Photos

Weekly readers were the casting directors for this year's Best Of issue.

You picked which Palo Alto-area businesses would star here, whether the hands-of-steel chiropractor suitable for getting ailing action heroes back on their feet or the swooniest romantic restaurant for that first-date scene. They're getting their Best Of props based on your votes.

As always, we've found the local favorites in the areas of restaurants, food and drink, retail and services. This year, we also added a few new categories: best dentist, fitness classes, personal trainer/fitness program, travel agency (a Golden Globe winner?), art gallery and barbecue restaurant.

Some businesses take the plum roles: They've won their categories five years in a row and get to wear the Hall of Fame tiara or tux for three years.

Categories:

■ Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Restaurants)

■ Reality Bites (Food & Drink)

■ Goodfellas (Services)

■ The Shop Around the Corner (Retail Shopping)

Related material:

■ Best Of raffle winners

■ Best Of Palo Alto 2009


Best of Palo Alto's cast of contributors
Editor: Rebecca Wallace
Writers: Carol Blitzer, Carolyn Copeland, Ryan Deto, Jocelyn Dong, Sue Dremann, Tyler Hanley, Jennifer Hine, Karla Kane, Chris Kenrick, Jane Knoerle, Robin Migdol, Gennady Sheyner, Sophie Stid, Hannah Totte, Georgia Wells
Photographers: Kimihiro Hoshino, Michelle Le, Veronica Weber
Designers: Linda Atilano, Shannon Corey, Diane Haas, Paul Llewellyn, Raul Perez, Scott Peterson, Gary Vennarucci
Publicity & Logistics: Lisa Johnson, Rachel Palmer, Amy Renalds

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