BEST OF ST. LOUIS® 2006

Didya ever notice that the three-year graph of ExxonMobil’s stock price bears an uncanny resemblance to the silhouette of Mount Everest’s western face?

Well, we neglected to invest in petrochemical stock in 2003 (and we haven’t scaled the Himalayas...yet), but we did spend the past three months scouring the local landscape in order to bring you the Best of St. Louis 2006.

In this issue, along with nearly 400 utterly opinionated takes on the tippy-topnotch, you’ll find the results of our highly unscientific Readers’ Poll.

Speaking of which, as we heartily congratulate each and every one of this year’s winners, we’d be remiss if we didn’t pause to acknowledge the recent passing of Bennie Smith and Henry Townsend — two musical legends who embody the best of St. Louis.