Every year, we convene a panel of local notables and ask them to choose "The Best of the Gulfshore" in all sorts of different categories. This year, our judges named 152 outstanding restaurants, shops and experiences in Southwest Florida. You'll read about the winners inside; but being the opinionated infomaniacs we are, we editors always have ideas and, yes, oddities that don't make the judges' final list. So once again this year, we're offering up our personal picks of places and pastimes that make Southwest Florida our favorite spot on earth. (With thanks to Phil Borchmann, Katie Betz, Tracy Jones, Hobart Rowland, Nanci Theoret and Tessa Tilden-Smith.)

Best margarita: The Vitamin T at Chops, hands-down.

Best excuse to sit in traffic: Estero Boulevard at sunset during spring break.

Best corned beef and cabbage: McCabe's on Fifth Avenue South, Naples.

Best person to ask where Uncle Wilbur left the will: Fort Myers psychic Glenn Klausner comes up with answers for everyone, from detectives to callers on Cat Country radio.

Best place for young creatives: NAKED (Naples Arts & Kultural Education), a new arts support group affiliated with the United Arts Council of Collier County.

Best place for vinyl lovers: Fort Myers' incredibly well-stocked Silver Platter, which also sells CDs and DVDs.

Best white-knuckle driving: Along I-75 between Daniels Road and Immokalee Road. Double the anxiety during rainstorms or anytime in March.

Best store-bought steak: The rib-eye at Fresh Market.

Best beachside bartenders: The crew at The Cottage on Fort Myers Beach.

Best place to snap up the next Warhol: Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts' annual art show.

Best place for a free vitamin C fix: The juice sample section at Temple Citrus on Airport-Pulling in Naples.

Best place to meet young professionals: Gulfshore Business' annual "40 Under 40" party on September 8. Info: (239) 594-9980.

Best not-so-shortcut: Get off U.S. 41 in North Naples and take Pelican Bay Boulevard south to Pine Ridge for refreshing views of tropical landscaping.

Best place to see Naples' power brokers before their morning coffee: The Coffee Shoppe at the Cove Inn.

Best place to rediscover your inner flower child: Downtown Fort Myers' Flowers to Fifties, with furniture and more from those fast-becoming-vintage '50s, '60s and '70s.

Best restaurant design detail: The hanging lamps at Zen on Fifth Avenue South in Naples are as fabulous as the sushi they illuminate.

Best way to raise your IQ: Listen to brainy, civil Ryan Warner draw out guests and deftly dodge occasional bullets on WGCU's Gulf Coast Live, weekdays at 2 p.m.

Best anti-country club: At funky, friendly North Naples Country Club, breakfast is a few bucks, the beer and cheeseburgers are great, and everybody belongs.

Best soup: You won't need an entrée when you order the creamy crab bisque with warm bread at University Grill in Fort Myers.

Best authentic Mexican food: You'll get the real deal, not a dulled-down American version, at Mi Ranchito in Immokalee.

Best new luxury home trend: For very private people, cleverly concealed secret entrances allow invisible access to bedrooms, wine cellars and more.

Best comeback: Cool jazz once again emanates from downtown Fort Myers's Brick Bar. Order the Lemon Drop, a tangy-sweet martini.

Best wings: The fresh, never-frozen chicken wings are plump and juicy at convivial Big Al's Sports Bar in Bonita Springs.

Best reason to work out: Take it off like Hollywood does, with strip aerobics classes at the big, brand-new Omni Club in Fort Myers.

Best man-made rainbow: The ever-changing colors of the lighting at Real Seafood Co. in Naples keep customers glowing.

Best place to escape from it all: You can reach the perfect beaches of Cayo Costa State Park only by boat or the ferry from Pine Island. Book a rustic cabin and stay overnight.

Best place to buy your guy an Italian shirt: Teruzzi in Venetian Village has an excellent selection-tropical and tasteful.

Best place to take oyster lovers: The Fish House in Bonita Springs, for 25-cent oysters all day on Sundays.

Best place to find good wine cheap: At Haskell's biannual sale, you can fill your wine cellar without draining your wallet.

Best shady street: The giant banyan trees lining Naples' Crayton Road create a beautiful drive beneath a cool canopy.

Best tropical cooler: The piña colada at Parrot Key Caribbean Grill in Fort Myers Beach can turn a bad day into a great night.

Best buzz: Fort Myers' new Cin Cin has just the right mix of laughter and conversation. Food's great, too.

Best nature walk: CREW Land and Water Trust's marsh trail system in Collier offers seclusion, boardwalks, trails and wildlife sightings like crazy.