Salida entrepreneurs Leah Underwood and Rebecca Adelman published the results of their “Best of Salida” competition last Friday.
Voting for the “Best of” competition lasted roughly eight weeks during the late summer and early fall via a website and paper ballots distributed around Salida. Residents were able to list their opinions for 62 categories, including best Mexican food, firefighter, and tattoo shop. More than just businesses were included: an “outdoor” section solicited votes for best mountain, hike and “place for kids.”
A sampling of the results:
- Best Restaurant – Amicas Pizza
- Best Beautician/Barber – Sheila Veazey
- Best Masseuse/Masseur – Denise Ackert
- Best Breakfast – Pancake Patio Place
- Best Gift Shop – Fringe
- Best Art Gallery – Cultureclash
- Best Yoga Studio – Salida Yoga Center
- Best Hot Springs – Joyful Journey
- Best Happy Hour – Boathouse Cantina
- Best School Teacher – Samantha Lane
Download the complete publication (2.8 MB PDF).
A “Staff Picks” section tapped Curtis Kilhorn as the “Best Inspiration” for his “awe-inspiring painted trees atop Tenderfoot Mountain, his relentless pursuit of art in the modern day, and because he was nominated as ‘Best Happy Person’ and owns a lounge called ‘Euphoria’.”
Café Dawn was cited as Best Overall, taking first in the “Best Coffee” category also.
The main idea, according to Underwood, is “to help encourage people who are doing great things in the community by recognizing them in a positive manner.”
Underwood said that she and Adelman were pleased with the response to the project, saying that one of the goals was to get survey results from a broad spectrum of residents. Nearly 400 ballots were returned, she said.
The privately-funded print publication will be available via local businesses, the library, the pool, and the Chamber of Commerce. Results will also be listed on the website, according to Underwood, but weren’t posted as of Dec. 1.
In the future, Underwood expects to have more categories, many taken from suggestions made this year. She would also like to see the results be available at local hotels, or perhaps part of the visitors’ guide, so that “people coming to the community can see what is so special about the town.”
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