Post-Dispatch readers usually are not shy about expressing their opinions to our newsroom. And they responded well when we asked for their thoughts about the best places to eat, hang out and have fun in the St. Louis area.
The result is the second annual Go! List, a 28-page special issue of Go! Magazine included Sunday for home-delivery subscribers and available for sale at 54 QuikTrip stores in Missouri.
For the Post-Dispatch features staff, it is a labor of love that culminated Thursday with a party at Plush in midtown for winners, selected by our critics and readers in categories ranging from “best place for a shot and a beer” to “best festival.”
For the Post-Dispatch features staff, it is a labor of love that culminated Thursday with a party at Plush in midtown for winners, selected by our critics and readers in categories ranging from “best place for a shot and a beer” to “best festival.”
“The arts community really turned out,” said Jody Mitori, Post-Dispatch assistant managing editor for features.
Though it’s only our second year for The Go! List, the features staff looks forward to the awards party.
“It’s such a fun opportunity to mingle with the people we write about,” said Gabe Hartwig, editor of Go! Magazine. “Actors, directors, authors, chefs, DJs, artists — the whole project really brings together a diverse group of talent.”
Find video and a gallery of photos from the party stltoday.com/thegolist.
In a ballot at STLtoday.com, readers cast thousands of votes for their favorites around town. We promoted the ballot on social media and in email newsletters, and potential vote-getters encouraged fans to support their establishments.
For our readers, voting for their favorites is a lot of fun. For our staff, it involves a lot of moving parts to nail down for many people and places. But they have fun, too.
“In many cases, it may be tough for our critics to pick just one favorite,” Hartwig said. “But it’s always satisfying to recognize our winners and to hand them an award that they can put on display and be proud of.”
The effort captures the eclectic nature of St. Louis’ arts and dining scene. The list recognizes some internationally acclaimed favorites such as the St. Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Art Museum, as well local haunts such as the “best places for karaoke” (Just John and Double D Karaoke).
Culling the winners was made possible thanks to weeks of promotion by Elaine Vydra and Jessica Pryor in our marketing department. With Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and email newsletters, readers were encouraged to cast their votes online, which resulted in a significant increase in votes over last year.
New to this year’s Go! List project are videos made by broadcast journalism intern Josh Holland and a mega photo gallery of the winners, available at stltoday.com/thegolist.
Staff artist Dan Martin, best known as the hand behind the daily Weatherbird cartoon on the P-D front page, illustrated the cover of The Go! List — an image of King Louis IX, free from his pedestal on Art Hill.
