The Best of the Twin Cities 2000: Introduction

That's because every year at this time we shrug off our genetic predisposition to contrariness and give a rousing cheer to all that is awesome about our Twin Towns.

On these 200 jam-packed pages, you'll find our picks in nearly 350 categories, from the Best Place for a First Date (the Science Museum--what did you think?) to the Best Restaurant When Someone Else Is Paying (Goodfellow's) to the Best Band Name (you'll see).

We're still scratching our heads over the results of our annual Readers' Poll, wondering how you could so imaginatively dub Gov. Jesse Ventura Best Local Boy Made Good and Best Villain and yet so predictably give the Best Fries nod to McDonald's (yet again). Then again, why ponder the imponderable? We're just glad 1,300 of you took the time to weigh in with your opinions. This year the voting was close in several categories. To runners-up like Dan Cole (one vote shy of being named Best AM Radio Personality), Mel-O-Glaze (another half-dozen votes and Best Doughnuts wouldn't have gone to a chain), Chris Carter (missed Best Vikings Player by four votes), and the Uptown Theatre (nicked by two votes for Best Movie Theater), we say: Better luck next year.

Without further ado, we present the Best of the Twin Cities for the year 2000. Now please excuse us while we go sniff out some wrongdoing--all this good-naturedness gives us hives.