Best Cultural Event Best Festival That's Not St. Patrick's Day Savannah Music Festival It's been eight years since Rob Gibson rode into town on a white horse and declared his intention to widen Savannah's cultural spectrum. And he's done it, bringing world-class musicians from every genre, field and stream. Not only is it musically enriching, the Savannah Music Festival is a class act all the way - the Wall Street Journal wrote about it, the ...

Most Eligible Bachelorette Courtney Victor Most Eligible Bachelor Jason Victor In an unprecedented moment in "Best of Savannah" history, a sister and brother duo takes this year's honors for Most Eligible Bachelor and Most Eligible Bachelorette. Connect caught up with winners Jules "Jason" Victor IV (age 25) and Courtney Victor (age 31) at Abe's on Lincoln, as they took a well-deserved break after the busy Bachelor-Bachelorette campaign season. They spoke to Connect between preparing for ...

Best Conservative Best State Representative Jack Kingston Republican Congressman Jack Kingston has won our reader's choice award for Best Conservative so many years in a row, we've lost count. We decided it was long past time to catch up with the GOP stalwart and ask him why he thinks he's had such a lock on the award. "It's clearly because my supporters are devoted Connect fans," Kingston quips. "But I really am honored." ...

Best Local Blogger Jessica Leigh Lebos Yo, Yenta! Jewish Mothering from the Edge www.yoyenta.com While Jews were among the earliest and most influential settlers of both Savannah and Charleston, they haven't always had the easiest time of it below the Mason-Dixon Line. Jessica Leigh Lebos, your 2010 Best Local Blogger winner, seeks to explore the ins and outs of being Jewish in the South. After she finishes freaking out, that is. "When I got your ...

Best New Restaurant Best Islands Restaurant Ele Fine Fusion This unique eatery is tucked off to the side of US 80 on Wilmington Island like a classy oasis of contemporary Asian fusion, and in a relatively short period of time has beaten a field of tough competition for its two titles this year. Preparing to celebrate its one year anniversary in a few weeks, Ele Fine Fusion has definitely become a staple on the islands. ...

Best New Bar Best Overall Bar Best Bartender (Chris Clarke) Seed Eco Lounge During his final months as a SCAD student, Adam Hamlin wrote his thesis on "a sustainable service industry," i.e. how to run an environmentally friendly bar. Last July, he put his project to the test and opened Seed Eco-Lounge, in the Montgomery Street storefront long-ago occupied by Peddler Jim's. "We re-used the space that was pre-existing and adapted it to what we ...

Best Pilates Studio Momentum Pilates A New Jersey native who's made a seamless transition to Slow-vannah - "I'm not one of the ‘Housewives of New Jersey,'" she laughs - Carol Daly is no stranger to winning this category. Why is she so successful? "I really like what I do," she says simply. "From when I first opened, the majority of people who have been with me have stuck with me." Besides her engaging personality, Daly's ...

Best New Store Polka Dots Running her own specialty shop – gifts and accessories – was a dream for Jackie Pickering, although it took a while to fulfill. An Ohio native, Pickering has been in Savannah for 23 years. She worked in retail – even managed a fashion store – through college, but once she got her teaching certificate, she pursued her other passion. From 1996 to 2008, she taught in Chatham County schools. Polka ...