The Nashville Scene‘s 2013 Best of Nashville issue is out, a monster 236-page accounting from both the readers’ and writers’ perspective on the best people, places and things in our great city. At NPT, we pride ourselves on being in tune with what’s happening in the city that we serve. We strive to be its mirror. Based on the issue, we’re doing a great job. Many of the places picked by readers and writers have been profiled on Tennessee Crossroads, Volunteer Gardener, Arts Break and our new web series with Under the Guise, You Ought to Know Nashville.
Readers’ poll for best Cajun? That would be Bro’s, profiled most recently on Tennessee Crossroads episode 2535. Best family friendly restaurant? Puckett’s, visited by Crossroads in episode 2408. How about writers’ pick for best new restaurant? YOTKN visited their choice, Husk, in its very first episode. YOTKN also visited the writers’ picks for best coffeeshop (CREMA) and the reader’s pick for best new bar (The Stone Fox). On NPT Arts Break, as part of an initiative collaborating with The Nashville Shakespeare Festival and the PBS series “Shakespeare Uncovered,” we did several segments on the NSF’s winter production of “Macbeth,” named by the writers’ as “best Shakespearean spectacle.” Its title actor, Eric Pasto-Crosby, named best actor. There are even connections to our Next Door Neighbors series. Remziya Suleyman, named by the writers’ as Best Activist, is in our “Little Kurdistan, USA” episode.
There are so many more examples of this, we thought we might give it a shot and try and list them all, and embed a few videos for you to watch along the way. Thanks to Erin McInnis in the Tennessee Crossroads department for helping us cull through the issue.
Enjoy the NPT edition of the Nashville Scene‘s Best of Nashville 2013. Consider it your video companion. And be sure to get your copy of the Scene or read it online.
Writer’s Poll:
Best Food Truck: Riff’s Fine Street Food (Tennessee Crossroads special on Food Trucks)
Best Museum Exhibit: Sensuous Steel at The Frist Center for the Visual Arts (Tennessee Crossroads)
Best New Restaurant (and reader’s poll for #2 best new restaurant): Husk + Reader’s Poll for Best Hot Chicken: Prince’s (You Ought to Know Nashville)
Best Coffeeshop: CREMA (You Ought to Know Nashville)
Best Actor: Eric Pasto-Crosby, who appeared as Macbeth, and Best Shakespearean Spectacle: Macbeth (Arts Break)
Best Brewery: Jackalope (You Ought To Know Nashville)
Best Song Parodist: Merle Hazard (who we interviewed on our Media Update blog, and whose videos are animated and edited by own Matt Emigh) Read our interview. Watch the video for “Fiscal Cliff.”
Best Activist: Remziya Suleyman (Next Door Neighbors: Little Kurdistan, USA)
Reader’s Poll
Best New Bar (and writers’ choice for Best Vegetarian Dish for Carnivores — jackfruit sliders): The Stone Fox (You Ought to Know Nashville)
Best Print Maker/Poster Maker: Hatch Show Print (Tennessee Crossroads)
Best Local Event/Festival + Best Art Happening: Tomato Art Fest (Tennessee Crossroads)
Best Local Brewery: Yazoo (Volunteer Gardener profiled Yazoo owner Linus Hall)
Best Cajun: Bro’s (Tennessee Crossroads)
Best Community Role Model: Becca Stevens + #3 Best Nonprofit (Thistle Farms was profiled on Tennessee Crossroads).
Best CSA: Delvin Farms (Volunteer Gardener)
Best Designer, #2: Manuel (You Ought to Know Nashville)
More from the Readers Poll that appeared on Tennessee Crossroads, many of which are on our TNCrossroadsTV YouTube Channel.
Best Barbecue: #2 Jack’s
Best Breakfast: #3 Loveless
Best Cupcakes: #1 The Cupcake Collection, #2 Gigi’s Cupcakes, #3 IveyCake
Best Hot Dog/Bratwurst: #1 I Dream of Weenie, #2 The Dog, #3 Hot Diggity Dogs
Best Ice Cream: #3 Pied Piper Creamery
Best Local Cake Baker: #1 Sweet 16th
Best Meat-And-Three: #1 Arnold’s, #2 Loveless
Best Ribs: #2 Martin’s
Best Family Friendly Restaurant: Puckett’s
Best Place to take Kids when it’s raining: #1 Adventure Science Center (technically our story covered the planetarium but we say it counts) Best Day Trip: #2 Jack Daniel Distillery
Best Writer’s/Open Mic Night: #1 Bluebird Cafe
Best Place to Hear Live Music: #3 Bluebird
Best Museum: #1 Frist Center, #3 Tennessee State Museum
And not to be forgotten …
Writers’ Choice for Best New Arts District: Wedgewood-Houston (because that’s where we live)