Best of the Gulfshore

Blu Sushi (Fort Myers and Naples)

Finalists: Chops (Bonita Springs and Naples), Parrot Key Caribbean Grill (Fort Myers Beach)

Life is too short for ugly drinks. Pouring libations as glamorous and colorful as its crowd of regulars, Blu is about more than sushi. Equally good-looking-and good-tasting-are the inspired martinis at Chops and Fort Myers Beach's Parrot Key Caribbean Grill.

Best Business Lunch

University Grill (Fort Myers)

Finalists: Collier Athletic Club (Naples), Tropical Reef (Naples)

At University Grill, a lively buzz says deals are going down, and the polished atmosphere and top-notch food make every transaction a win/win. In Naples, you can catch almost everyone you've been meaning to call at the private Collier Athletic Club, and the networking is easy over the Tropical Reef's superb crunchy grouper.

Best-Kept Secret

French Roast Café (Fort Myers)

Finalists: Beach Seafood (Fort Myers Beach), Catering and To Go (Naples)

It's time to unmask the elegant Vietnamese specialties and French standards at Fort Myers' French Roast Café. Gala hoppers hooked on Matthews & Gardners' party fare can check out the company's storefront Catering and To Go. And in Fort Myers Beach, wholesaler Beach Seafood saves a few tables for fresh seafood lovers in the know.

Best Happy Hour

Campiello (Naples)

Finalists: Biddle's (Fort Myers),

Yabba (Naples)

Trendy hot spots come and go, but well-poured drinks and the see-and-be-seen Third Street South crowd keep Campiello the Gulfshore's happy hour of record. Blocks away, bright young things liven up Fifth Avenue South's Caribbean-themed Yabba. Others relax to the sound of tickled ivories at Biddle's piano lounge in Fort Myers.

Best Caterer

Matthews & Gardner (Naples)

Finalists: Celebrations Unlimited (Naples), Catering by Jack and Michael Elias

(Cape Coral)

Savvy hostesses have Matthews & Gardner on speed dial. The Naples caterer has earned its reputation with delicious, strikingly presented menus served with unflappable calm. Also winning kudos from our panel: Celebrations Unlimited's Jon Berry and event pros Jack and Michael Elias.

Best Wine Shop

Bacchus (Naples), Haskell's (Naples),

Finalists: Liquor Store at Fiddlesticks (Fort Myers), Wine Merchant (Naples)

One-stop shopping won't do: Stocking the ultimate Naples bar calls for trips to both Haskell's, where the wine selection is deep, and Bacchus, where scarce bottled treasures await. The spirit-savvy set also salutes the Liquor Store near Fort Myers' Fiddlesticks community and North Naples' Wine Merchant.

Best Gourmet Grocer

Fresh Market (Fort Myers and Naples)

Finalists: Blue Pepper (Fort Myers), Paesano's (Cape Coral)

Gourmands in Lee and Collier have a superstore in the Fresh Market, where obscure salsas and imported English biscuits can be found amid the outstanding meat and wine selections. Watch for aisle-to-aisle crowds at the Naples store to be relieved by a second location soon. Foodies also swear by Blue Pepper and Paesano's Italian market.

Best Place to Buy Fruits

and Veggies

Oakes Farm Market (Naples)

Finalists: Fresh Market (Fort Myers and Naples), Publix at Vanderbilt Walk (Naples)

Think local-you'll find vine-ripened Gulfshore tomatoes and melons and Florida strawberries, plus a wide variety of organics, at Naples' Oakes Farm Market. The shiny produce at the Fresh Market helps the grocer live up to its name, and a manager who cares stocks the Publix at Vanderbilt Walk with tropical fruits, fresh figs and more.

Best Sandwich

French Deli (Naples)

Finalists: Fannie's (Naples), Mini Max's Cuban sandwich (Naples)

What's better than French Deli's baguette? One stuffed with tuna, Muenster cheese or the other fabulous ingredients that make this deli a second-year winner. The efficient Fannie's delivers lunchtime standards better than Mom used to make, and you'll find the best Cuban sandwich outside Ybor City at the Mini Max on Bayshore Drive.

OUTDOORS

Best Beach

Clam Pass (Naples)

Finalists: Barefoot Beach (Bonita Springs), Lighthouse Beach (Sanibel Island)

Mangrove-lined boardwalks winding down to a secluded Gulf beach and a bar on the way? At Clam Pass, a public park behind the Registry Resort, environmental treasures and wordly pleasures come together.

Preservation and recreation are also intertwined at Barefoot Beach Preserve, while Sanibel's Lighthouse Beach is both historical gem and fun fishing spot.

Best Community Park

Cambier Park (Naples)

Finalists: Centennial Park (Fort Myers), Lowdermilk Park (Naples)

At Cambier Park, an old-fashioned bandshell and volunteer-built playground lend Old Naples small-town warmth. Public access to the city's Lowdermilk Park was preserved by early leaders who wanted young families to enjoy the Gulf beaches; here's hoping Fort Myers' leaders keep protecting access to downtown's riverfront Centennial Park.

Best Nature Attraction

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Naples)

Finalists: Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (Sanibel Island), Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Naples)

For half a century, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has been the main roost for rare wood storks and other species, as well as a home away from home for migrating birds. On Sanibel, Ding Darling weathered Hurricane Charley well, and last year Naples' Rookery Bay got a visit from the president and a big new educational facility.

Best Outdoor Bar

Sunset Bar at the Naples Beach

Hotel & Golf Club (Naples)

Finalists: Cabana Bar at Bayfront (Naples), Snook Inn (Marco Island)

Follow the twilight crowds to the Naples Beach Hotel's Sunset Bar on the Gulf to enjoy companionable chatter, green flash cocktails and the nightly sky show. Built over the Gordon River, Bayfront's Cabana Bar is where young singles snare river breezes-and each other. The waterfront Snook Inn recalls a gentler pre-condo Marco Island.

Best Place to Take Kids

Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples (Naples)

Finalists: Imaginarium (Fort Myers), SunSplash Water Park (Cape Coral)

Rain or shine, we wouldn't leave you without somewhere to entertain your pint-sized troops. Kids never tire of the alligators, apes and other beasties at Naples' Caribbean Gardens; splurge on season tickets. Sunny weather calls the young and restless to Cape Coral's SunSplash; and the hands-on Imaginarium is educational and fun no matter the forecast.

GOODS AND SERVICES

Best Consignment Shop

Wear in the World (Naples)

Finalists: Rodeo (Naples),

Twice as Nice (Naples)

Wear in the World offers impeccable service to go with its consigned couture. Look for Chanel, Marc Jacobs and other designer duds at the ritzy Rodeo; and one man's barely used high-end dining furniture becomes another's treasure at Twice as Nice.

Best Florist

50fiftyflowerphilosophy (Naples)

Finalists: Fort Myers Florist (Fort Myers), Grace Lakes (Naples)

Lots of parties-and weddings-couldn't get started without the

floral finishes of perennial winner 50fiftyflowerphilosophy. Naples hostesses have long relied on Grace Lakes for elegant arrangements, and Lee County residents have trusted their flowery sentiments to Fort Myers Florist for more than 50 years.

Best Salon

Robert of Philadelphia (Naples)

Finalists: Hair by Carlos (Fort Myers), Sphere (Naples), Top It Off (Fort Myers)

Forget about Philadelphia-Robert DiLella and his family have been

here so long we call them natives. Generations of Neapolitans wouldn't call on anyone else for their coifs. At Fifth Avenue South's trendy Sphere, shop for beauty products and boutique fashions aprés style. In Fort Myers, the best-dressed tresses originate at Hair by Carlos and Top It Off.

Best Spa

Ritz-Carlton, Naples

Finalists: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point (Bonita Springs), Pink Shell Beach Resort (Fort Myers Beach)

The ever-evolving spa at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, stays at the top of national best lists as well as ours. Nouveau therapies-water massage, anyone?-attract beauty junkies to Bonita Springs' Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Spa. In up-and-coming Fort Myers Beach, all-out luxury characterizes the new Pink Shell Beach Resort and its spa.

Best Place to Pamper

Your Pooch

All Dogs Hair Haven (Naples)

Finalists: Dudley's Dog Bakery (Fort Myers), Naples Pet Center (Naples)

In Naples Park, All Dogs Hair Haven has been catering to canines for more than 16 years. Your four-legged friend can enjoy pet psychic nights, gourmet treats and pet couture at Dudley's Dog Bakery. If your pooch's sacroiliac-not his psyche-needs adjusting, try reiki treatments at holistic Naples Pet Center.

Best Place to Work Out

NCH Wellness Center North (Naples)

Finalists: Athletic Club of Naples (Naples), Omni (Fort Myers)

Hard bodies love NCH's new Wellness Center North, with its state-of-the-art equipment and crowd of local power brokers. And gym rats are breaking in the shiny machines at Golden Gates' deluxe Athletic Club. Not ready to take your moves public? The 50,000-square-foot-plus Omni Club includes a separate facility for women.

Best Local Entertainer

Kat Epple (Fort Myers)

Finalists: Cahlua & Cream (Naples), Mambo Brothers (Fort Myers)

Emmy-winning composer/flautist Kat Epple is eschewing major-label contracts to maintain creative control. The cover of her latest CD was drawn by friend Robert Rauschenberg, a tribute from one artist to another. Also high on our hit parade: the smooth jazz of Cahlua & Cream and the ubiquitous Mambo Brothers.

Best Team to Root For

Florida Flame

Finalists: Everblades, FGCU Eagles girls' basketball team

With the fun, community-minded Flame, coached by former pro and Fort Myers resident Dennis Johnson, minor league basketball has found its local niche. Catch more hoops action with FGCU's high-scoring Eagles girls team; and if hockey can become a local favorite, with the Everblades playing to capacity crowds, anything is possible.

Best Sports Tournament

ACE Group Classic (Naples)