Our annual "Best of St. Louis" traditionally uncovers the hidden treasures buried in our backyard, celebrating not only the popular faves but also the overlooked and underappreciated. This year, in addition to our picks in 232 categories and the readers' answers to 62 poll questions, the Riverfront Times goes even deeper, exploring what lies beneath with "note from the Underground" -- a section that literally digs below the surface, bringing to light the mysterious doings and cellar-dwelling denizens of subterranean St. Louis' caves, mines and tunnels.

This edition of "Best of St. Louis" looks high and low, surveying the entire metro area, traveling from the East Side to St. Charles and beyond. The issue offers insights on subjects ranging from the serious to the outlandish -- from Best St. Louisan of 2000 to Best Topless Bar, from Best Role Model to Best Use for a Lemon, from Best Radio Station to Best Source for Illicit Accessories -- and everything in between.

Making the "Best" even better, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Tim Page offers a fond remembrance of his sojourn in our town and celebrated poet/conspiracy theorist David Clewell shows he knows where the bodies are buried by identifying St. Louis' Best Underground/Under-the-Ground Writer.