“Voted one of the best Dutch shops on Whidbey Island!”

That was the sentence a few months ago that had me wondering about all these “Best Of” and “Voted Best” titles. My first thought was how many Dutch stores are on Whidbey Island that the one in Coupeville wouldn’t just be the best?

I started noticing other slogans. “One of the Top 100 Chinese restaurants in America.” “Voted best museum in Snohomish County.” “Voted Western Washington’s #1 Casino!”

So now I wonder, who exactly is voting?

Then I received a copy of the September issue of 425 Magazine with the cover proclaiming “Readers Voted! Best of 425.”  After just a few pages it appears every “Best Of” 425 winner is in either Bellevue, Redmond, or Issaquah. Not to say that there aren’t some  wonderful things to see on the eastside of Lake Washington, but the area code 425 actually covers 634 Zip codes and 43 cities in Western Washington. This includes Everett, which is the second largest 425 city in population.

I shouldn’t be bothered by a silly magazine poll. Most of the time these “Voted” slogans are probably just marketing strategies created to help drum up business, which we all need right now.

And that is why I’ve taken it upon myself to create a few of my own “Best of 425” winners.  Drum roll please…

Best Gallery:
Arts Council of Snohomish County. Okay I admit I polled the person at my desk. I’m not trying to make anyone mad (Lowell Artworks, WiseDesignz, etc..), but we have a wonderful exhibit gallery and gallery store, which can be seen M-Sat. for FREE! (And, a new exhibit, “Of Clocks and Crows” starting on Thursday Sept 3^rd. Yes, that was a shameless plug.)

Best Free Entertainment:
425 magazine picked Crossroads Mall. Seriously!? You picked a mall? With all the wonderful free summer activities going on right now I’m a little appalled. The City of Everett’s Music in the Park concert series has been offering free fun for all tastes and ages. With concerts on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays all summer long there are plenty of free opportunities to be entertained. (And did I mention that the Arts Council is free, as well as many of our wonderful events? I digress…)

Best Happy Hour:
There are several around town offering up good cheap eats and drinks, but I happen to be partial to Anthony’s Woodfire Grill and Lombardi’s italian. The Woodfire has many great happy hour items, such as the hearts of romaine salad and baked garlic cheese. And when is it not happy hour at Lombardi’s? Everyday from 3-7pm and 8-close makes it hard not to take advantage of their great menu. (Note: My husband is a big fan of the ribs.)

Best Cocktail:
On a related note to happy hour I’m currently a big fan of the “Terratini” cocktail at Terracotta Red on Hewitt. Ginger infused Yazi vodka…yum.

Best Coffee:
425 Magazine picked Starbucks. I realize people in this area are loyal to the mother ship, but there are some wonderful independent coffee shops that I think make a much better cup of joe. My picks would be the Everett Public Library’s Espresso Americano or Kennedy’s Place on Colby Ave. Or if you happen to be in Mukilteo, I love Whidbey Coffee Co.

Best Museum:
I’d like to give a shout out to our neighbors the Imagine Children’s Museum. Everyone will want to be a kid again after visiting their tree house.

Best Trip Back in Time:
Treasure House on Colby Ave. The hours are sparse, but if you ever manage to catch it at an open moment you’ll see what I mean…

Best Beach:
Jetty Island. This surprisingly warm, sandy beach is just a quick passenger ferry ride away from the 10^th St. Marina Park. The ferry is free, but donations are strongly encouraged to help offset the cost of the ferry and maintaining this beautiful two-mile stretch of nature. (Interesting that 425 magazine didn’t have this category, maybe because there are no beautiful beaches on the eastside?)

Best Live Theater:
On this (and only this) I will concur with 425 Magazine, which picked the Village Theater. They have a location in Everett, as well as Issaquah. Be sure to catch their upcoming show “Chasing Nicolette”

P.S. – Did you know the Arts Council was also voted best place to buy a Merrilee Moore votive, use a public restroom, and have a hula hoop contest?