Best Of Dallas^® 2020

Sickness, anxiety, depression and stress are afflicting the population, but let’s not talk about the election. Then there’s that other plague, COVID-19. How can we put out our annual celebration of all the good things in Dallas in 2020, The Year of the Remora? (They suck.) Haven’t we heard that life has forever changed and we can never go back to the good old ways again?

Well, sure, but we’ve heard that before. If we shrug and say ob-la-di, ob-la-da, it’s not because we we wish to trivialize anyone’s loss. It’s just that some of us remember the ’70s (oil crisis, Nixon); ’80s (nuke terror, last of the Cold War); ’90s (mullets); and so on. Life as we know it is always ending, always beginning and often getting a little better if we hang on. How do we do that? Same band, different song: We get by with a little help from our friends.

That’s why 2020, of all years, deserves a Best of Dallas®. It takes grit and energy to bring a shine to base metal, and the determination and effort North Texans made this year to help their neighbors makes 2020 shine like ... well, we won’t push it and say gold, but something pretty precious.

We argued over masks, but countless people fired up sewing machines to make and give them away. We fought over police and racism, but thousands joined to march in defense of their fellow citizens. There’s beauty among the dross, and a tough year brought it out. Let’s celebrate that and all the businesses, artists, restaurateurs and others who have endured and helped us get by.

One note before we get started: We did our best to make sure that this year’s picks are still kicking, but things are fluid and our press deadlines are early. So please, support these businesses and artists — but make sure you phone first.