Best After-Work Drink: Campiello Ristorante & Bar (Naples) Finalists: Shane’s Cabana Bar at Bayfront (Naples), Sanibel Steakhouse (Naples)
What better place to get your mind off work than the courtyard at Third Street South’s Campiello? We hear the Bellini is the cocktail of choice when the working folks relax to the sounds of the Campiello Jazz Trio. Shane’s Cabana Bar is another scenic spot, but who knew things got wild in north Naples at Sanibel Steakhouse’s half-priced happy hour?

Best Sandwich: Trixie’s Torpedo Sandwiches (Naples) Finalists: Jason’s Deli (Fort Myers and Naples), Panera (Estero and Naples)
Our panel’s favorite neighborhood sub shop? Trixie’s wins for its wraps, salads and subs—especially the BLT. The seemingly never-ending choices make the mid-day much more fun at Jason’s, and we oohed and aahed when we saw the Panera signs go up—and then we caved into our every craving when they opened.

Best Dining with Many People: Buca di Beppo (Naples) Finalist: Zizi at Bellasera (Naples)
For a real crowd pleaser, Buca di Beppo in north Naples has plenty of tables and enough kitsch on the walls to keep your conversation going for hours. The Cardinal Room (yes, that is a bust of the Pope in the middle of the table) or the chef’s table in the kitchen make for unusual dining experiences. The gracious hosts at Zizi will bend over backwards to fit in a large gathering—even without a reservation.

Food & wine

Best Caterer: Cinderella Service (Naples) Finalists: Celebrations Unlimited (Naples), Wynn’s (Naples)
Denise Denard and chef Michael Rhodes of Cinderella Service turn out creative social events and intimate parties that would impress even a fairy godmother. Jon Berry of Celebrations Unlimited brings his bicoastal expertise to the Gulfshore, and Wynn’s is no Johnny-come-lately with 60 years of experience in planning Naples’ bashes.

Best Wine Shop: The Wine Merchant (Naples) Finalists: Haskell’s (Naples), Wine Knows (Naples), Total Wine (Fort Myers)
We can’t pretend to understand the magic that turns little bunches of fruit into the nectar of the gods, so we gladly turn to the pros at The Wine Merchant and its Wednesday wine tasting parties. And we’ll happily hand over our palates to Haskell’s wine of the month club, sample the selection at the new Wine Knows and search for the best bargains at Total Wine.

Best Bakery: Bara Bread Bistro & French Bakery (Fort Myers) Finalists: Mason’s Bakery (Fort Myers), Mikkelsen’s (Naples)
Downtown Fort Myers continues to turn out some of the most sought-after baked goods. No Bara Bread lunch is complete without a tasty sweet pastry. Nearby Mason’s Bakery prides itself—and wins our vote—for its butter-cream frosting and passionate ban of fondant. And temptations await at Naples’ Mikkelsen’s.

Shopping

Best Party Dress Shop: Marissa Collections (Naples) Finalists: Caché (Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Naples), Zola Keller (Bonita Springs)
It’s the only place in the area to purchase some of the hottest designer fashions, making it the key destination for Naples’ socialites who trust the 30-plus years of experience Marissa Hartington provides at her Third Street South boutique. On-trend shoppers also find swingy cocktail dresses at Caché and formal gowns at Zola Keller.

Best Consignment Shop: New To You (Naples)
Oh, the benefits of friends with money. When they’re done with their beautiful stuff, New To You makes it available to the masses—whether they’re looking for a St. John knit suit, a fur coat for a trip up North or a hand-painted armoire from Ethan Allen.

Best Formal Menswear: John Craig (Naples) Finalist: Brodeur Carvell Fine Menswear (Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Naples)
Dress him up or dress him down, we don’t care as long as you dress him at John Craig on Third Street South or at the Ritz-Carlton. The custom tailoring and the staff’s eye for detail will turn out a man you’d be proud to take to any Southwest Florida soirée. The elegant displays and nationally known brands at Brodeur Carvell also inspire sophisticated style.

Services

Best Spa: Ritz-Carlton, Naples Finalists: Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Resort, Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa
Named to a ridiculously long list of the world’s best places to be pampered, the Ritz-Carlton makes several of its services, including facials and salon time, available to locals, while hotel guests can enjoy a daunting list of decadent treatments. The relaxation vibe is purely Old Florida at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, while Sanibel Harbour incorporates the legends and lore of the long-gone Calusa Indians into its spa regimes.

Best Pet Pampering: All Pets Grooming (Naples)
Does your poodle need perking up? Is your Persian having a bad hairball day? North Naples’ egalitarian All Pets Grooming gives both dogs and cats the star treatment.

Best Place to Work Out: NCH Wellness Center South (Naples) Finalist: The Omni Club (Fort Myers)
Through the plate glass windows at the state-of-the-art NCH Dr. John Briggs Wellness Center, exercise cyclists have a clear view of the Dairy Queen across the street. Keep peddling, pal, you aren’t there yet. Serious gym rats find fitness Nirvana at the spacious Omni Club, which also runs a get-fit-quick boot camp.

Best Salon: Robert of Philadelphia (Bonita Springs and Naples) Finalist: Vincent Salon & Day Spa (Fort Myers)
The scissor wizards at Robert of Philadelphia’s three locations are well versed in the latest hair-dos—and will protect you from any hair-don’ts. If you’ve been sweating off the pounds at Fort Myers’ Omni Club (see above), take advantage of the gym’s separate entrance to Vincent Salon & Day Spa, where award-winning stylists will handle your hair with care.

Best Interior Design: Kendra Interior Design (Naples) Finalists: Kris Kolar of Robb & Stucky (Naples), Summerfields (Naples)
Longtime Naples designer Kendra Shumake knows her market, with designs that are not too traditional, not too contemporary, but just right. Design guru Kris Kolar keeps the venerable Robb & Stucky out front on new looks; and a storefront full of fun stuff complements the interior design services at Old Naples’ Summerfields.

Best Florist: 50Fifty Creative Services (Naples) Finalists: Occasions of Naples, Pink Tangerine (Bonita Springs)
“The whole Gulfshore thinks they’re nifty/There’s no one like 50Fifty.” A perennial winner in this category and the designing minds behind many of Naples’ Very Important Parties, 50Fifty’s principals deserve something more reverent than our attempt at verse. But we couldn’t help ourselves. Tastefully reliable is the byword for the petal pushers at Occasions of Naples, and the Pink Tangerine, based at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, does a booming business with blushing brides and area party throwers.

Best Garden Center: Driftwood (Estero and Naples) Finalists: Home Depot, Naples Fertilizer
If you can plant it, grow it, prune it or mow it, the folks at Driftwood either have it, can get it for you or can help you take care of it once it’s in the ground. Gardeners in the know often find rare treasures among the potted offerings at Home Depot, and Naples Fertilizer has everything the green thumb needs to tackle the Gulfshore’s fickle growing season.

Attractions

Best Place to Take Kids: Naples Zoo Finalists: Imaginarium (Fort Myers), Collier County Library (Naples), the beach
Don’t whine to us that there’s nothing to do, because every kid loves the monkey cruise at Naples Zoo. Get up-close and personal with the primates, and then get a thrill out of the reptile show. For hands-on fun, the Imaginarium rotates visiting exhibits, and the library’s children’s section is top-notch. When all else fails, buckets and shovels at the beach equal hours of free fun.

Best Place to Take Visitors: The beach Finalist: Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery (Everglades City)
You’re obviously a visitor if you demand a trip to the beach during the winter. We’ll just zip up our hoodies and chatter our teeth in the unfit-for-the-beach 60-degree weather. We’ll humor you while you try to tan. A treat for both locals and guests is a trip to acclaimed photographer Clyde Butcher’s Everglades studio.

Best Performing Arts Group Opera Naples Finalists: Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, Naples Players, Florida Repertory Theatre (Fort Myers)
Our panel is singing the praises of Opera Naples, and not just for the company’s first-rate shows. The Young Artists and Student Apprentice programs are bringing opera to a whole new generation. The NPO’s season includes something for everyone, while the Naples Players and the Florida Rep showcase live theater both classic and modern.