4B---April 3, 2003
The Cuba Free Press I
Rural Missouri announces 2003 Reader's Choice Awards
Rural people know what
= they like. And they aren't
; afraid to drive long distances to
get it. That's just one conclu-
:sion the editors of Rural
I Missouri magazine reached
after checking the results of
the publication's 2003 Readers'
Choice Awards.
"Our readers do get around,"
says Jim McCarty, editor of the
monthly publication published
by Missouri's electric coopera-
tives. "They seem to know the
state extremely well. We
learned a lot about Missouri
just by reading their entries."
Based in Jefferson City, Rural
Missouri has been the voice of'
Missouri's electric cooperatives
since 1948. It has a circulation
of more than 448,000, making
it the largest paid-circulation
monthly in Missouri.
This is the second year for
the contest• Based on sugges-
tions from readers last year,
several new categories were
added, including Best Catfish,
Best Winery and Best Pie.
"Actually the catfish idea came
from our editors," McCarty
says. "We just really like the
' 'tuff. Pie too."
"' Rural Missouri's editors had
: he daunting task of tabulating
'the entries from readers who
'6ffered their pick in 34 cate-
gories, ranging from Best
"Restaurant to Best Place to
i,Take the Kids. The results
,,were in some cases surprising
!hnd in others pretty obvious.
Ii Lambert's, home of the
',!'Throwed Roll", took the presti-
',gious "Dining Worth The
!Drive" award. With locations in
iBikeston and Ozark and a
inational following, Lambert's
'Was an easy guess. But a close
:econd went to Bevier's Pear
!Tree, an elegant place to eat
'located a bit off the beaten
ipath.
" "We changed the name from
Best Restaurant to better
reflect what we were looking
for. But the results were essen-
tially the same. The only
change was in third place
:W l here The Caveman had one
i more vote than-last year's third.
place, Benton House in
• Warsaw," McCarty said.
For the state's best burger
.Rural Missouri readers chose
63 Diner in Columbia, which
just edged Beaches, also in
Columbia and last year's Best
Burger winner. Third place
went to the unusual
"Gooberburger" (peanut butter
covered hamburger) that is a
staple at Sedalia's Wheel-in
Drive In restaurant.
":A big upset came in the cov-
eted Best Barbecue contet.
:!'We expected Kansas City to
score high on this one,"
McCarty says. "But this year
J'ew votes were cast for Kansas
Uity establishments." When all
the votes were tallied Johnny's
Smoke Stak in Rolla was again
the winner by a wide margin.
Second place was a newcomer,
Sedalia's Kehde's, which offers
diners the option of eating in
old railroad coaches. In third
was The Warehouse, one of two
Farmington restaurants that
made the contest winner's list.
Catfish was a new category
for the 2003 contest. The big
winner was Moreland's in
Vienna, with LeMaire's in
Sedalia and Farmington's
Catfish Kettle close behind.
Also new to the contest was
Best Pie, won by Rolla's A Slice
of Pie followed by The Blue Owl
in Kimmswick and Cooky's in
Golden City.
Another hotly contested cat-
egory was Best State Park. Ha
Ha Tonka at Lake of the
Ozarks was again reader's
choice•
While the cities didn't fare
well in the barbecue category,
they weren't completely shut
out proving Rural Missouri
readers know their way around
the cities too. St. Louis and
Kansas City fought it out in a
number of categories. B e s t
Art Gallery saw Kansas City's
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine
Art edge the St. Louis Art
Museum for the honor. The
Cardinals again topped the
Chiefs in voting for Best
Sporting Event while Soulard
Market in St. Louis wad the
pick for Best Farmer's Market
over Kansas City's City
Market. Last year the roles
were reversed. The St. Louis
Zoo was the top pick for Best
Day Trip and second for Best
Place to Take the Kids.
Of course Branson garnered
its share of honors. Branson
was the reader's choice for Best
Romantic Getaway, Best
Weekend Getaway and Best
Summer Getaway. It was sec-
ond in Best Christmas Event,
but first place went to Silver
Dollar City which just happens
to be in Branson. Silver Dollar
City was voted Best Place to
Take the Kids for the second
year in a row. In the Best Old-
Store category it was Dick's 5 &
10.
Columbia once again topped
Springfield in close voting for
Best Town to Live In while
Rolla knocked the state capital
out of third place. In another
new category, Hermann was
named Most Beautiful Town
with Carthage and Springfield
rounding out the top three.
Hermann had the state's Best
Festival with their Oktoberfest
and the Best Winery, Stone
Hill.
Jeff City's Central Dairy was
the overwhelming choice for
Best Old Fashioned Ice Cream
Shop, with Ruby's in St. James
taking second again. Readers
liked Lake of the Ozarks for
Best Lake while Bennett
Spring took top honors for Beat Pevely, 3. Johnston's Rutledge
Fishing Spot. Current River Flea Market, Rutledge
was voted Best Float Stream Best Farmer's Market
again with the Niangua and 1. Soulard Market, St. Louis,
Meramec coming in second and 2. City Market, Kansas City, 3.
third. -:_. Cumbia Farmer's iarket
Other winners includetf'. Best OldStore
Meramec Caverns, Stanton,
Best Cave; Highland Springs,
Springfield, Best Golf Course;
Katy Trail, Best Outdoor
Adventure; Schoolhouse,
Rocheport, Best Bed &
Breakfast; Carthage, Best
Town Square; Bennett Spring,
Best Camping Spot; Ozark,
Best Antique Hunting Spot;
Wilson's Creek, Republic, Best
Historic Site; and Wentzville
Community Club Flea Market,
Best Flea Market.
A complete list of the
Reader's Choice Award fol-
lows:
Dining Worth the Drive
1. Lamberts, Sikeston and
Ozark, 2. Pear Tree, Bevier, 3.
Caveman, Richland.
Best Catfish
1." Moreland's, Vienna, 2.
LeMaire's, Sedalia, 3. Catfish
Kettle, Farmington
Best Barbecue
1. Johnny's Smoke Stak,
Rolla, 2. Kehde's Barbecue,
Sedalia, 3. The Warehouse,
Farmington
Best Hamburger
1. 63 Diner, Columbia, 2.
Booches, Columbia, 3. Wheel-
In, Sedalia
Best Pie
1. A Slice of Pie, Rolla, 2.
Blue Owl, Kimmswick, 3.
Cooky's, Golden City
Best Old Fashioned Ice
Cream Shop
1. Central Dairy, Jefferson
City, 2. Ruby's, St. James, 3.
Sara's, Ste. Genevieve
Best Winery
1. Stone Hill, Hermann, 2.
St. James Winery, St. James, 3.
Les Bourgeois, Rocheport
Best Art Gallery
1. Nelson-Atkins Museum of
Art, Kansas City, 2. St. Louis
Art Museum, 3. Daum
Museum of Contemporary Art,
Sedalia.
.- Best State Park
1. Ha Ha Tonka,
Camdenton, 2. Roaring River,
Cassville, 3. Bennett Spring,
Lebanon
Best Historic Site "
1. Wilson's Creek National
Battlefield, Republic, 2. Ha Ha
Tonka, Camdenton, 3. (tie)
Arrow Rock and Mark Twain
Home, Florida
Best Festival
1. Oktoberfest, Hermann, 2.
Festival of the Little Hills, St.
Charles, 3. Olde Tyme Apple
Festival, Versailles
Best Antique Hunting Spot
1. Ozark, 2. St. Charles, 3.
Jamesport
Best Flea Market
1. Wentzville Community
Club Flea Market, Wentzville,
2. The Big Pevely Flea Market,
1. Dick's 5&10, Branson, 2.
Crane's, Williamsburg , 3.
Arrow Rock Country Store,
Arrow Rock
Best Christmas Event
1. Silver Dollar City,
Branson, 2. Branson, 3.
Country Club Plaza, Kansas
City
Best Town to Live In
1. Columbia, 2. Springfield,
3. Rolla
Most Beautiful Town
1. Hermann, 2. Carthage, 3.
Springfield
Best Bed & Breakfast
1. School House, Rocheport,
2. Painted Lady, St. James, 3.
Garth-Woodside Mansion,
Hannibal
Best Sporting Event
1. St. Louis Cardinals, 2.
Kansas City Chiefs, 3.
University of Missouri Football
Best Town Square
1. Carthage, 2. Clinton, 3.
Fayette
Best Weekend Getaway
1. Branson, 2. St. Louis, 3.
Lake of the Ozarks
Best Romantic Getaway
1. Branson, 2. Big Cedar
Lodge, Ridgedale, 3. Tan-Tar-A
Resort, Lake of the Ozarks
Best Summer Getaway
1. Branson, 2. Lake of the
Ozarks, 3. St. Louis
Best Lake
1. Lake of the Ozarks, 2. Table
Rock, 3. Truman
Best Fishing Spot
1. Bennett Spring, Lebanon, 2.
Truman Lake, 3. Table Rock
Lake
Best Float Stream
1. Current River, 2. Niangua
River, 3. Meramec River
Best Outdoor Adventure
1. Katy Trail, 2. Canoeing, 3.
Deer hunting
Best Cave
1. Meramec Caverns,
Stanton, 2. Marvel Cave, Silver
Dollar City, 3. Onondaga,
Leasburg
Best Place to Take the Kids
1. Silver Dollar City, 2. St.
Louis oo, 3. Worlds of Fun,
Kansas City
Best Summer Camp
1. Kanakuk, Branson, 2.
Camp Wonderland, Lake of the
Ozarks, 3. Clover Point, Lake
of the Ozarks
Best Day Trip
1. St. Louis Zoo, 2.
Hermann, 3. Branson
Best Camping Spot
1. Bennett Spring State
Park, Lebanon, 2. Roaring
River State Park, Cassville, 3.
Mark Twain State Park,
Stoutsville
Rural Missouri can be found
on-line at
www.ruralmissouri.coop
Coming April 24
This Spring Outdoor Guide is a special section with
articles devoted to outdoor activities ranging from
Turkey Hunting, Fishing and Camping.
With over 7,000 Cuba Free Press and Steelville Star
subscribers, this will be an excellent section to
advertise your business or service.
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