laden slabs of New York-style pizza.” Our readers and judges love it and close runner up Giovanni’s just as much. —BD

Best Italian
Winner: Vivace
3188 Central SE, 268.5965
Runners up: Scalo Northern Italian Grill, Trombino’s Bistro Italiano
This Nob Hill eatery recently catered a pair of receptions for Tricklock Company’s Revolutions Theatre Festival, mixing caper-covered puttanesca with conceptual theater. Creative dishes and creative philanthropy make Vivace an obvious choice, while our two runners up prove that Italian culture thrives in this dusty Western town. —BD

Best Hot Dogs
Winner: Dog House Drive In
1216 Central SW, 243.1019
Though a few of us in the Local iQ office differ intensely on the culinary value of hot dogs purchased from street vendors, which a few of our judges voted for, the majority of Smart List judges clearly chose a more, well, fixed establishment — Downtown ABQ mainstay Dog House Drive In — where hot dogging becomes an act of culinary love. —BD

Best Barbecue
Winner: Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-BQ

Multiple Locations
Runner up: Mr. Powdrell’s Barbeque House

Nothing says that barbecue has to be eaten on big wooden benches covered with butcher paper, but at Rudy’s, where taste and a sawdust atmosphere scream authenticity, throwing smoked ribs and brisket down our gullets just seems to make for a more enjoyable dining experience. Placing a close second was Mr. Powdrell’s Barbeque House, whose founder, Bernice “Pete” Powdrell, passed in December. —BD

Best Brunch
Winner: The Grove Cafe & Market
600 Central SE, 248.9800
Runners up: Tie between Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro and Ambrozia
In its still youthful incarnation, The Grove has quickly established itself as a much needed social destination in the newly emerging EDo neighborhood. With “brunchy” menu items like the Croque Madame, their signature pancakes and a killer roasted sirloin sandwich called “The Beef,” The Grove won over our judges. However, it must be noted that Ambrozia, the kitchen of which now stands empty, received a number of bittersweet votes. —BD

Best Cheap Eats
Winner: Frontier Restaurant
2400 Central SE, 266.0550
Sweeping four categories in the inaugural year of our Smart List, this true college diner/institution is as much a central fixture of Albuquerque as Katz’s Deli is in New York. —BD

Best Late Night Eats

Winner: Frontier Restaurant
2400 Central SE, 266.0550
When we chose to put the above category next to this one, we didn’t foresee both having the same winner (though we could have guessed Frontier would take this one). Though the establishment is unfortunately no longer open round the clock, the line cooks are still serving everything from their Smart List-winning breakfast burritos to their green chile cheeseburgers until one in the morning, only to fire up the grills again four hours later. Hop in at midnight any night and watch the affable cashiers fill 100 orders before you finish your first chicken soft taco. —BD

Best All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

Winner: Furr’s Cafeteria
Multiple Locations
Local Winners: Tie
India Palace
4410 Wyoming NE, 271.5009
Santa Ana Star Casino
54 Jemez Canyon Dam Rd., Bernalillo, 867.0000
Though Furr’s is a cafeteria chain that was started in Lubbock, Texas in 1947, it’s difficult for locals to argue with the homestyle goodies offered up in its “free for all” buffet line. Many of us who were raised on post-church Sunday visits to Furr’s, were a little saddened by the recent transformation of the old full-serve buffet into a feeding frenzy self-service circus, but our judges don’t seem to mind.  —BD

Best Green Chile
Winner: Frontier Restaurant
2400 Central SE, 266.0550
It seems that most locals have nothing but praise for Frontier’s green chile, which explains its first place showing for our beloved state treasure. Great for breakfast, good for lunch and best after a night of drinking, anything with green chile at Frontier is a pretty safe bet. —BP

Best Red Chile
Winner: Los Cuates
Multiple Locations
Let’s face it, no other city knows its red chile like Albuquerque, so it’s no surprise that our judges chose the sauce that’s roasted to earthly perfection and that goes into some of the tastiest carne adovada the city has to offer. It could be a reason that family-owned Los Cuates also tied for first place with El Pinto for Best New Mexican Food. — BD

Best Salsa
Winner: Sadie’s Dining Room
6230 4th NW, 345.5339
Runner up: Tie between El Pinto and Los Cuates
ABQ voted for Sadie’s world-famous, locally made hot stuff. However, being a city of extremely discerning tastes when it comes to tongue-fire (see our write-up of this year’s Fiery Foods show on page 9), El Pinto and Los Cuates were hot on Sadie’s trail. — BD/BP

Best Breakfast Burrito
Winners: Frontier Restaurant/Golden Pride
In the end, the breakfast burrito shouldn’t be any more complicated than a tortilla filled with eggs, potatoes, green chile, cheese and maybe some meat. The Frontier and Golden Pride have been consistently making this now legendary burrito since 1971 — both restaurants offer the same recipe — and there’s always something to be said for experience (and a restaurant that tops four Smart List categories). — BD/BP

 

Best Ice Cream
Winner: Cold Stone Creamery
Multiple Locations
Local winner: Ecco Gelato
3409 Central NE
Tons of votes were cast for both Cold Stone and Nob Hill fave Ecco Gelato, but it was Cold Stone that got the nod. Maybe it’s that icy slab and the unique way they prepare your chilly, refreshing concoction that gave them the edge; multiple locations doesn’t hurt either. —KH

 

Best Dessert
Winner: Flying Star Café

Multiple locations

The diversity of desserts is Flying Star’s shining star. Fruit tartes, cookies and cheesecakes come in every size, flavor, color and texture, but they’re all equally scrumptuous. This is the place to go for delectable brunch goodies and that last minute birthday cake.
— BD/BP

Most Romantic Restaurant
Winner: Antiquity Restaurant
12 Romero NW, 247.3545
This Old Town beacon of elegance was the obvious choice for our judges in this category. Its cozy, private booths and phenomenal steaks and seafood entrées make for an extremely romantic experience. —LG
Best Restaurant with a View
Winner: Bien Shur
30 Rainbow NE, 796.7788
To the west, this swank resto boats a great view of the city lights and sunsets, to be bested only by the view of the Sandia Mountains to the east. Luckily, the menu is just as strong as the views. Oddly enough, one vote was placed for Dog House. — KH

Best Bakery
Winner: Tie
Golden Crown Panaderia
1103 Mountain NW, 243.2424
Flying Star
Multiple locations
For its size, Albuquerque has a respectable number of quality neighborhood bakeries, making it difficult to choose between places that wake up each morning to bake fresh breads and sweet and flaky treats. This was evidenced by our judges’ ballots, which were inundated with a wide array of votes. Aside from Golden Crown and the ever present Flying Star, there were votes for Le Chantilly and the newly established Saratori’s, to name just a couple. — BD

Best Deli/Butcher
Winner: Keller’s Farm Stores
Multiple locations
Runner up: Alpine Sausage Kitchen
It’s an unfortunate fact that true delis are hard to come by in this town. The top three picks in this very close race went to Keller’s, Alpine Sausage Kitchen and Tully’s Market. Any of the three are outstanding, locally-owned examples of what a neighborhood deli should be, but when you’re seeking high-quality organic meats, the winner in this category can’t be beat. — LG

Best Place to Get a Chocolate Fix
Winner: Theobroma Chocolatier
Multiple Locations
As if creating some of the best examples of what can accurately be called chocolate drops of heaven, the folks at Theobroma also offer Taos Cow ice cream. Talk about temptation. —KH

 

Best Milkshake

Winner: 66 Diner

1405 Central NE, 247.1421
We could have guessed the outcome of this category, but we were happy to see other places around town whirring well, like Model Pharmacy and The Range Cafe. —BD

Best Locally Brewed Beer

Winner: Chama River Brewing Company

Multiple locations

Runner up: Il Vicino
ABQ loves its local beer, so the decision was a tough one that came down to between Chama River and Il Vicino. Winning by a slight margin, the brewers at Chama River provide beer lovers with six different microbrews, on tap in Downtown ABQ for everyone’s convenience. —BD

Best Package Liquor Store

Winner: Jubilation Wine and Spirits

3512 Lomas NE, 255.4404

Runner up: Quarters
Our judges chose Jubilation (known lovingly as Jubi’s) as the best package liquor source because they’re always looking for good wine at a good price. Navigate your way around the globe through aisles and shelves of wine, then plunge down under to the lower level and discover discounted bottles of Cabernet and Shiraz. —BD

Best Wine Bar
Winner: Zinc Wine Bar and Bistro
3009 Central NE, 254.9462
Local iQ staff members can sometimes be found in the sunken, dreamy den of Zinc Cellar Bar, where friendly service, live music and mood lighting compliment the good red stuff the way vintners originally intended. —BD

Best Winery
Winner: Tie
Gruet Winery
8400 Pan American NE, 821.0055
Casa Rondeña Winery
733 Chavez NW, 344.5911
If you’re talking romance, Casa Rondeña is your best bet, but if you adore the bubbles, Gruet has plenty of them. Here’s a crazy idea: visit both in the same day.
 —KH

Best Coffee Shop
Winner: Satellite Coffee
Multiple Locations
Runner up: Downtown Java Joe’s
While runner up Java Joe’s won our Best Cup of Coffee Category, and R.B. Winnings was a runner up, Satellite’s comfy seating and prime locations make their shops the best places to drink a cup of their own. — BD

 

Best Cup of Coffee
Winner: Downtown Java Joe’s
906 Park SW, 765.1514
Runner up: R.B. Winnings Coffee Company
The coffee connaisseurs here at Local iQ were not the least surpised that Java Joe’s took this category, even after a review last year of Caffé Michelangelo in Old Town, when we dared suggest the new shop’s brews rivaled that of Joe’s. Though our judges have spoken, the daring suggestion still stands. —BD

 

Best Tea Shop
Winner: St. James Tearoom
901 Rio Grande, Ste. E130, 242.3752
Oh how the ladies (and sometimes men) love to spend the day casually sipping tea and eating finger sandwiches at St. James. And of course, one simply can’t have a proper tea service without donning one of the many period hats available at this midday hideaway. —LG

 

 

 

 

Shopping
Best Women’s Clothing Store
Winner: Bebe
ABQ Uptown
Local Winner: Aqui
101 Bryn Mawr SE, 255.2926
Sassy, sexy and chic, Bebe is the place for professional women to find hip, hot and trendy clothing for work and play. And our Our local winner, Aqui, wasn’t far behind, chosen for its hot, eclectic and effortless selection. Head over to find the latest hip-huggers and hippest accessories ABQ has to offer. —BP

 
Best Men’s Clothing Store

Winner: Dillards

Multiple Locations

Local Winner: Revolver (formerly Sparky’s)

3507 Central NE, 255.2996
Our judges, who come from all over the city, know Nob Hill intimately. When a slight majority voted for Dillards as the best place to find men’s clothing, the rest chose Revolver because they know the owner doesn’t settle for less than classic Borsalino hats, all-glass cuff-links, bold belt buckles and vintage v-necks. Like walking into a boutique from 1960s London, the mix of old and new is seamless. Our judges know their stuff, don’t they? —BD/BP

Best Vintage Clothing Store
Winner: Tie
Buffalo Exchange
3005 Central NE, 262.0098
Off Broadway
3110 Central SE, 268.1489
Located almost directly across Central Avenue from one another, ABQ could very well be the best place in the world for an afternoon “vintage-hop.” —BD

Best Shoe Store
Winner: Dillard’s
Multiple Locations
Local Winners: Tie
Shoes on a Shoestring
10030 Coors Bypass N, 897.0014
Ruby Shoesday
228 Gold SW, 848.7829
For local boutiques to compete earnestly with large chains is nothing short of formidable and one stop into Shoes On A Shoestring and Ruby Shoesday quickly reveals our local business owners’ contender qualities. —BD

 

Best Children’s Clothing Store
Winner: Aqui
101 Bryn Mawr SE, 255.2926
Everyone knows the catchiest accessories are little kids, so while our judges are picking up their favorite women’s apparel at Aqui, they can make sure and complete the whole assemblage by stylizing their little ones. —BD/BP

 

Best Lingerie/Intimates Store

Winner: Seventh Goddess

317 Gold SW, 243.8025
Panties Downtown, whoo hoo! Congratulations to one of our favorite local boutique pioneers. —BD

Best Jewelry Store
Winner: Ooh! Aah! Jewelry
Multiple Locations
Runner up: Imec
Contemporary and versatile, our judges love Ooh! Aah! for its jewelry selection that can be worn anywhere, anytime. Our runner-up, Imec rivals our winner with a larger selection of hand-fabricated jewelry, making our judges’ appendages worthy of ending up in a museum display case someday. —BD

 

Best Modern Furniture Store
Winner: Tema Contemporary Furniture
7601 Montgomery ne, 275.2121
Runner up: A Store
Design, comfort and minimalism are the prime elements our judges deem necessary to set the scene in their homes, though not necessarily in that order. Tema’s contemporary microfiber sofas and sleek dining hutches are also available online. The A Store in Nob Hill, with a touch of folk in its modern sense of style, makes any home authentic Southwest. —BD

 

Best Antiques Store
Winners: Tie

Gertrude Zachary Multiple Locations

Morningside Antiques
4001 Central NE, 268.0188
Two antique stores that look more like interior design wholesale houses than grandma’s garage, our local winners know how to dig up the “forever stylish.” —BD

 

Best Thrift Store
Winner: Thrift Town
Multiple Locations
The new location isn’t as 70s chic as the former, but that doesn’t stop Thrift Town from being the best place to buy recycled clothes and goods. Our judges still expect to find vintage flavor when going through the store’s “extra cool” rack. —BP

 

Best Bookstore
Winner: Borders
Multiple Locations
Local Winners: Tie
Bookworks
4022 Rio Grande NW, 344.8139
Page One Bookstore & Newstand
11018 Montgomery NE, 294.2026
Our judges apparently do quite a bit of reading. Go figure.
—BD

Best Record Store
Winner:
Natural Sound
3422 Central SE, 255.8295
Runner up: Mecca Music & Books
A great, convenient place to find the latest fledgling songbirds or that rare, time-forgotten Edith Piaf disc, Natural Sound is also a clearinghouse for show flyers. When it comes to music, our judges evidently leave it to the locals. —BD

 

Best Video Rental Shop
Winner: Hastings
Multiple Locations
Local Winner: Burning Paradise Video
800 Central SW, 244.1161
Hey, Cabrones! Though Hastings won by a hair, Burning Paradise Video is the truly independent film source. —BD

 

Best Knick Knack Store
Winner: Beeps
3500 Central SE, 262.1900
Runner-up: Hey Jhonny
For the things you need right away, like scented candles, Japanese planters and marble sphere water fixtures, you can only shop in Nob Hill. Conveniently located next to La Montañita Natural Foods Coop and Flying Star, which one our Best Desserts spot, do your organic vegetable shopping or have a tarte before you look for your favorite trinquet. —BD

 

Best Kitchenware Store
Winner: Now We’re Cooking
5901 Wyoming NE, Ste. S, 857.9635
Landslide victory for this spatula and frying pan epicenter in the Northeast Heights. —BD

 

Best Place to Shop For Local Art
Winner: Mariposa Gallery
3500 Central SE, 268.6828
Without being too cluttered, Mariposa presents as many quality artists as their beautiful Nob Hill walls allow. From Rachel Popowcer’s glowing, sparce florals and landscapes to Stan Peterson’s intimately carved wood figures, stepping into this Nob Hill gallery is bound to spark your art buying sensibilities. —BP


People
Because ABQ has so many talented individuals, our judges honestly could not reach a consensus on one single winner in the majority of our “Best People” categories, which ranged from Best Talk Radio Host to Best Painter to Best Bartender and everything in between.

 

Best Talk Radio Host
Winner: Jim Villanucci
Catch our Smart List judges’ favorite local voice from 3-7p on 770 KKOB FM. —BD

 

Best Morning Radio Show
Winner: Jackie, Tony and Donnie in the Morning
Nowhere else but 100.3 FM, The Peak, if you need the radio because your iPod isn’t working like it should. —BD

 

Best TV Personality
Winner: Mark Ronchetti
With that darling face on KRQE News 13, informing us of all the impending weather headed for New Mexico, it’s no wonder our judges chose a meteorologist as their favorite local dude to watch on the tube. —BD

 

Best Columnist
Winners: Jim Belshaw/Gene Grant
Both at the  Albuquerque Journal (Grant moved from the now defunct Tribune), our judges’ top picks show that this town likes its opinions from varied sources. —BD

Best Author
Winner: Tony Hillerman
Spooky ghost stories that take place on the mesa from our readers’ favorite in-house author have kept us in rich storytelling fodder. —BD

 

Best Poet
Winner: Danny Solis
Our local slam-winner extraordinaire can often be found chatting it up with friends at more than one of our Smart List coffee houses. —BD

 

Best Painter
Winners: Carol Estes/Agnes McPherson/Wilson Hurley
And everyone says the artists are all in Santa Fe! —BD

 

Best Sculptor
Winner: Tom Waldron/Glena Goodacre
Judging from our judges’ ballots, locals overwhelmingly appreciate the visuals art in this town.
—BD

 

Best Hair Stylist
Winner: Kelli Williams at Studio Sky
3904 Central SE, 266.5336
Notice all the nice dos in the “Smart List” spots you’ve popped into lately? We’ve got some deft clippers around here. —BD

 

Best Bartender
Notable Nominees: Ryan Klintworth (El Rey Theater), Stuart Dorris (Artichoke Cafe), Mike Trujillo (Q Bar)
Everyone’s got their favorite. —BD

 

Best Chef
Winner: Sam Etheridge, Nob Hill Bar & Grill, Ambrozia
One of ABQ’s most inventive chefs, Etheridge recently closed the doors of his highly popular Ambrozia (R.I.P) — many judges still voted the cozy Old Town eatery “Best Brunch.” However, with a new gastro-pub in the works, Nob Hill Bar & Grill, all eyes are on Etheridge to again wow city diners with more of the same great, quirky dishes that now makes Ambrozia a sorely missed cog in the ABQ dining scene. —KH

 

Best Wine Steward/Sommellier

Winner: Stuart Dorris, Artichoke Cafe

424 Central SE, 243.0200
Our man Stu mans the wine bar of this EDo dining staple with a confidence and amiability that could turn even the most staunch beer drinkers into wine connoisseurs. Having one of the city’s most distinguished wine lists doesn’t hurt either. —KH

 

Best Local Band
Winner: Le Chat Lunatique
runner up: Felonious Groove Foundation
When we featured this Gypsy-Western Swing foursome in our Valentine’s Day issue to announce their recently released debut studio recording, Demonic Lovely, there was no way to know they’d also land on our “Smart List” and in two categories! It appears these sharply dressed cats will be waxing their mustaches for a long time to come. —BD

 

Best Solo Musician
Winner: Chris Dracup
Runners up: Leah Black/Stan Hirsch
Folksy and bluesy, our winning kid from Taos brings his “mountain air” to a wide, loving audience, and he sweeps two of our categories. The runners up in this category came up repeatedly in our judges’ ballots. —BD

 

Best Vocalist
Winner: Leah Black
Leah Black came up in most of our Smart List People categories, and a listen on her Myspace page makes it clear why — you just want to be one of her friends! Our runners up sound pretty friendly, too. —BD

 

Best Jazz Artist/Group
Winner: Le Chat Lunatique
Also chosen as “Best Band” by our judges, Le Chat is undeniably cool. —BD

 

Best Blues Artist
Winner: Chris Dracup
Runners up: Cathryn McGill/Stan Hirsch
Albuquerque likes the hip-shaking, long-hair flowing blues so much, it’s painfully obvious. — BD

 

Best Classical Artist/Group
Winner: New Mexico Symphony Orchestra
Apparently, our judges like their classical music full-bodied, but a few soloists were also nominated, including local musician Lisa Donald and Roberto Cappochi, as well as some smaller groups, like Chatter Ensemble and the Albuquerque Concert Band. —BD

Services

 

Best Day Spa
Winner: Betty’s Bath & Day Spa
1835 Candelaria NW, 341.3456
Runner up: Green Reed Spa, Sandia Resort & Casino
The North Valley location of Betty’s only adds to the spa’s already soothing feel. Their outdoor tubs are a nice pre-treatment primer, especially on a drizzling fall evening and could be one reason why our judges chose Betty’s. They also boast their own line of natural products, aptly called “Body Bliss.”
—LG

 

Best Hair Salon
Winner: Studio Red
3205 Silver SE, 232.9092
Our retro, rockabilly readers love getting their hair cut and nails done in Studio Red’s industrial urban renegade atmosphere where the owner — a professional photographer — offers them styled makeovers and photo shoots. Got modeling aspirations? —BD

 

Best Health Club
Winner: New Mexico Sports & Wellness
Multiple Locations
Runner up: Defined Fitness
Last March, ABQ was voted “America’s Fittest City” by Men’s Fitness Magazine. It seems that our judges (who of course are some of the fittest folks in the 505) chose the five locations of New Mexico Sports & Wellness as their fave. —KH

 

Places

 

Best Art Gallery
Winner: 516 Arts
516 Central SW, 242.1445
With its prime Downtown location and abundance of wall space, 516 is a progressive, non-profit art space that schedules some of the city’s most thought-provoking and contemporary art exhibitions. They also serve as a clean and modern venue for many literary-based events. —LG

 

Best Happy Hour Spot
Winner: O’Niell’s Pub
3211 Central NE, 255.4789
Owner Rob O’Niell has likely the most loyal bar clientele in town. The same people that mourned the loss of its Nob Hill location had no problem pulling up a seat in the improved East Nob Hill spot that draws big crowds in the happiest of hours. —KH

 

Best Live Music Venue
Winner: Launchpad
618 Central SW, 764.8887
Our town is home to a gaping hole with the recent loss of the Launchpad. Due to major smoke and water damage, the now legendary stage will probably be out of commission for a couple months (hopefully less). But the recent tragedy doesn’t lessen the fact that “Launchy” is, was and will continue to be the place to hear live music.  — BP

 

Best Dive Bar
Winner: Burt’s Tiki Lounge
313 Gold SW, 247.2878
Runner up: Atomic Cantina
It’s not so strange perhaps that our judges’ top two picks, Burt’s and Atomic Cantina, are next door neighbors. However, there is less bar hopping between the two Gold Avenue spots than one would think — the Atomic loyal, a more punk rock set, rarely peek their heads into Burt’s, whose walls are gilded with tiki culture, lures the college set. Let’s just be glad both pull in some of the best unsigned bands in the country and provide local bands a place to fulfill their rockstar dreams. —LG

 

Best Place To Be Seen
Winners: Tie

Q Bar

800 Rio Grande NW, 843.6300

Scalo Northern Italian Bar and Grill
3500 Central SE, 255.8781
Since Q Bar won our Best Lounge category, it seems fitting that this expansive yet intimate cocktail spot would make a great place to see and be seen. And because it’s in the lobby of Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town, with the city’s best museums and shops in short walking distance, it’s the premier place to be scoped by the town’s sophisticated crowd. —BD

 

Best Place to Disappear
Winner: Anodyne Pool Hall & Cocktails
409 Central NW, 244.1820
Although we always seem run into people we know there, Anodyne can be a great place to disappear. Granted, it does have dark nooks and crannies to hide out in, soft lighting and it sometimes feels like you’re in an alternate city/universe.
—BP

 

Best Gay Bar
Winner: Sidewinders
8900 Central SE, 275.1616
This western classic would’ve been Jack & Ennis’ watering hole. With arguably the widest, woodiest dance floor in town, this East Central destination has been trottin’ along for a good number of years, not just because it’s a good ol’ fashioned Western bar but because it is everybody’s LGBTQ bar.
—BD/BP

 

Best Dance Club
Winner: Tie
Lotus Nightclub
211 Gold SW, 243.0955
Pulse Nightclub
(no longer in business)
“La Pulse” is no longer, so what’s a boogy town to do? Go to Lotus, that’s what. Many of us have witnessed the transformation of this Downtown club spot from the all ages Underground Nation (where some of us learned to boogy in the first place) to the higher-end DJ den of OPM.

 

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