Instead of my usual long-winded look back over the previous year, I thought it might be a bit more telling to look back at the most popular posts of the year.  I went with “10” because after that, the next 20 or so are mostly FFAFs and repeats of the topics listed below.

So without further ado here they are; an odd mixture of controversy, tragedy and restaurant happenings.

1.  Dollar General Coming to Oakhurst?

2.  5 Year-Old Found Dead in Oakhurst

3.  Progress at Decatur Diner

4.  Shooting at Pin-Ups

5.  Mac Magee Now Open on Decatur Square

6.  Stop-Work Order Delays Decatur Diner Opening

7.  Cakes & Ale To Renovate Three Retail Spots By Decatur MARTA Entry

8.  Farmstead 303 Opens in Decatur Depot; Menu Online

9.  Taste of Decatur Not so Tasty

10.  “Horrific” Hit & Run in Emory Village This Morning

Sunday Paper just released their Reader’s Choice winners for 2010 and there are quite of few Decatur and Decatur-ish mentions!  Here’s my summary.  Let me know if I missed any!

Food and Drink

• Best Pub Food – The Marley House  (Runner Up: The Brick Store)
• Best Overall Bar & Best Beer Selection – Brick Store Pub
• Best Seafood – (Runner Up: Wahoo! Grill)
• Best Indian – Bhojanic
• Best Italian – Figo
• Best Irish Bar – (Runner Up: The Marley House)

City Living

• Best ITP Neighborhood – Decatur
• Best Neighborhood to Raise Your Kids – Decatur
• Best Local College or University – Emory

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve yet to vote in Creative Loafing’s “Best of Atlanta” poll for all things Decatur, you only have one day and roughly 8 hours left to do so.

In addition to “best blog” and “best blogger” (found at the bottom of the Cityscape section), I’m hoping DM can produce surprise victories in “overrated thing about Atlanta”, “local rabble-rouser”, “street character” and “person you hate to love”.

The question is never whether Decatur will make CL’s extensive, annual “Best of Atlanta” list, but where the city’s institutions will show up.

This year our city itself rated as Atlanta’s best suburb! In your face big, squared-off chicken! (Did anyone else see the Atlanta mag article pitting Michael Stipe against the Big Chicken? It was odd even without the comic rendering that went along with it)

No stranger to rave reviews, The Brick Store usually shows up in one form or another. This year the Decatur staple was highlighted for having the best beer selection, while its neighbor, Zocalo, rose above the competition to be rated as the top Mexican restaurant. The Decatur Book Festival and Books Again also made the list, highlighting our successful new festival and a favorite used book shop. Decatur also received art-related mentions for East Decatur Station’s Foundation One Gallery and local photographer Suellen Parker. Our blogging friends over at Decatur CD even picked up a nod for the best locale to buy used CDs.

Congrats again to all Decaturites who made or helped make this rather fickle and arbitrary, yet highly-addictive list!