The Best of Roanoke 2011
New categories! New faces and places! Our readers have voted in unprecedented numbers on their favorite things in the Roanoke Valley. Our thanks to all who voted and our invitation to make use of those results.
- Pop Out People
- On a Little Screen Right in Front of You
- The Newspaper
- Live & Learn
- What Happened What’s Happenin’
- Where to Go, What to Do
- Wheels
- Shop for it All
- Home, Sweet Home
- Best in Services
What Happened What’s Happenin’
Annual Sporting Event
- Platinum: Stagg Bowl
- Gold: VT football (especially vs. UVA and Thurs. night games)
- Silver: Guns and Hoses hockey
Annual Festival
- Platinum: Festival in the Park
- Gold: Strawberry Festival
- Silver: Local Colors
Local Charity Event, 2010
- Platinum: Drumstick Dash
- Gold: Black and White Ball (Square Society)
- Silver: Best in Show SPCA
Free Comedy, 2010
- Platinum: Roanoke City Council deliberations
Best Place to Get Wild Once a Year
- Platinum: Corned Beef & Co.
- Gold: 202 Market
- Silver: FloydFest
Best Thing to Happen in Roanoke, 2010
- Platinum: Market renovations
- Gold: New Roanoke City Manager
- Silver (tie): Blue Ridge Marathon
- Silver (tie): Patrick Henry Hotel renovation
- Silver (tie): Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine opening
Where We Blew it, 2010
- Platinum: Taubman financial problems (staff cuts, Nora’s Cafe)
- Gold: Angering vendors by shutting down the Market Building
Best New Business, 2010
- Platinum: Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar
- Gold: The Shadowbox Cinema
Best Idea For 2011
- Platinum: Kohl’s moving into former Hunting Hills WalMart location
- Gold (tie): Consolidation
- Gold (tie): Patrick Henry Hotel renovation
- Gold (tie): Passenger Train Service from Roanoke to DC and beyond
Musician You Hope Plays the Valley
- Platinum: Dave Matthews
- Gold (tie): Jimmy Buffett
- Gold (tie): Lady Gaga
Longest Traffic Light
- Platinum: 419 in front of Tanglewood Mall
- Gold: Hershberger / Williamson Rd. Intersection
- Silver: Elm Ave. over I-581
Best-Kept Secret in Town
- Platinum: TUNED OUT – tunedouttv.com
- Gold (tie): Cakes by Carla
- Gold (tie): Lucky Restaurant
- Gold (tie): Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar
- Silver (tie): Angelo’s Restaurant (Vinton)
- Silver (tie): Bubblecake Bake Shop
- Silver (tie): Burger in the Square
- Silver (tie): Coach & Four Restaurant
- Silver (tie): Fork in the Alley
- Silver (tie): Fork in the City
- Silver (tie): Full Moon Cafe’s Cookies
- Silver (tie): Local Roots Restaurant
- Silver (tie): Thelma’s Chicken and Waffles
- Silver (tie): The Underground Gallery at Frames N’ Things
Holiday Event
- Platinum: Dickens of a Christmas
- Gold: Roanoke Symphony Holiday Pops
- Silver: Drumstick Dash
Building in Most Need of a Facelift
- Platinum: Taubman Museum
- Gold: Heironimus Building
- Silver: Virginia Railway Passenger Station at Jefferson Street and Williamson Road
Place that Makes You Feel Like a Kid Again
- Platinum (tie): Chuck E. Cheese’s
- Platinum (tie): Mill Mountain Zoo
- Silver (tie): Mill Mountain
- Silver (tie): Pop’s Ice Cream and Soda Bar
