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Palo Alto Weekly "Best Of" Ballot

This year's balloting will be entirely online and very easy! Help choose the Palo Alto area's best business and fun places. We want this ballot to be a fair and honest tally, so we'll be on alert for ballot stuffing.
How to Vote
• Vote for at least 5 categories
• Fill in your contact information at the end
• Submit your ballot by July 12, 2009.
• Confirm your vote via e-mail (To discourage ballot stuffing, your ballot will not be counted until you activate it by responding to a confirmation e-mail that will automatically be sent to you).
• Online ballots will only be accepted so please do not mail yours.
• Only one ballot per person is allowed.

Hall of Fame
In several ballot categories, you will notice that a business is listed as a Hall of Fame winner and cannot be voted for. These are businesses that have won the category five or more consecutive years and receive the Hall of Fame award. They do not compete for three years after Hall of Fame status is established. In this way, we give perennial winners special recognition while offering up-and-comers a shot at stardom. We are pleased to announce the following businesses returning to the ballot: Fish Market – Best Seafood, Kirk's Steakburgers – Best Burger, Osteria – Best Italian, Kepler's Books and Magazines – Best Bookstore, Palo Alto Hardware – Best Hardware, University Art Center – Best Framing, Garden Court Hotel – Best Hotel, Midtown Shoe Repair – Best Shoe Repair and Hobee's - Best Breakfast.

Write-in Voting
If your favorite is not amongst the list to vote on, please write in your choice to be recognized. After enough write-ins, the business may be added to the pull-down. A few new categories are marked as "WRITE IN ONLY". We need your help to populate these categories, so vote for your favorites by writing them in!

Business Owners
If your location is not listed in a category which you believe it should be listed in, please send an email to the address below, listing your business name, location and the subcategory you wish to be added to. The Best Of Committee will review the request and add your business if space permits. If you are a new non-restaurant business, your location will be listed in the "New Business" sub-category in Retail. New restaurants will be added to the "New Restaurant" sub-category in Restaurants.

Print out a flyer to help promote your business. The link is: http://www.PaloAltoOnline.com/best_of/help_us_win.pdf

Prizes
You are automatically entered into our drawing for dozens of prizes, including free dinners, gift certificates and theatre events. Winners will be drawn at random and contacted by email after July 12, 2009.

To The Rescue (Service Businesses)
	Audio Visual Products & Services		If not in ballot, write in:
	Auto Care		If not in ballot, write in:
	Chiropractors - WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Day Spa	Hall of Fame Winner: La Belle Day Spa	If not in ballot, write in:
	Dentists - WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Dry Cleaner		If not in ballot, write in:
	Frame Shop		If not in ballot, write in:
	Gym		If not in ballot, write in:
	Hair Salon		If not in ballot, write in:
	Hotel		If not in ballot, write in:
	Manicure/Pedicure		If not in ballot, write in:
	Massage		If not in ballot, write in:
	Men's Haircut		If not in ballot, write in:
	Orthodontists-WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Painters-WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Personal Fitness Program - WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Plumbers-WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Shoe Repair		If not in ballot, write in:
	Skin Care		If not in ballot, write in:
	Value Hotel/Motel		If not in ballot, write in:
	Veterinarian		If not in ballot, write in:
	Yoga		If not in ballot, write in:
To The Mall...And Beyond (Retail Shopping)
			If not in ballot, write in:
	Appliances/Electronics - WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Beauty Supply		If not in ballot, write in:
	Bike Shop	Hall of Fame Winner: Palo Alto Bicycles	If not in ballot, write in:
	Bookstore		If not in ballot, write in:
	Boutique		If not in ballot, write in:
	Carpet & Floor Coverings-WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Eyewear		If not in ballot, write in:
	Florist		If not in ballot, write in:
	Furniture Store	Hall of Fame Winner: IKEA	If not in ballot, write in:
	Gift/Novelty Shop		If not in ballot, write in:
	Green Business		If not in ballot, write in:
	Hardware Store		If not in ballot, write in:
	Home Furnishings		If not in ballot, write in:
	Jewelry Store		If not in ballot, write in:
	Lingerie Wear		If not in ballot, write in:
	Men's Apparel		If not in ballot, write in:
	New Business		If not in ballot, write in:
	Nursery/Garden Supplies		If not in ballot, write in:
	Pet Store		If not in ballot, write in:
	Pharmacy/Drug Store	Hall of Fame Winner: Longs Drugs	If not in ballot, write in:
	Shoe Store		If not in ballot, write in:
	Sporting Goods & Apparel		If not in ballot, write in:
	Stationery Store		If not in ballot, write in:
	Toy Store		If not in ballot, write in:
	Women's Apparel		If not in ballot, write in:
Incredible Grub (Food & Drink)
	Bagels		If not in ballot, write in:
	Bakery/Deserts	Hall of Fame Winner: Prolific Oven	If not in ballot, write in:
	Bar		If not in ballot, write in:
	Breakfast		If not in ballot, write in:
	Burrito		If not in ballot, write in:
	Coffee House	Hall of Fame Winner: Peet's Coffee and Tea	If not in ballot, write in:
	Deli/Sandwiches		If not in ballot, write in:
	Food-To-Go		If not in ballot, write in:
	Grocery Store		If not in ballot, write in:
	Ice Cream/Gelato		If not in ballot, write in:
	Martini/Cocktail		If not in ballot, write in:
	Milkshake		If not in ballot, write in:
	Organic Eats - WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Place to Buy Wine-WRITE-IN ONLY		If not in ballot, write in:
	Produce	Hall of Fame Winner: Whole Foods	If not in ballot, write in:
	Salad		If not in ballot, write in:
	Wine List		If not in ballot, write in:
	Yogurt		If not in ballot, write in:
Fantastic Fork (Restaurants)
	Ambiance		If not in ballot, write in:
	Burgers		If not in ballot, write in:
	California Cuisine		If not in ballot, write in:
	Chinese Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Dining with Kids		If not in ballot, write in:
	French Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Fusion Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Indian Restaurant	Hall of Fame Winner: Darbar	If not in ballot, write in:
	International Cuisine		If not in ballot, write in:
	Italian Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Meal Under $20		If not in ballot, write in:
	Mediterranean Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Mexican Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	New Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Outdoor Dining		If not in ballot, write in:
	Pizza		If not in ballot, write in:
	Restaurant to Splurge		If not in ballot, write in:
	Romantic Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Seafood Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Solo Dining		If not in ballot, write in:
	Sports Bar		If not in ballot, write in:
	Steak		If not in ballot, write in:
	Sunday Brunch	Hall of Fame Winner: Hobee's	If not in ballot, write in:
	Sushi/Japanese Restaurant	Hall of Fame Winner: Fuki Sushi	If not in ballot, write in:
	Thai Restaurant		If not in ballot, write in:
	Vegetarian/Vegan Cuisine		If not in ballot, write in:
	Vietnamese Restaurant	Hall of Fame Winner: Tamarine	If not in ballot, write in:
Up, Up and Away! (Fun Stuff )
	Best Palo Alto Park		If not in ballot, write in:
	Live Entertainment		If not in ballot, write in:
	Nightlife Spot		If not in ballot, write in:
	Place for a Playdate		If not in ballot, write in:
	Wi-Fi Hot Spot		If not in ballot, write in:
Shazam! (Superhero Fun Stuff)
	Best Place for a Hero-Villain Battle		If not in ballot, write in:
	Best Place to Change Into Your Superhero Costume		If not in ballot, write in:
	Best Place to Deliver a Villainous Monologue		If not in ballot, write in:
	Best Rooftop to Shine the Bat Light From		If not in ballot, write in:
	Best Superhero Headquarters		If not in ballot, write in:
	Local City Figure Most Likely to be a Superhero in Disguise		If not in ballot, write in:

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