Best of 2011 - timesunion.com poll.

My votes, cuz it seems like the 'in' thing to do right now.

1. Best Local Grocery Store – Wal-Mart
2. Best wine store – Empire Wine and Spirits
3. Best beer store – Write-In: Wal-Mart
4. Best Bakery – Coccodott's
5. Best Ethnic Market – This question is racist!
6. Best Farmer’s Market – ew.
7. Best Health Food Store (single location) – double ew. (<-- You see what I did there?)
8. Best Drugstore/Pharmacy – Wal-Mart (sensing a pattern?)
9. Best Men’s Fashions – Write-In: Casual Make Big & Tall
10. Best Women’s Fashions – Write-In: New York & Company
11. Best hardware store (single location) – I can't wait until Home Depot and Lowe's ruin these...
12. Best nursery/garden center – Wal-Mart
13. Best appliance store – Sears
14. Best pet store – Pet Smart (I hate pets but this is where I take the munchkin to kill Sat afternoons.)
15. Best cigar shop – Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe
16. Best bookstore (single location) – Flights of Fantasy
17. Best used bookstore – These places smell funny.
18. Best local hotel (single location) – The Desmond (just ask `em.)
19. Best place in the region to gamble – Saratoga Casino and Raceway
20. Best bank/credit union – Write-In: M and T Bank (just to piss off the wife)
21. Best jeweler – Me. I do it myself. My resto druid is a 509 with Jewelcrafting.
22. Best auto dealer (single location) – *shrug* I can't afford a car.
23. Best auto service – Write-in: Colonie Garage
24. Best hospital – Albany Med (NICU FTW!)
25. Best veterinary clinic – These places also smell funny.
26. Best plumber – can't remember the last guy I called to plumb.
27. Best car wash – Hoffman's.
28. Best spa/salon – Complexions
29. Best dry cleaner – It's sad that I can't remember who my cleaners is (are?). They're next to Hannaford on Wolf Rd.
30. Best shopping mall – Crossgates Commons (eff Colonie Center)
31. Best two-year college – Hudson Valley Community College (gimme)
32. Best four-year college – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (double gimme)
33. Best H.S. Teacher – LOL.

Page Two
1. Best restaurant to open in the past year – *shrug*
2. Best restaurant for kids – Red Robin
3. Best Hamburger – Five Guys
4. Best pizza – Papa Johns
5. Best sandwich shop – Submaker in Menands
6. Best Chinese/Japanese/Korean restaurant – Hana Japanese Steakhouse
7. Best Indonesian/Thai/Vietnamese restaurant – Buffalo Wagon
8. Best Indian/Pakistan restaurant – ew. that's disgusting.
9. Best Mexican/Central/South American – Moe's Southwest Grill
10. Best Italian restaurant – D'Raymonds (I wanna put Olive Garden but I'm not THAT soulless.)
11. Best ice cream - Emack and Bolio's Ice Cream Parlor
12. Best hot dogs – Gus' in Watervliet
13. Best sports bar – Recovery Room (Albany Med location)
14. Best coffee joint (single location) – Dunkin Donuts on Broadway in Menands
15. Best diner – Alexi's Diner (Troy)

Page Three
1. Best regional ski resort – I don't ski.
2. Best gym/health club – I don't work out.
3. Best public pool – I don't swim. Especially in pools full of pee.
4. Best H.S. coach – How the hell should I know?
5. Best high school athlete – boys (include name and school) – I'm straight.
6. Best high school athlete – girls (include name and school) – The judge asked me to refrain.

Page Four
1. Best concert in the past year – I don't go to concerts
2. Best singer-songwriter – Ever? ummm...tupac?
3. Best band (pop/rock/country) – Ever? umm...Red hot Chili Peppers.
4. Best play or musical in the past year – I already said I'm straight.
5. Best theater company – You don't believe me? Why would I lie about my sexuality?
6. Best local comedian or comedy troupe – *shrug*
7. Best art gallery – ok...I'm starting to get a little annoyed. Nothing against gay people but that's not me.
8. Best museum – For God's sake, man, I'm married and have a kid. I assure you, I'm straight!
9. Best movie theater – Colonie Center (whatever, I still hate you, Colonie Center)
10. Best place for kid-friendly arts and culture – (see Best Pet Store above)

Page Five
1. Best TV news anchorperson – no idea
2. Best TV newscast – Write-in: Daily Show with Jon Stewart
3. Best print journalist – I can't read. Thanks a lot for rubbing it in.
4. Best radio personality – DJ iRoc (AKA iRoc Obama)
5. Best radio station – Write-in: WAJZ 96.3 (and it's some racist ass shit that it ain't an option.)
6. Best local Web site – *shrug*
7. Best local blogger – Amanda Talar (http://blog.timesunion.com/amanda/)
8. Best local tweeter – @KevinMarshall

So there you have it. I bet you're wishing I didn't vote, now. (WalMart FTW!)