You may have just stepped inside 3fifteen, the Rescue Mission’s newest thrift store, but you wouldn’t know it. Absent is the usual, um, aroma but present is a spiffy design highlighted b

An inconspicuous roadside sign and a wilting vinyl banner are the only subtle indications that one of the area’s most unusual attractions is at 7621 Lakeport Road. That address is home to The

With dedicated restrooms, a sheltered waiting area and fab ceramic artwork by Margie Hughto, how could the Centro Transit Hub go wrong? Well, like any change, humans aren’t inclined to accept

Mattydale’s venerable second-run Hollywood Theater (2221 Brewerton Road, 454-0321) is the last stand around these parts for seeing a movie at the tail end of its theatrical release, just befo

Download the Best of Syracuse 2012 Media Kit here

Thank you!

Your submission has been sent successfully. Thank you for participating in the Best of Syracuse 2010 ballot. Be sure to watch for the winners announced in September 29 Best of Syracuse issue!

  Click on the Best of Categories below to find out who won!:  

  Arts and Entertainment    Food and Drink     Goods and Services    

 

     Love and Sex     Sports and Leisure      Media       Best of the Rest

 

 

We Have a Winner!

In the annual heavyweight bout that is Best of Syracuse, we once again asked you, our loyal and faithful readers, to choose your favorites in more than 70 categories. And once again, in the 11th anniversary of our most popular issue, you proved yourselves up to the task.

For the second year in a row, we asked you to nominate your favorites and then select the winner from among the top contenders in each category. We kept most of the old standbys—Best Pizza, Best Local Band, Best Pickup Joint—and pumped in some new blood this year, including Best Local Fireworks, Best Section of The New Times and Best Fish Fry. Thanks go again this year to Grimaldi & Nelikin, Certified Public Accountants, 650 James St., which accomplished the sweet science of tallying the decisions of our judges—you, dear readers.

As always, we’re open to suggestions concerning our insiders’ guide, ever on the lookout for reader ideas. So if there is an out-of-the-way park, a funky building or an underexposed locale you think your fellow readers should know about, drop us a line to: Best of Syracuse, Syracuse New Times, 1415 W. Genesee St., Syracuse 13204 or e-mail us at editorial@syracusenewtimes.com.

But that’s next year. Ringside seats go to the following winners, drawn at random from the ballots. Alan King of Cicero won first prize: a custom caricature from award-winning illustrator and New Times contributor Joe Glisson, which will then be used on an upcoming cover of the paper. Second prize, an advance movie screening pass for two for every Syracuse New Times movie premiere for the entire year, goes to Lindsay Prince of Baldwinsville. And third prize, either passes to the Manlius Art Cinema or one-year subscriptions to The New Times or official New Times booty, will go to 100 winners.

Winners will be posted in the Nov. 14 issue, and they can pick up their prizes at The New Times office. And look for our ever-popular Best of Syracuse winners photo pages in that issue as well. There you’ll see the heavyweight champs of all things Syracuse.

The New Times thanks all the readers who voted as well as the staff who made the 11th annual Best of Syracuse a success. Best of Syracuse committee: Meaghan Arbital, Marlene Belge, Ben Chernoff, Molly English-Bowers, Ed Griffin-Nolan, Matt Mumau and Rebecca Wheeler. Best of Syracuse writers: Bill DeLapp, Molly English-Bowers, Tom Kahley, Matt Mumau and Lorraine Smorol; photographer Michael Davis; model James “Balboa” Rutkey. Special thanks to: Ray Rinaldi and the Syracuse Golden Gloves Athletic and Education Center.

 

 

Best Recycling     MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO  Paint job: Manager Greg Wright (center) discusses the array of interior and exterior house paints for sale at Syracuse Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.   A mere five years into its existence, Syracuse Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is already accounting for nearly 50 percent of the nonprofit housing group’s annual budget. Another bonus for the community is that ReStore, 308 Otisco St., accepts building materials that might otherwise be destined for the landfill. And that is, to use a cliche, a win-win for all involved. The benefit is furthered by the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA), which applies a credit to Habitat’s monthly trash disposal bill. “The idea is to promote recycling,” says Andy Brigham, speaking for OCRRA. “They receive a credit for what is recycled as opposed to what is pitched. For Habitat, that amounts to an average of $100 per month credit for them.” Often the amount of the credit is more than half the group’s monthly trash bill, and that money is plowed back into the budget for Habitat, whose main purpose is to build decent homes for those who can’t afford conventional mortgages. So far the group has built 48 houses in the city, with three currently under construction. “This store really supports our operations here on Otisco Street: utilities, the mortgage,” says Habitat executive director Suzanne Williams. “Our target customer is poor people. And our mission is to eliminate substandard housing. So our pricing of items here is deliberately low so the poorest person can buy what they need.” Williams adds that business splits about 50-50 between donations that come into ReStore and purchases that are made there. The tax-deductible value of the donations is determined by the accountant, she adds. Indeed, where else can you find a door or a roll of wallpaper for $1? Also bargain-priced are toilets, sinks, faucets, switchboxes, light fixtures, appliances, swingset slides, shutters, woodwork, cabinets, paint, hardware and the like. The group also has a burgeoning desconstruction practice, where a team can go into a vacant or donated home and remove what is sellable, but progress is slow. “That isn’t as fully developed as we need it to be,” says ReStore manager Greg Wright. In fact, Wright seeks volunteers for a one-week deconstruction project in Skaneateles, to begin Monday, Nov. 5. “It actually provides a good educational experience for someone who wants to work on their own home,” he notes. Wright also welcomes volunteers to clerk at the store. For more information, call 422-2230. In addition to donations from private homeowners, Habitat accepts discontinued or out-of-season items from the big-box home improvement stores. “We have a good working relationship with Home Depot,” says Williams, “where they will call me to let me know what they’re going to get rid of. Usually those items are shredded. We’re not in competition with these stores, so it makes sense for them to get on board.” Habitat’s certainly been successful with its recycling efforts, but it’s important to note that the group is not alone in its recycling efforts; the Salvation Army, Rescue Mission, even Raymour & Flanigan participate in like programs. “What is not recovered by us is either processed, burned at the waste-to-energy facility or sent to the Seneca Meadows landfill,” Brigham says. “We accept 700,000 tons of material annually that is recycled, both from residential and commercial sources, with 250,000 tons going to the waste-to-energy facility. We used to just ship that off to the landfill.” Syracuse Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is open Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays, noon to 8 p.m. Best Cool Beans       MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO Caffeine dreams: Doug Nicolaisen knows beans about coffee and will gladly impart his knowledge to anyone who will listen. Doug Nicolaisen has very definite ideas about coffee. Just ask him. He enjoys expounding on the pros and cons of coffee sources and quality and methods of brewing, during an impromptu lecture. The Kind Coffee Company, the ragged-around-the-edges coffee emporium owned by Nicolaisen, is located at 715 W. Fayette St. It’s possible you’ve never noticed its presence, considering it’s niched into a small, windowless area on the main floor of the Onondaga Paper and Twine Company. It’s not much to look at, except for the Snoopy-in-flying-gear mural on the exterior and the sunshine yellow entry door. A sandwich board along West Fayette Street advertises “strong hot coffee.” And the biggest come-on is when that coffee is being roasted: The aroma is nothing less than intoxicating. Nicolaisen has been in this spot for some time. When he retired as a technical representative for General Electric, based in Turkey, he decided he wanted to open a café. “I knew I needed a place where there was traffic and parking,” he says. “This spot opened up, the price was right and I moved in.” That was 11 years ago, when the area was run-down and heroin dens were in great supply. “People were scared to come here,” he admits. Things calmed down, and an assortment of businesses opened up, including the Delavan Center, 509 W. Fayette St. Most recently, Lipe Art Park has brightened the other side of West Fayette Street with colorful landscaped floral beds and a display of outdoor sculpture. Also in the works is the recently announced Near West Side Initiative, which will include the relocation of WCNY studios and offices from Liverpool to Kind Coffee Company’s neighborhood. While Nicolaisen is here for the long haul, Kind Coffee Company as a cafe has never really taken off. Three large sofas are still in place, although hardly ever occupied. Additional “decor” consists of a number of Turkish carpets hung around the room, gleaned from contacts during his sojourn in the country. One wall is also covered with a row of quilts made by a once-local quilter; they are all for sale. There is also a bed and a smattering of toys for Koro, a half-Akita/half-Labrador, who keeps patrons company. Nicolaisen relies on commuter traffic to sell individual cups of coffee, served in paper containers, although he acknowledges the best way to drink coffee is from a china cup. “When I first opened I bought a number of china cups and gave them away free with the coffee,” he remembers. That is no longer practical, of course. Coffee by the cup comes after roasting and grinding, after which the beans are put into a commercial programmable pot. Nicolaisen also uses an espresso machine to prepare espresso, cappuccino and lattes. Iced coffee is available seasonally as are hot chocolate, various teas and cold drinks. Nicolaisen also sells coffee, both ground and whole. Some regular customers who want their coffee freshly roasted call in their order a day ahead. When asked if his coffee was free trade, Nicolaisen answers, “I decide what coffee to buy from my supplier in California; some of it is free trade and some of it isn’t. I don’t buy coffee simply because it is free trade.” Nicolaisen’s directives about the types of beans that come from different parts of the world, their individual flavors, methods of grinding and types of coffee pots for home use, are too varied and complex to discuss here, but listening to his expert opinions on coffee is worth a trip to his shop. But here’s a nugget that is brief enough to convey: The coffee purveyor is adamant about coffee served in most restaurants. “This is where you find the worst coffee, because most restaurants don’t grind their own beans, and you’re getting coffee that is days old.” He does admit that some restaurants get it right. “I have served Blue Tusk in Armory Square for years, and just recently L’Adour has been buying from me.” His one rule is that they must grind the beans before they serve it. “I won’t sell my coffee to them if they don’t grind the beans,” he asserts. “They have to grind it as they sell it.” The Kind Coffee Company is open Mondays to Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 425-0035. “I’m a caffeine drug dealer and a pusher,” he admits. But unlike the heroin dens of years ago, his business is legal. Best Web-Slingers     If there’s anything that has spread through the music business faster than venereal disease, it has been the use of band profiles on the oh-so-hip social networking site Myspace.com. You can’t shake a stick in the world of cyberspace without hitting a friend request these days, which begs the question: Where did all the real Web sites go? For all those who still squeeze in a little HTML while carefully analyzing the licks of Hendrix and the Beatles, it’s about time bands who create original Web sites are recognized for the hard work they do while scarfing down a bag of Fritos and cracking open a six-pack of Dr Pepper in front of the computer. After all, if most rock stars start out as geeks, it’s probably best they stick to their roots by getting under the hood of their Web engines and tinkering with their own sites. For that reason and without further adieu, the Syracuse New Times brings you the first, and maybe last, SNT Syracuse Band Non-Myspace Web Site Awards.   Best Web Site: Timothy Daniel,    http://www.timothydaniel.com/ It’s no surprise that Daniel, a Duncan Sheik-like singer-songwriter who has toured the country but set his roots in Syracuse for the past several years, would be capable of creating a high-quality Web site to promote his musical wares. Daniel’s day job includes creating Web sites for private clients, not the least of which was for the hip arts mecca, the Redhouse, while he was their public relations officer. Sporting a slick black-and-white photo of Daniel in Syracuse winter garb, the site’s design is both informal and inviting while being informative. Most of all, Daniel thankfully understands that in a world where Internet connections fluctuate, you have to keep your layout simple so you won’t have to play the solo to “Freebird” while waiting for the page to load. Learn about what coffeehouses Daniel is rocking this week, read about his musical history or check out tunes from his latest album, Wonderment: All of the things a Myspace page does, but with the wisdom of an artsy designer and nerdy programmer combined. Most Flamboyant Web Site: Ashley Cox,   http://www.ashleycoxmusic.com/ While it doesn’t account much for the economy of Web bandwidth, the massively artistic cartoon that is Cox’s Web presence draws its audience into a fantastic, Wizard of Oz-like graphical universe. Each page of the site is a mini-cartoon, such as the “Music” page on which various band instruments magically fly together to form a sort of Tin Man, or the “Images” page on which a Scarecrow sporting a cowboy-rock getup reaches out his creepy hand. Perhaps not the most practical Web site, but we’ll give Cox some cred for its style. Best Use of Victorian Pornography: Gonstermachers,   http://www.gonstermachers.com/ When it comes to kitsch, the Gonstermachers take the cake with a Web site that features dozens of black-and-white photos of barely clad women, presumably from the era in which women were the angels of the home. Of note, the Gonstermachers also use some puns as links to their pages, such as a “Meet Your Machers” section that riffs on the member’s bios, and a “Photo Mochery” page for all their band candids. Most Satanic Web Site: Stone Soul Foundation,   http://www.stonesoulfoundation.com/ If the fiery flames of Lucifer ignite your Web sensibilities, look no further than this site, a piece of musical propaganda that opens up with a home page on which the band is seemingly crawling up from a pit of bitumen and sulphur to rock the masses. Although it might feel a little strange to look up the e-mail addresses of spawns of Lucifer, it seems they do get the Net down there. Worst “Under Construction” Sign: Hatefuel,   http://www.hatefuel.com/ Certainly, building Web sites takes some time, and it’s convenient to put up an “Under Construction” sign to warn Web surfers that the best is yet to come, someday. But rockers Hatefuel simply slapped a cartoon of a lazy construction worker lounging on the job on their page, an image that seems to the defy the otherwise strong message of their rock moniker. Best Drawn-Out Building Renovation       MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO Salina Street shuffle: People getting on and off Centro buses provide the most action the Wilson Building has seen in a while.    You’ve likely seen the Wilson Building at the 300 block of South Salina Street while either strolling amid Syracuse’s busiest bus stop, or while driving through one of the city’s most difficult-to-navigate, congested intersections. That is to say that you’ve likely seen the building, but thought little of it other than as one among the many tenantless, depressing artifacts of a time when Syracuse, surely, must have required it. Adapt CNY, a spinoff of the citizens’ advocacy group 40 Below, decided to give the building a much-needed kick in the pants last December; it’s a project that has been eagerly anticipated. Jim Thoman, president of Adapt CNY, reported to The New Times in a Sept. 20, 2006, article that his organization hoped to turn the building into 33 residential apartments, as well as 7,500 square feet of retail space for developers who would, presumably, be drooling at a chance to open something in the traffic hot spot. A year later, Thoman says that indeed some work has been done toward reaching Adapt CNY’s goal. For example, last year volunteers cleared out all the junk that had accumulated in the building during its 50-year run as office space. That process took eight weeks, and cleared out around 400 cubic yards of junk. A good start, although trash removal does not a property development make. Thoman has since explained that environmental engineers have been called in to the inspect the building, only to find no less than 30 types of asbestos tiling had been used through its many previous cycles of “restoration.” Thankfully, as long as it isn’t touched, the asbestos tiling in the building is, according to Thoman, not harmful. “There’s no danger to people,” Thoman explains. “But even if you know there was asbestos in there, which we did, we had to have drawings made up for contractors.” That time-intensive process left the building project on standby while the techs drew up selective demolition drawings. Further complicating the matter, Thoman explains, is that any demolition must be cleared with the State Historic Preservation Office, which protects buildings of historical importance from being wrecked or massively overhauled. The Wilson Building is registered as such a building with SHPO since it was built by Charles Erastus Colton, the same architect who designed Syracuse’s City Hall and studied under Archimedes Russell. But while the balance of history remains in sway, the Adapt CNY Web site claims that nearly 74 percent of available space on South Salina, Syracuse’s Main Street, stands vacant. Save the Landmark Theatre, the Galleries of Syracuse, a Payless Shoe store and a myriad of shady discount stores, there isn’t much to draw anyone into Syracuse’s main vein. But why not? “We’d all like to see more development than less,” Thoman explains. “The city has been very supportive of our project all the way through. It’s just a very tough project for a private developer.” Like most things, it all comes down to money. Thoman reported last September that he anticipated the project would cost $3.83 million. One year later and he’s talking near double that, near $6 million. The difference, Thoman says, was the asbestos discovery. Thoman explains that they’ve received $350,000 from a Restore New York grant, although the cash has been held up by bureaucracy. “We haven’t seen a dollar yet because the state process is quite cumbersome to free up money. The city’s approach is to wait and see what happens with the grant, but we need to get the Restore New York funds freed up, so we’re working on fast-tracking the grant.” Thoman says the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative has accounted for $200,000 of contributions, secured through Rep. Jim Walsh. National Grid has contributed $50,000 and the Gifford Foundation has made a contribution as well, but overall the numbers don’t balance the project’s checkbook. Adapt CNY’s president is hopeful that the Wilson Building’s pipe dream will cease to be so and that development all along South Salina will continue, but that it’s simply not going to be easy. “There’s been a lot of buzz about {the Wilson Building}. I think downtown housing right now is still a hot market. Hopefully there are going to be a lot of projects in the pipeline. Whether they happen or not, it’s very difficult to make progress.” Best Blast From the Past   MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO Memory lane: Wrightway Hardware and General Store sells nostalgia.     For Mike Casale, owner of Wrightway Hardware and General Store, corner of Route 48 and Lamson Road, Baldwinsville (695-2394), pop culture is stuck in the 1950s. He’d like to hear the music of Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry spinning out of a jukebox at 45 rpm’s and see the tailfins of Cadillac DeVilles and Lincoln Capris pointing at the sky parked under the neon lights of a roadside diner in Anytown, USA. Casale realizes times have changed, and is not living in the past. But he is selling in the past, and from the moment you walk toward the wooden facade and through the screen door, you will feel as if you’ve been teleported back to a simpler time. Visitors can stop by his store Mondays to Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the only known place in the area where you can still buy Coca-Cola in the old-fashioned glass bottle, just like the ones your folks used to feed vending machines 10 cents for; you know, the machines that had bottle-openers built in to them. If you plan on drinking the Coke on your travels after you leave the store, Casale has a cap opener installed near the register and will let you “pop the top,” allowing the older folks to reminisce and the plastic-bottle generation to indulge in an erstwhile delight. The bottles are sold individually, or by the six-pack. Vintage signs and relics cover the walls and the entire front of the store features shelves and racks full of novelties straight out of Marilyn Monroe’s day, all new in the package and priced to sell, including: Gumby and Pokey, and Pink Panther bendable rubber figures; Slinkys; bells for bicycle handlebars; harmonicas; candy cigarettes; Radio Flyer wagons; and replicas of the Red Ryder BB gun made infamous by the ice-lickin’ holiday movie A Christmas Story. Wrightway also sells lumps of coal, a perfect stocking stuffer for those mischievous little runts. Beyond the novelties up front, as the name implies, you will find just about everything you could possibly need to build or rebuild in their hardware section. Besides the tools, screws, nuts, bolts, auto-body repair materials, auto-detailing products and everything in between, they also cut glass, screens and piping and sell propane and kerosene, all in a small-town setting by people who know their trade, making it an anomaly among the big-box home improvement stores. There is also a Sunoco gas station out front for those journeying back to the future. . .  all unleaded, of course. “You’re not going to get rich in a small business,” says Casale, “but you must serve a purpose.” His purpose has been achieved by giving a gift some people will never again see in their lifetime. For a moment, they will be able to look into the past. The time is now, the place is a little hardware store near Phoenix, and what most people don’t realize, it’s right on the outskirts of our own back yard. Best New Times Impersonation    If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Syracuse Queer Times makes us feel pretty in pink. Currently in its third issue, the monthly publication lists Steven C. Phillips as its founder/editor; he also runs the Phillips Hairstyling Institute, 709 E. Genesee St., which explains the full-page ad in the Halloween edition. In fact, issue No. 2 felt exactly like you were reading the Syracuse New Times: Portions of its cover story on Hawley-Green Bistro entrepreneurs Charlie Olson and Michael Wollgast seemed lifted from Lorraine Smorol’s Aug. 8 Spoonlighting article. But hey, let’s not have any retribution about attribution, because we’re all in this together, and gay pride goeth before a fall. Only three issues in, the paper’s already got a definable identity: There’s an op-ed piece on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” mandate, as well as reactions about the Stonewall Committee’s annual booth at the New York State Fair. Local radio’s Kathy Denman contributes a humor column on queer outings, which in this case means a vacation in the woods (“Only a gay man would bring a blow dryer and styling gel.”). San Francisco astrologer Jack Fertig chips in monthly “QueerScopes” (maybe “HomoScopes” would have been too on the nose), and the crossword section “QueerPuzzle” lists clues that are either double-entendres or tongue-in-cheek drollery: 69 Across, “Land whose front is a bottom,” translates to “Assyria,” while 36 Down, “Tallulah Bankhead and Jim Nabors,” leads to the answer “Alabamans” and 32 Down, “Guy under Hoover,” results in “GMan.” Of course, these answers are so obvious! Syracuse Queer Times appears to be hitting its demographic, at least according to its mailbag. Letter-writer “Eager Beaver” thinks the paper should become a weekly, but Phillips responded with, “You can’t imagine the amount of time and work that goes into every single publication. I have another life outside Queer Times that involves two additional businesses and a new bf who I want to spend a lot more time with.” Sigh, ain’t love grand?       Best Director (in a Supporting Role)       MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO Flag day: Frank Fiumano stops traffic in his current role as a De$tiny hard hat   It’s an old joke that all actors really want to do is direct. Frank Fiumano, often tagged as a “community theater legend,” has amassed a Salt City slew of acting credits over the decades, and has on occasion actually guided his fellow thespians, such as his direction of Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced for Shattuck-Nye Productions in spring 1988. Recently, Fiumano was spied at a Carousel Center parking lot near Lord and Taylor, where those steel beams that had been rusting across Hiawatha Boulevard during a long-ago photo op for the proposed Destiny USA megamall were finally getting planted into the terra firma that once held Marley’s scrap yard. Wearing a T-shirt, sunglasses and a hard hat, he was waving a flag to motorists who were attempting to dodge the earthmovers. Yup, it was Fiumano’s destiny to begin directing again, and the traffic responded to his fluid pacing and smooth nuances. Fiumano surely has the highest profile of all the people hired, amid much fanfare, for those $60,000-per-year jobs in 2005, only to wind up being laid off for many months until Pyramid Companies honcho Bob Congel and the city of Syracuse could make nice. Whenever there’s TV coverage of a Congel speech, Fiumano’s distinctive mug always seems to pop up on the sidelines, as he applauds every action point presented by Bob the Builder. Perhaps he’s giving the performance of a lifetime in this ongoing supporting role; after all, toiling long hours in a revamped Petropolis might mean that local floorboards will be denied his participation, and he’s got to work out his acting muse somewhere. But if the Village People ever hold auditions for a new construction worker, Fiumano’s a lock for the slot.                   Best-Aged Activist If you go to the Regional Market on a Saturday, you will not only support local agriculture, but you’ll have the chance to meet the man who is quite probably Syracuse’s oldest active activist, Angus MacDonald. Sitting in his yellow lawn chair along with his comrades from the Syracuse Peace Council (SPC), MacDonald waves and encourages you to honk your horn to announce your support for an end to the Iraq war.  His protege, SPC stalwart Ed Kinane, describes MacDonald as “staunchly anti-racist, anti-nuclear, anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and pro-feminist.” MacDonald, who turned 95 just days after a recent protest at the Federal Building downtown, touches all the bases. “Deeply concerned about global warming, Angus is a pessimist determined to keep a humane and constructive outlook,” Kinane adds.  Unlike fine wines that mellow with age, MacDonald’s anger at injustice only burns brighter as the years tick by. The World War II veteran and one-time prison guard has a bit of trouble hearing these days, but no trouble at all speaking out on the issues that concern him.     BEST OF SYRACUSE 2007 WINNERS!    

 

 

Best Local Band: 

 

UNDER THE GUN

Best Live Music Venue: 

(tie) INNER HARBOR BLOCK PARTY, Kirkpatrick Street

DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE, 246 W. Willow St.

Best Place to Dance: 

 

AMBROSIA, 402 S. Franklin St.

Best Karaoke Venue: 

 

SINGERS KARAOKE CLUB, 1345 Milton Ave.

Best Theatrical Production of 2007: 

 

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Famous Artists)   

        Best Music Festival: 

 

SYRACUSE NEW TIMES SAMMYS

Best Ethnic Festival: 

 

FESTA ITALIANA

back

 

 

 

 

Best Italian Restaurant:

SANTANGELO’S, 672 Old Liverpool Road, Liverpool

Best Asian Restaurant:

ICHIBAN JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE, 302 Old Liverpool Road, Liverpool

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant:   

 

KING DAVID’S, 129 Marshall St. and Towne Center, Fayetteville

Best Mexican Restaurant:   

 

JUANITA’S MEXICAN KITCHEN, 600 Court St.

Best Happy Hour:

TULLY’S GOOD TIMES, Many area locations

Best Wings:

TWIN TREES, Many area locations

Best Pizza:

TWIN TREES, Many area locations

Best Barbecue Restaurant:

DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE, 246 W. Willow St.

Best Steak Restaurant:

SCOTCH ‘N SIRLOIN, 3687 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt

Best Sushi Restaurant:

ICHIBAN JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE, 302 Old Liverpool Road, Liverpool

Best Place for Vegetarian/Vegan Food:

ALTO CINCO, 526 Westcott St.

Best Ice Cream Shop:

GANNON’S ISLE, 4800 MacDonald Road and 1525 Valley Drive

Best Family Restaurant:

DOMINICK’S RESTAURANT, 1370 Burnet Ave.

Best Local Coffee Joint:

FREEDOM OF ESPRESSO, Many area locations

Best Fine Dining:

ANTONIO’S, 700 N. Salina St.

Best Wine List:

PASCALE WINE BAR & RESTAURANT, 204 W. Fayette St.

Best Fresh Bread:

COLUMBUS BAKING CO., 502 Pearl St.

Best Burger:

ZEBB’S DELUXE GRILL & BAR, 2803 Brewerton Road, North Syracuse

Best Fish Fry:

DOUG’S FISH FRY, Many area locations

 

Best Diner:

STELLA'S DINER, 110 Wolf St.

 

Best Neighborhood Bar:

COLEMAN'S AUTHENTIC IRISH PUB, 100 S. Lowell Ave.

 

Best Downtown Bar: 

 

BLUE TUSK, 165 Walton St.

 

back

 

 

 

Best Used Book Store: 

 

SEVEN RAYS BOOKSTORE, 508 Westcott St.

Best Record Store: 

 

SOUND GARDEN, 124 Walton St.

Best Pet Store: 

 

PETCO, 3150 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt and

310 Northern Lights Plaza, North Syracuse 

       Best Smoke Shop: 

 

ROCKY’S, 447 N. Salina St.

Best Gift Shop: 

 

GOOSE & GANDER, Many area locations

Best Musical Instrument Store: 

 

GUITAR CENTER, 3150 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt

Best Neighborhood Market: 

 

WEGMANS, Many area locations

Best Liquor Store: 

 

PASCALE’S LIQUOR SQUARE, 3020 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt

Best Health Food Store: 

 

NATUR-TYME, 5898 Bridge St., East Syracuse

Best Place for Tattoos/Piercings: 

 

HALO TATTOOS & BODY PIERCING, Many area locations

Best New Age Shop: 

 

SEVEN RAYS BOOKSTORE, 508 Westcott St.

Best Place to Pamper Yourself: 

 

MIRBEAU INN & SPA, 851 W. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Best Antique Store: 

 

SYRACUSE ANTIQUES EXCHANGE, 1629 N. Salina St.

Best Jewelry Store: 

 

EGON EHRLINSPIEL, 5914 Bridge St., East Syracuse

Best Tanning Salon: 

 

TOTAL TAN, 3409 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt and 709 N. Main St., North Syracuse

Best Place for Automotive Accessories: 

 

AUTOZONE, Many area locations

Best Car Dealership: 

 

FUCCILLO AUTO MALL,  Many area locations

Best Bike Shop: 

 

PERFORMANCE HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 807 N. Geddes St.

 

back

 

 

 

Best Romantic Restaurant:

ANTONIO’S, 700 N. Salina St.

Best Sex Toy Shop:

ADULT WORLD, 2870 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt

Best Pickup Joint:

WEGMANS, Many area locations

Best Adult Entertainment Club:

ALPINE, 401 Butternut St.

Best Outdoor Make-Out Spot:

GREEN LAKES STATE PARK, Route 298, Fayetteville

Best Gay Bar:  

              RAIN, 218 N. Franklin St.

 

back

 

 

 

Best Local Sports Team:  

 

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

Best Local Fitness Center: 

 

YMCA, Many area locations    

 

Best Place to Ski/Snowboard: 

 

LABRADOR MOUNTAIN SKI CENTER, Route 91, Truxton

Best Place to Ice Skate: 

 

CLINTON SQUARE, Downtown Syracuse

Best Golf Course:

 

TURNING STONE RESORT & CASINO, Verona

Best Place to Play Bingo: 

 

TURNING STONE RESORT & CASINO, Verona

Best Park: 

 

GREEN LAKES STATE PARK, Route 298, Fayetteville

Best Playground: 

 

ONONDAGA LAKE PARK, Liverpool

 

 

back Best Local TV News:

 

  WSYR-CHANNEL 9

Best Local TV News Hottie/Male: 

CHRIS BRANDOLINO, WSTM-Channel 3

Best Local TV News Hottie/Female: 

JANELLE REICHERT, WTVH-Channel 5

Best Meteorologist: 

WAYNE MAHAR, WSTM-Channel 3

Best Local Radio Station: 

WNTQ-FM 93.1 (93Q) 

   Best Local Radio Personalities: 

TED & AMY, WNTQ-FM 93.1 (93Q)

 

back

 

 

 

Best Place to People Watch:   

NEW YORK STATE FAIR

Best De$tiny Pipe Dream:

ANY AND ALL

Best Attraction at the State Fair:

THE FOOD

Best Local Fireworks: 

(tie) Oswego Harborfest

New York State Fair

Best Public Figure you Would Like to KNOCK OUT!:

BILLY FUCCILLO

Best Section of  The New Times:

NEWS & BLUES

 

back

 

  CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners of the 2007 Best of Syracuse!