Readers’ picks

Good and Services

Best nursery
1st Place: Lowe’s Home Improvement

2nd Place: Little Red Hen

3rd Place: Zamora Nurseries

Best hardware
1st Place: Collier Hardware

2nd Place: Home Depot and Lowe’s (tie)

3rd Place: Mark’s True Value Hardware and Park Village True Value Hardware (tie)

Best place to buy a car
1st Place: Wittmeier Auto Center

2nd Place: Chuck Patterson

3rd Place: Courtesy Motors

Best record store
1st Place: Tower Records­Video­Books

2nd Place: Melody Records

3rd Place: The Underground

Best florist
1st Place: San Francisco Flowers

2nd Place: Christian & Johnson

3rd Place: Flowers by Rachelle

Best bike shop
1st Place: Pullins Cyclery

2nd Place: Campus Bikes

3rd Place: Sports LTD

Best thrift store
1st Place: ARC Thrift Store

2nd Place: Salvation Army

3rd Place: Thrifty Bargain

Best place to buy a mattress
1st Place: Square Deal

2nd Place: Sleep Train Mattress Center

3rd Place: Viking Furniture

Best tackle shop
1st Place: Chico Sportsman’s Den

2nd Place: Tackle Box

3rd Place: Chico Fly Shop

Best home furnishings store
1st Place: Ashley Furniture HomeStore

2nd Place: Austin’s Home Furnishers

3rd Place: Black Sea Gallery

Best men’s clothing store
1st Place: Men’s Wearhouse

2nd Place: Trucker

3rd Place: Corwin’s

Best women’s clothing store
1st Place: For Elyse

2nd Place: Lulu’s Fashion Lounge

3rd Place: Cotton Party

Best place to buy shoes
1st Place: Heel and Sole Shoes

2nd Place: Gigi Shoe Parlor

3rd Place: Famous Footwear and Birkenstock (tie)

Best place to buy pet supplies
1st Place: Petco

2nd Place: Northern Star Mills

3rd Place: Pet Works

Best bookstore
1st Place: Barnes & Noble

2nd Place: Lyon Books

3rd Place: The Bookstore (downtown)

Best hair salon/barbershop
1st Place: Supercuts

2nd Place: Dimensions

3rd Place: The Hair Works

Best place to buy outdoor gear
1st Place: Mountain Sports and Sports LTD (tie)

2nd Place: Gates Resale

3rd Place: Big 5 Sporting Goods

Best computer store
1st Place: Best Buy

2nd Place: Circuit City

3rd Place: Computers Plus and PCI Systems (tie)

Best place to rent a movie
1st Place: Blockbuster

2nd Place: All The Best Video

3rd Place: Hollywood Video

Best antique store
1st Place: Eighth & Main Antique Center

2nd Place: Victorianna Antiques

3rd Place: Sandy Gulch Furniture Co.

Food and Drink

Best cheap eats
1st Place: La Comida

2nd Place: Taco Bell

3rd Place: Crazy Taco

Best restaurant overall
1st Place: Sierra Nevada Taproom

2nd Place: Christian Michael’s Ristorante

3rd Place: 5th Street Steakhouse

Best sushi
1st Place: Rawbar

2nd Place: Gen Kai

3rd Place: Katsu’s

Best Italian food
1st Place: Italian Cottage

2nd Place: Sicilian Café

3rd Place: Franky’s

Best Mexican food
1st Place: Casa Ramos

2nd Place: Tres Hombres

3rd Place: La Hacienda

Best lunch
1st Place: Broadway Heights

2nd Place: Grilla Bites

3rd Place: The Pita Pit

Best coffee house
1st Place: Bidwell Perk

2nd Place: The Naked Lounge

3rd Place: Peet’s Coffee

Best new restaurant (within last year)
1st Place: Johnnie’s

2nd Place: Teaz Me

3rd Place: Cocodine

Best diner
1st Place: Golden Waffle

2nd Place: Morning Thunder Café

3rd Place: Jack’s

Best place to buy vegan
1st Place: Grilla Bites

2nd Place: Chico Natural Foods

3rd Place: S&S Produce

Best breakfast
1st Place: Morning Thunder Café

2nd Place: Sin of Cortez

3rd Place: Italian Cottage

Best fine dining
1st Place: 5th Street Steakhouse

2nd Place: Christian Michael’s

3rd Place: Red Tavern

Best taco truck
1st Place: Crazy Taco

2nd Place: Puerto Vallarta

3rd Place: Tacos Tayna

Best Thai food
1st Place: Grayatip

2nd Place: Thai House

3rd Place: Chada Thai

Best Asian food
1st Place: Happy Garden

2nd Place: Turandot

3rd Place: Hula’s

Best Place to get a smoothie
1st Place: Jamba Juice

2nd Place: Island Smoothies

3rd Place: Juice Whirled

Best hot dog
1st Place: Zot’s

2nd Place: Costco

3rd Place: Scrappy Dog

Best Place to get ice cream
1st Place: Shubert’s

2nd Place: Jon and Bon’s

3rd Place: Cold Stone Creamery

Best pizza
1st Place: Celestino’s

2nd Place: Woodstock’s

3rd Place: Left Coast Pizza

Best bakery
1st Place: Upper Crust

2nd Place: Great Harvest

3rd Place: Mim’s Bakery

Best takeout
1st Place: Hula’s

2nd Place: Happy Garden

3rd Place: Windy’s

Best burger
1st Place: Burger Hut

2nd Place: Nobby’s

3rd Place: In-n-Out Burgers

Best burrito
1st Place: Aca Taco

2nd Place: Speedy Burrito

3rd Place: Bomber’s Baja Grill

Best french fries
1st Place: Burger Hut

2nd Place: Pommes Frites

3rd Place: Nobby’s

Nightlife/Entertainment

Best bar
1st Place: Duffy’s Tavern

2nd Place: Madison Bear Garden

3rd Place: La Salles

Best place to dance
1st Place: La Salles

2nd Place: Madison Bear Garden

3rd Place: Mr. Lucky and Crazy Horse (tie)

Best place for rock ’n’ roll
1st Place: La Salles

2nd Place: Off Limits

3rd Place: Fulcrum Records

Best bartender
1st Place: Chris Carter at Duffy’s

2nd Place: Cory Walker at La Salles

3rd Place: Jared Banks at Riley’s

Best D.J.
1st Place: Tim Buckmoore (KFM 93.9)

2nd Place: Brian J. (Colors 92.7)

3rd Place: Jess (Colors 92.7)

Best local band
1st Place: Red with Envy

2nd Place: Loose Booty and Greg Scott band (tie)

3rd Place: Mossy Creek

Best place to see a play
1st Place: The Blue Room Theatre

2nd Place: Laxson Auditorium

3rd Place: Chico Cabaret

Best Place for happy hour
1st Place: Riley’s

2nd Place: La Salles

3rd Place: Duffy’s Tavern

Best art gallery
1st Place: Avenue 9 Gallery

2nd Place: 24-hour Drive-by Gallery

3rd Place: Moxie’s and Art Etc. (tie)

Best place to get a glass of wine
1st Place: Monk’s

2nd Place: Creekside Cellars

3rd Place: JP’s Restaurant

Best place to get a margarita
1st Place: Tres Hombres

2nd Place: La Salsa

3rd Place: Casa Ramos and La Hacienda (tie)

Recreation

Best golf course
1st Place: Canyon Oaks

2nd Place: Bidwell Park Golf Course

3rd Place: Putters mini golf at Funland

Best swimming hole
1st Place: Bear Hole

2nd Place: Salmon Hole

3rd Place: 1-mile

Best outdoor basketball court
1st Place: Oak Way Park (by Emma Wilson Elementary)

2nd Place: Rotary Park

3rd Place: Hooker Oak Recreation Area

Best place to play softball
1st Place: Hooker Oak Recreation Area

2nd Place: 20th Street Community Park

3rd Place: Bidwell Park

Best place to arm yourself
1st Place: Safer Arms

2nd Place: What?!!

3rd Place: Gates Resale

Best bike trail/path
1st Place: Bidwell Park

2nd Place: Midway to Durham

3rd Place: Yahi Trail

Miscellaneous

Best local scandal
1st Place: College pornography tape

2nd Place: Jeff Sloan

3rd Place: Parking structure/meters

Best local media personality
1st Place: Tad Shackles

2nd Place: Matt Keller

3rd Place: Dave Vanore

Best public art
1st Place: Hands

2nd Place: COBA

3rd Place: Benches downtown

Best charitable cause
1st Place: Boys & Girls Club

2nd Place: Big Brothers Big Sisters

3rd Place: Torres Community Shelter

Best local TV ad
1st Place: Guy Rents

2nd Place: Brooklyn Bridge Bagel Works

3rd Place: Max G. Arnold

Best public servant
1st Place: Andy Holcombe and Mike Ramsey (tie)

2nd Place: Scott Gruendl

3rd Place: Maureen Kirk and Bob Trausch (tie)