2009 Readers’ Choice Awards

Best Breakfast or Brunch Restaurant

1. Brennan’s Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana
2. The Court of Two Sisters, New Orleans, Louisiana (pictured)
3. The Dillard House, Dillard, Georgia
4. The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa,
Asheville, North Carolina
5. Loveless Cafe, Nashville, Tennessee
6. Pancake Pantry, Nashville, Tennessee
7. Commander’s Palace, New Orleans,
Louisiana
8. Café Du Monde, New Orleans, Louisiana
9. Moose Cafe, Asheville, North Carolina
10. Lynn’s Paradise Cafe, Louisville, Kentucky

Southern Favorite Restaurants

1. The Lady & Sons (pictured), Savannah, Georgia
2. Wade’s Family Restaurant, Spartanburg,
South Carolina
3. The Dillard House, Dillard, Georgia
4. Blue Willow Inn Restaurant,
Social Circle, Georgia
5. Loveless Cafe, Nashville, Tennessee
6. Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room,
Savannah, Georgia
7. Jestine’s Kitchen, Charleston,
South Carolina
8. Magnolias Restaurant, Charleston,
South Carolina
9. Mama Dip’s Kitchen, Chapel Hill,
North Carolina
10. Moose Cafe, Asheville, North Carolina

Splurge Worthy Restaurants

1. Commander’s Palace (pictured), New Orleans,
Louisiana
2. Angus Barn, Raleigh, North Carolina
3. The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa,
Asheville, North Carolina
4. Magnolias Restaurant, Charleston,
South Carolina
5. Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham,
Alabama
6. The Inn at Little Washington, Virginia
7. Peninsula Grill, Charleston,
South Carolina
8. Bone’s Restaurant, Atlanta, Georgia
9. High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill,
Charleston, South Carolina
10. 82 Queen, Charleston, South Carolina

Best Beach Destination

1. Destin, Florida
2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
3. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach (pictured), Alabama
4. Panama City Beach, Florida
5. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
6. Pensacola, Florida
7. Sanibel Island, Florida
8. Outer Banks, North Carolina
9. Virginia Beach, Virginia
10. Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Best Scenic View

1. Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee
2. Grandfather Mountain (pictured), Linville,
North Carolina
3. Chimney Rock Park, North Carolina
4. Grand Rivers Jetty, Kentucky
5. Rock City Gardens, Lookout Mountain,
Georgia
6. Cades Cove, Tennessee
7. (tie) Clingman’s Dome, North Carolina/
Tennessee
7. (tie) Stone Mountain, Georgia
9. Brasstown Bald, Georgia
10. Mount Magazine, Arkansas

Best Festival or Fair

1. State Fair of Texas (pictured), Dallas September 25-October 18
2. North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh October 15-25
3. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
April 24-26 and April 30-May 3
4. Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, SC May 22-June 7
5. Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City
February 26-March 8
6. Yellow Daisy Festival, Stone Mountain, GA
September 10-13
7. Annual National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, AL
October 8-11
8. South Carolina State Fair, Columbia October 14-25
9. Memphis in May International Festival, TN May 1-23
10. Mardi Gras, New Orleans, LA February 24

Best Public Gardens

1. Callaway Gardens,
Pine Mountain, Georgia
2. Bellingrath Gardens, Theodore,
Alabama
3. Biltmore Gardens (pictured), Asheville,
North Carolina
4. Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet,
South Carolina
5. Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia
6. Duke Gardens, Durham, North Carolina
7. Dallas Arboretum, Texas
8. Birmingham Botanical Gardens,
Alabama
9. Garvin Woodland Gardens,
Hot Springs, Arkansas
10. Cheekwood Botanical Garden,
Nashville, Tennessee

Best Southern City

1. Charleston, South Carolina
2. Savannah, Georgia
3. Atlanta (pictured), Georgia
4. New Orleans, Louisiana
5. Nashville, Tennessee
6. Orlando, Florida
7. San Antonio, Texas
8. Asheville, North Carolina
9. Destin, Florida
10. Austin, Texas

Best Neighborhood for Shopping

1. Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia
2. King Street (pictured), Charleston,
South Carolina
3. Magazine Street,
New Orleans, Louisiana
4. Virginia Highland,
Atlanta, Georgia
5. French Quarter,
New Orleans, Louisiana
6. Homewood, Birmingham,
Alabama
7. Green Hills, Nashville,
Tennessee
8. The Woodlands, Texas
9. Carytown, Richmond,
Virginia
10. Georgetown,
Washington, D.C.

Best Hotel

1. The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Asheville, North Carolina
2. Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center,
Nashville, Tennessee
3. The Peabody Memphis (pictured), Tennessee
4. Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club, & Spa,
Point Clear, Alabama
5. Charleston Place, Charleston, South Carolina
6. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Orlando, Florida
7. Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi
8. Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina
9. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort,
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
10. Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center,
Grapevine, Texas

Best Cruise Line

1. Princess Cruises
2. Carnival Cruise Lines
3. Royal Caribbean International
4. Norwegian Cruise Line
5. Disney Cruise Line
6. Holland America Line
7. Celebrity Cruises
8. Cunard Line
9. Crystal Cruises
10. Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best Family Destination

1. Orlando/Walt Disney World
Orlando, Florida
2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
3. Destin, Florida
4. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, Alabama
5. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
6. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
7. Williamsburg, Virginia
8. San Antonio, Texas
9. Branson, Missouri
10. Charleston, South Carolina

Best Small Town

1. Beaufort (pictured), South Carolina
2. Fairhope, Alabama
3. Fredericksburg, Texas
4. Blowing Rock, North Carolina
5. Franklin, Tennessee
6. Eureka Springs, Arkansas
7. Oxford, Mississippi
8. Grand Rivers, Kentucky
9. Madison, Georgia
10. Hendersonville, North Carolina

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Readers' Choice Award Winners