Personalities
Readers’ choices
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