Local Color - Readers' Picks 

BEST KEPT SECRET

1st: A Mediocre Time with Tom and Dan podcast
tomanddan.com

2nd: Yellow Dog Eats
1236 Hempel Ave., Gotha
407-296-0609
yellowdogeats.com

3rd: Pom Pom’s Teahouse & Sandwicheria
67 N. Bumby Ave.
407-894-0865
pompomsteahouse.com

 

BEST LOCAL CHARITABLE GROUP

1st: Orlando Food Not Bombs,
orlandofoodnotbombs.org

2nd: The Mustard Seed of Central Florida,
mustardseedfla.org

3rd: Second Harvest Food Bank,
foodbankcentralflorida.org

 

BEST LOCAL CHEERLEADER

1st: Jeffrey Pfaff

2nd: Beth Marshall

3rd: Mark Baratelli

 

BEST LOCAL WEBSITE

1st: The Daily City
thedailycity.com

2nd: Orlando Weekly
orlandoweekly.com

3rd: Nerdy Show
nerdyshow.com

 

BEST LOCAL TV NEWSPERSON

1st: Martha Sugalski,
WESH Channel 2

2nd: (tie) Lauren Rowe,
WKMG Channel 6

2nd: (tie) Bob Opsahl,
WFTV Channel 9

3rd: Danny Treanor,
Central Florida News 13

 

BEST LOCAL BIGSHOT

1st: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

2nd: Aaron Haaland, A Comic Shop

3rd: Jim Philips, 104.1 FM

 

BEST LOCAL BLOG

1st: Sunshine State Sarah
sunshinestatesarah.com

2nd: The Daily City
thedailycity.com

3rd: Nerdy Show
nerdyshow.com

 

BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN

1st: U.S. Rep. John Mica

2nd: Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer

3rd: Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs

 

BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN IN NEED OF A SLAP UPSIDE THE HEAD

1st: Florida Gov. Rick Scott

2nd: Mayor Buddy Dyer

3rd: All of them

 

BEST LOCAL PUBLICATION

1st: Orlando Weekly

2nd: Orlando Sentinel

3rd: Watermark

 

BEST LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY

1st: Jim Philips, Real Radio 104.1 FM

2nd: Johnny Magic and Jayde Donovan, XL 106.7 FM

3rd: Soul Brother Kevin, Real Radio 104.1 FM

 

BEST LOCAL WRITER

1st: Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel

2nd: Billy Manes
Orlando Weekly

3rd: Lindsay Hitchcock
examiner.com

 

BEST PLACE TO TAKE VISITORS FROM OUT OF TOWN

1st: Walt Disney World

2nd: Lake Eola Park

3rd: Park Avenue in Winter Park

 

BEST REASON TO LEAVE ORLANDO

1st: The weather

2nd: Traffic

3rd: Tourists

 

BEST REASON TO LIVE IN ORLANDO

1st: The weather

2nd: Plenty to do

3rd: Theme parks

 

BEST TV NEWS HAIR

1st: Martha Sugalski
WESH Channel 2

2nd: (tie) Lauren Rowe
WKMG Channel 6

2nd: (tie) Bob Opsahl
WFTV Channel 9

3rd: Martie Salt
WFTV Channel 9

 

BEST USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY

1st: SunRail

2nd: Amway Center

3rd: Schools and education

 

BEST WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY

1st: Amway Center

2nd: Fixing the Lake Eola fountain

3rd: Casey Anthony Trial

 

BEST WHATEVER

1st: Treasure Tavern
6400 Carrier Drive
877-318-2469
treasuretavern.com

2nd: The Geek Easy
A Comic Shop
114 S. Semoran Blvd.
407-332-9636
acomicshop.com

3rd: Johnny “Knuckles” Prevatt