September
Featured Video
Trailer from Beyond Black Mesa, one of the features from the 2010 Sidewalk Film Festival.
Find out more about Sidewalk Film Festival features in the article Making a Scene
Editor's Letter
Over the past 17 years, my in-laws have
taught me a lot about how to evaluate the
“best,” particularly when it comes to food.
Unlike my family, which typically orders fairly
basic menu items, eats quickly and rarely comments
on the meal, the Keiths do things differently.
No automatic acceptance with them—
no blind agreement with a published review
or word-of-mouth recommendation from a
friend. They analyze; they scrutinize. They take
bites of everyone else's food and critique it all.
They compare this order of turnip greens, or
Mongolian beef, or Greek-style catfish, to the last time they ordered the same
dish. They withhold acceptance of a new restaurant for months until they've
sampled enough dishes to offer an educated opinion. They comment on the
prices, the service, the décor, the parking and whether the seats are comfortable
or not. They linger at the table, visiting and nibbling and laughing, until everyone
is satisfied. And while some of this may sound annoying to blow-and-go eaters
like my family, it really isn't. They're simply people who like food, who want to
get their money's worth, and who trust their own judgment over others'. Eating
with them all these years has been a wonderful education for me and has shown
me that one's personal opinion is what counts.
Recognizing that many, many of you are like my in-laws, we decided this year to turn our Best of Birmingham issue over to you and your expertise. While editorial recommendations are fine and good, it seemed to us that it was high time to let the readers speak. We created an online survey a few months back and almost 2,500 people voted for their favorites—from car service to cocktails, from parks to performing arts—in a total of 125 categories. No doubt you'll agree with many of the choices, and perhaps disagree, too. And that's fine. What we wanted was to hear from you, and now we can all debate the results until we do this again next year. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, on al.com or via email and let us know what you think about the winners.
Birmingham has so much to celebrate this fall. Use our City Guide iPhone app to explore the city—the survey winners, those you think should have won, the events and grand openings that will be big news. For information on how to download the app, visit bhammag.com/cityguide.
And I'll let you know what the Keiths think about the Best of Birmingham winners, too.
Julie Keith
VP, Publishing
Birmingham Business Alliance
Editor's Note: The Liberty Park home featured in August's “Mid-Century Masterpiece” featured landscape design by Macknally-Ross Land Design.
