Before we get to the usual stuff about how happy we are to present this annual catalog o' bestness, we feel obliged to ask you, the readers, a question: What's up with all the ballot-stuffing in our Readers' Picks this year?
Oh, don't pull the innocent face and give us that "Who, us?" shizz. We're not naming names, and this isn't the first year we've seen stuffing, but 2012 set the record for smelly votes. (Here's a tip for you would-be ballot manipulators: If we see 300 obviously random Yahoo email addresses devoted to one obscure venue in our results, we know what's up. Because who the hell uses Yahoo mail?)
What does it say about the state of our republic and its citizens that in this vital election year, in a Best of Dallas® issue with an election theme, no less, so many people used their Internet skills to try to game the vote? It says that America's vital entrepreneurial spirit, its technical know-how and its love of winners are alive and well. Way to go Dallas; you're obviously paying attention to the political climate and know the way the world works. Plus, you care enough about our city to want to tout your accomplishments. For that, we commend you.
But you're still not gonna get that award.
Instead, what we have here is a highly scientific, entirely credible list of the best bars, restaurants, shops, people and places chosen by both readers and our trained staff, using the time-tested method of finding the Best of Dallas®. Namely, we go eat, drink, shop and hang out, and then pick places we like better than all the others. It may not sound that scientific, but we figure it's way better than the methods used in other elections. Like for president.
Don't believe us? Check out the picks yourself. We promise you'll like the results, which is more than you can say for most elections.
