Only the BEST

This is it, the issue so many local eyes, ears and taste buds have been waiting for. It’s our 8th annual Best of 225! Before we begin, I want to thank all of the magazine’s readers, and the 3,187 locals who took the time to complete our survey. The Best of 225 results in this issue represent 184,846 total votes.

For all of their diligence and hard work, I also want to thank John Boston and his team at S.C.I. Research, the independent research firm that manages our scientific survey and compiles the results. And finally, I’d like to thank editor Jeff Roedel and the entire 225 team for producing this special issue.

The magazine you are reading is the biggest edition of 225 to date, and the largest July cover package we’ve ever done. This year we are featuring 58 categories, and each includes winners and runners-up voted to the top by you, the readers.

We’ve added several new categories for 2013, including Best Place for a Wedding Reception, Best Business Lunch, Best Omelette, Best Neighborhood, Best Non-Profit Organization and more.

We also asked a select group of local foodies and 225‘s contributing food writers to huddle and add their hidden gems to our list of fan-chosen winners in several categories. For their suggestions, look for the knife-and-fork logo and “Foodie Pick” in the cover package.

To find out who won what, click here to enjoy the best of the best that the Capital City area has to offer. One final note, if you have any suggestions for new categories for next year’s Best of 225, email your ideas to [email protected].

The Red Stick Farmers Market has been a staple of downtown and south Baton Rouge areas since the 1990s. Now, residents in north Baton Rouge, those living in an area defined as a “food desert,” have access to fresh produce and homemade goods from our regional farmers and bakers thanks to a mobile version of the market that launched in May. The effort is the result of the cooperation and collaboration of many local agencies and individuals. Read editor Jeff Roedel’s story on the mobile market here.

I’ve known Sullivan’s Steakhouse General Manager Leo Verde for a long time. As a matter of fact, I remembered him when he had no beard, was really slim and in his late teens, because we played soccer against each other on several occasions both in high school and on all-star select teams.

After college, Leo went on to learn the restaurant business with Chef Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans. It was there when, as publisher of New Orleans Magazine, I reconnected with Leo and we began cultivating our relationship—no longer as foes on the soccer field, but as friends.

Years back when he was contemplating coming to Baton Rouge, I told him that the Capital City was growing and that he would have success if he made the move. Well, he has had a lot of success by growing the clientele and the revenues at Sullivan’s. However, I don’t know if that professional success can quite compare to his success with marathons.

Leo has been disciplined and committed to his new hobby. In fact, he raised $31,000 for the local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation leading up to his run in this year’s Boston Marathon. Verde and his fiancée Laure were both close to the horrific blasts when they went off. Read about Verde’s experience at the marathon and his lessons from that tragedy in his own words, here.

Big kudos go to Forum 35 and all the artists who participate in Art Melt. This year marks the event’s 10th anniversary. If you’re not familiar with Art Melt, it is the largest multimedia juried art exhibit in the state. Not only an awesome showcase for Louisiana artists, it’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone to experience the best in local fine art, live music and performing arts, and to have a great time while doing so. Art Melt is free and open to the public. The exhibit will open July 20 at the Louisiana State Museum in downtown Baton Rouge from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Of course, if you can’t make it for opening night, all of the artwork will be on display for a few weeks afterward at the museum.