Best Of Athens

So our local news org has this 2014 Best of Athens awards. It kinda goes on and on and on, but if you live in Athens or often visit it's kinda fun to go through and nod at the ones you agree with, frown at the ones you disagree with, and shake your head in complete confusion at stuff like Best Tanning Salon. Can there actually be a best tanning salon? Aren't they, by definition, all dumb?

Look at the People list. Best Hearing Aid Professional? I suspect the Best Pediatrician has a lot of votes because, after all, do you want to admit you hired the second best pediatrician to work on your kid? Probably not.

As faithful readers know, I'm all about methodology. There is none to report here. It's voted by readers or visitors to the site, so companies or professionals can cook the data by encouraging their employees and customers to visit and vote, no doubt early and often. I'm amused that Mama's Boy finished second in the Best Breakfast category, which is surprising given the lemmings who line up at its door every Sunday morning (Mama's Boy did nab Best Brunch, so lemmings feel good about yourself).

My favorite, though, is the Best Vegetarian/Vegan category. If you've spent any time in Athens you know already that The Grit will win. That's a given. But second -- and God I love this -- is Blind Pig Tavern. I assume it's not kosher vegan, being a blind pig and all, but that's either priceless or it says something sad about the vegan choices elsewhere in town.