Personalities

Editors’ choices
Best place to suck a duck’s tongue

Questions of authenticity aside, 168 Chinese Café’s menu—especially the chef’s specialties—are not calibrated for the traditional corn-fed American diet. Whether it’s authentic Chinese or not, better traveled souls than ours can attest, but it’s definitely foreign. Which is a good thing. There are tastes here rarely found elsewhere in the area—spicy, savory and salty regions of the palate rarely tickled by more familiar foods. There are tons of great chicken, beef and pork dishes. (It’s not a place to take your vegetarian friends.) The restaurant seems hidden even though it’s on Virginia Street in the middle of town. The ambience and atmosphere—not to mention the name of the joint—barely register. But where else are you going to get to try spicy fried duck tongues? And discover that they’re terrific?

Best place to question your existence

There’s something profound about gazing up into the universe, but when you visit the Fleischmann Planetarium & Science Center, you learn about what goes on up there, too. But the planetarium doesn’t just show features about the solar system—it also hosts documentaries and educational fiction films. The Pink Floyd’s The Wall experience is a must-see. Plus, there’s tons of fun stuff to play with in the exhibit hall, like working models of planets, moon rocks and more. Planetarium experts also host regular star-gazing events, in which participants can use telescopes and explore the night sky. The inexpensive film tickets and hands-on museum make it a great place to take a date. An entire day can be easily spent here learning about science.

Readers’ choices

Best volunteer

1. Evelyn Mount

2. Meredith Tanzer

Best visual artist

1. Kendall Price

2. Jeramie Lu

3. Marcello Rostagni

Best social networker

1. Chris Payne

2. Georgette Crush

3. Oliver Ex

Best real estate agent

1. Susan Rowe

Dickson Realty

2. Claire Kirby

Kirby Real Estate Group

3. Damian Jannsen

Keller Williams Realty

Best public relations professional

1. Kerry Sutherland

K. Sutherland PR

2. Abbi Whitaker

The Abbi Agency

3. Stephanie Kruse

KRS3 Marketing

Best public figure to fantasize about: male

1. Chris Payne

2. Brian Sandoval

Best public figure to fantasize about: female

1. Jordan Soprano

2. Kristen Remington

3. Sarah Johns

Best principal

1. Robert Sullivan

Reno High School/AACT

2. Krissy Brown

Mount Rose Elementary School

Best politician

1. Sheila Leslie

2. Brian Sandoval

3. Bob Cashell

Best police officer

1. Robert Russo

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office

2. Patrick McCauley

Reno Police Department

2. Chuck Allen

Nevada Highway Patrol

Best plastic surgeon

1. Dr. James E. Murphy

2. Dr. Charles Virden

3. Dr. Tiffany McCormack

Best photographer

1. Jeramie Lu

2. Kendall Price

3. Marcello Rostagni

Best pet groomer

1. Tricia Baker

The Dog House Pet Grooming Salon

2. Caroline Johnson

CJ’s Grooming

3. Kristi Joanis

Kristi's Pet Grooming

Best music teacher

1. Eric Stangeland

2. Dennis Fecko

3. Nichole Heglund

Best minister/spiritual advisor

1. Neal Anderson

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

2. Father Tony Vercellone

Our Lady of the Snows

3. Harvey Turner

Living Stones

Best middle school teacher

1. Steve Sutherland

Archie Clayton Middle School

Best massage therapist

1. Tele Raack, LMT

2. Soorya Townley

Body Enlightenment

3. David Merlino

Milan Institute

3. Eboni Davis

Massage Envy

Best-looking woman

1. Jordan Soprano

2. Kristen Remington

2. Annalisa Huante

Best local TV news hairstyle

1. Kristen Remington, KTVN

2. Wendy Damonte, KTVN

3. Shannon Moore, KRXI

Best local TV news anchor

1. Kristen Remington, KTVN

2. Wendy Damonte, KTVN

3. Sarah Johns, KOLO

Best local TV news

1. KTVN Channel 2

2. KOLO Channel 8

3. KRNV Channel 4

Best local radio DJ or DJ team

1. Chris Payne, KRZQ/KURK

2. Bill & Connie, KLCA

3. Dead Air Dave, KTHX

Best local political activist

1. Bob Fulkerson

2. Alison Gaulden

3. Matt Polley

Best local musician

1. Whitney Myer

2. Kerry Shacklett

Best local filmmaker

1. Jason Spencer

2. Bryon Evans

2. Kaleb Temple

Best local comedian

1. Dave Mencarelli

2. Elgin Alway

3. Matt Weigand

Best local columnist

1. Cory Farley, Reno Gazette-Journal

2. Siobhan McAndrew, Reno Gazette-Journal

3. Sean Cary, Daily Sparks Tribune

Best local candidate

1. Sheila Leslie

2. Matt Polley

3. Hillary Schieve

Best local athlete/female

1. Camie Cragg

Best local athlete/male

1. Jake Dalton

2. Colin Kaepernick

3. Max McManus

Best local actor/actress

1. Gina Carano

2. Mary Bennett

3. Bradford D. Kai'ai'ai

Best interior designer

1. Marilee Wintz

Sage Interiors

2. Steve Gunderson

Interiors by Steve Gunderson

3. Kadie Remaklus

KDesign

Best high school teacher

1. Levi Watson

Galena High School

2. Kelly Wetzler

Reno High School

3. Lori Farias

Sparks High School

Best elementary school teacher

1. Jackie Silveira-Sater

Mountain View Montessori School

2. Ilissa Fenlason

Lemmon Valley Elementary School

2. Judy Sutherland

Caughlin Ranch Elementary School

Best handyperson

1. Ben Bishop

2. James Hawes

3. Tom Bailie

Best gynecologist

1. Dr. Elizabeth Hutson

1. Dr. Karen Raven

2. Dr. Corinne Capurro

Best dentist

1. John Bocchi

2. Gene Pascucci

3. Anthony Brunelli

Best creative writer

1. Topher South

2. Bill West

3. Thomas Lloyd Qualls

Best college instructor

1. Bob Felten

University of Nevada, Reno

Best cocktail server

1. Jamie Farley

St. James Infirmary

2. Georgette Crush

St. James Infirmary

3. Grace Tecson

EDGE

Best club doorman/bouncer

1. Jordan Nugent

St. James Infirmary

2. Danielle Bowser

5 Star Saloon

2. Richard Fimby

Tonic Lounge

Best chiropractor

1. Todd Stevenson

Peak Performance Chiropractic

2. Taylor Donovan

The Meridian

3. Daniel Barlow

Westside Chiropractic

Best bartender, female

1. Jamie Farley

St. James Infirmary

2. Georgette Crush

St. James Infirmary

3. Annalisa Huante

Cin Cin

Best bartender, male

1. Cary DeMars

The Knitting Factory/3rd Street

2. Zachary Girdis

St. James Infirmary

3. David Serna

Reno Public House

Best barista

1. Joey Trujillo

The Hub Coffee Co.

2. Chris Bonde

The Hub Coffee Co.

3. Ben Christensen

Starbucks

Best barback

1. Chris Fite

Knitting Factory

2. Drea Ballard

St. James Infirmary

3. Jesse Lucero

Tronix

Best attorney

1. Kathy Breckenridge

2. Nicole Harvey

3. Jerry M. Snyder

3. Del Hardy

Best athletic coach

1. Jason Sterrett

Bishop Manogue Catholic High School

2. Chris Ault

University of Nevada, Reno football

Best advertising salesperson

1. Mark Sexton

KOLO-TV

2. Courtney Meredith

Design on the Edge

3. Candy Greene

Reno Gazette-Journal

3. Dave Chapman

Reno Tahoe Radio