2007
"Best of Pittsburgh"
Winners

We scoured our city and region for the things we love most. Here are 10 of nearly 100 displays of bestness we could find. Please check out your newsstand or order online for the complete list, including YOUR favorites from our "Best of Pittsburgh Readers' Choice" online survey. Enjoy!

Written and reported by: Liz Dice, Robert Isenberg, Mike May, Reese Randall. Photography by Laura Petrilla. Illustrations by Steve Salerno.

BEST
Entertaining Menu

Bound in a wooden folio, the Mad Mex dinner menu is like a class clown's scrapbook: There's a photo of a pudgy man wearing a far-too-small pink T-shirt, with the caption, "Mad Mex Diet: Week 5." Many items are described in a punched-up Southwestern dialect. For example, "Kristy's Big Sister's Red Velvet Quesadilla" is "so good you want to nuzzle it." The menu also offers a range of unusual gifts and services, from novelty shot-glasses (costing $2) to "Your Friend's Date's Phone Number" (costing three margaritas). It even reveals the secret technique for preparing chicken wings: "Before lopping 'em off, we follow a time-honored tradition of spinning the chicken at 4,000 RPM, forcing the flavor into the wing tips." ¡Buen appetito! -- R.I.
Mad Mex: see Web site for area locations, madmex.com.

BEST
Street to Live On

Yes, every man (and woman's) home might be his (or her) castle, as the saying goes, but if you could choose to be lord (or lady) of the manor in any castle on any street in these environs, where would it be? Many mention Woodland Road, but there are at least two arteries that bear that descriptive name and have bragging rights to some pretty swanky castles along them. One, in Shadyside, almost seems like a country road, winding through the lovely Chatham College campus (right), affording unusual perspectives of the architectural treasures along the hillsides. Starting its journey in Sewickley and heading west into Edgeworth is another Woodland Road, which showcases its Georgians and Tudors along a street that is mainly long, straight and wide, and enhanced by a procession of tall, stately oaks. Given a choice between those two Woodlands, even King Arthur or Queen Guinevere would have to flip a coin. -- M.M.

BEST
Outdoor Massage

Ah, the great outdoors. Lush, green foliage. Cool breezes. Water gurgling over rocks. It's kind of hard to think of anything that could make it better. Unless, that is, you visit Spa In The Hollow for an outdoor massage, right in the middle of it all. Start your visit by filling out a questionnaire so your massage therapist can cater to your every ache and pain; then, visit the locker room to change into one of the spa's signature, oversized robes. Sip a cup of tea while you wait for your masseuse, then make your way to a breezy gazebo fitted with a massage table. The therapists here use an unscented, hypo-allergenic massage cream instead of the standard-issue heavily scented oils. While you're enjoying your pampering, a small waterfall beside the gazebo provides soothing sounds. It's a simple way to reconnect with yourself, banish toxins from your muscles and let the sights and sounds of nature wash over you. Massages for two are also available in the outdoor gazebo. The treatments are offered early spring through early fall, weather permitting; indoor massage is offered year-round. -- L.D.
Spa in the Hollow: 3075 Washington Road, McMurray; 724/969-0993, spainthehollow.net.

BEST
Fashionable Couple

John and Bonnie Levey are the definition of fashionable. Owners of Dress Circle boutique in Shadyside, the Leveys take the responsibility of dressing women with the agenda of helping them find their potential for looking their personal best. This married couple started Dress Circle in the early 1980s, and it was John's confidence in her that encouraged Bonnie to open the store. "Bonnie's eye for fashion is almost perfect - she has changed the way I dress," expresses John. The Leveys carry both American-and European-designer collections, including Michael Kors, Zac Posen, Jil Sander and Proenza-Schouler. Never tired of seeing a fabulous collection, Bonnie adds, "We love to dress women to look their most beautiful." -- R.R.
Dress Circle: 738 Bellefonte St., Shadyside; 412/681-7799.

BEST
Escape From a Pittsburgh Winter

Pittsburghers have long sought refuge from icy blasts and winter blahs at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Now, with the opening of the 12,000-square-foot Tropical Forest Conservatory last December, there's another great getaway at this cultural crown jewel. The wonders of Thailand are the first focus at the new space, which houses not only palm trees, ferns and exotic species of plants, but also roaring waterfalls and tranquil pools. While you're at Phipps, also make sure to take in the work of world-famous glass artist Dale Chihuly as part of the year-long "Pittsburgh Celebrates Glass" event. "Chihuly at Phipps: Gardens & Glass" continues through Nov. 11. -- M.M.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: 1 Schenley Park, Oakland; 412/622-6914, phipps.conservatory.org.

BEST
Stress-Free Bear Encounter

Billed as "nature in high-definition," the Pittsburgh Zoo's Polar Bear exhibit is the closest you'll get to a live polar bear - without flying to the Arctic and walking around in a seal costume. Your journey begins as you pass through a 30-foot tunnel; through its acrylic ceiling, you can see the underbellies of the bears as they slink across the crystal-clear, sunlit waters. Majestic as these enormous carnivores may be, don't miss the pair of sea otters splashing around the (aptly named) Sea Otter Cove. -- R.I.
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: One Wild Place,Highland Park; 412/665-3640.

BEST
Light Lunch

Sometimes you wake up and - Zut alors! - no crêpe batter. How are you going to entertain your Francophilic friends from out of town? Where will you find fresh crêpes folded with fruit and topped with whipped cream and walnuts, served in an intimate setting? Well, allez over to Crêpes Parisiennes, a fashionable lunch joint in Shadyside (or try the Oakland location.) Beneath the prim blue awning, down a set of steps, you will find this quaint European enclave, where the décor is bright, the menu will make you dizzy (spinach or salmon with chives?) and somehow, magically, a table will always open up, no matter how packed the house. Some snooty ami doesn't find it authentic? Tell him or her the cooking equipment was imported from France. Et voilà! -- R.I.
Crêpes Parisiennes: 732 Filbert St., Shadyside, 412/683-2333; 207 S. Craig St., Oakland; 412/683-1912.

BEST
Cure for a Hangover

The salty, savory mix of tomato juice and vodka makes the Bloody Mary a downright heavenly tonic, especially after a lively night on the town. The bartenders at Walnut Grill and Shady Grove (the Grill's downstairs counterpart) combine Bloody Mary mix, Tabasco, A1 Steak Sauce, Worcestershire, pepper, red-pepper flakes and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning, then pour the mixture over one shot of vodka on the rocks. It's served garnished with a seasoned shrimp. You can try it at home, but the bartenders here insist that the secret's in the proportions. -- L.D.
Walnut Grill and Shady Grove: 5500 Walnut St., Shadyside; 412/697-0909, eatwalnut.com.

BEST
Liquid Pumpkin Pie

With ingredients such as cinnamon liquor and coffee-flavored liqueur, this "pumpkin pie" sure isn't the way Grandma used to bake it. The talented bartenders at lovable South Side bar the White Eagle Tavern (you'll know you're there when you see the cardboard sign out front) mix up something almost culinary amid the dartboard, jukebox and $2 Yuenglings. It starts with an ingenious mix of kahlua, Bacardi 151 and cinnamon liquor. Then, the whole shebang is set on fire and sprinkled with cinnamon. Blow out the fire when it's achieved the optimum temperature, and give it a gulp. You'll swear you just had a bite of Thanksgiving dessert - with a little kick. -- L.D.
White Eagle Tavern: 2300 E. Carson St., South Side; 412/481-1374.

BEST
Surprise Ending to a Meal

When out-of-town family or friends touch down here, and you're the designated tour guide, one of the cool places to finish off a day of sightseeing is at Station Square with dinner at Pittsburgh Rare. First off, the restaurant offers a dazzling view of the Monongahela River and the cityscape, especially after dark. Then, you can impress your guests with a linguistic history of the term "Pittsburgh rare." It supposedly harkens back to the days when steelworkers took a slab of steak to work and slapped it onto a slab of hot metal, searing in a red (rare) core around a blackened exterior. (The term even appears in Wikipedia!) Then, after the main course and dessert, wait for a surprise. A beautiful cloud of cotton candy is brought to each table for sharing. There's something about this old-fashioned treat that brings out the kid in all of us. You'll hear oohs and aahs. Everyone leaves happy. No kidding! -- M.M.
Pittsburgh Rare: Sheraton Station Square Hotel, 300 W. Station Square Drive, South Side; 412/803-3824, pittsburghrare.com.

Be sure to check out your newsstand or order online for the complete 2007 Best of Pittsburgh!