Would you please define “best”

Pray tell, what is your methodology in establishing the list of “Best of WNC 07,” which appears in the [Oct. 17] issue of Mountain Xpress? And are the establishments listed actually the best by any realistic measures, or do they just turn out—through some fairly uncontrolled approach—to be the most popular?

I’m just curious—it’s certainly not an explosive issue. The value this annual piece has for the establishments giving paid-for-ad thanks for being voted the “best” seems clear. But I really wonder if readers benefit. Viewing the eateries section alone, for example, the results seem a tad absurd. I can imagine that your food reviewer might agree.

[In my opinion,] the Stoney Knob Restaurant fare rises to near-gourmet standards, far above that of the acceptable-but-ordinary peers that bested it in the Greek category. The Sunday-brunch winners do not approach the brunch-food quality provided at the Southside Café, which is unlisted. And the pairing of the savvy New York-style Well-Bred Bakery and Café with the tasteful-but-ordinary products at the other bakeries in its category seems similarly odd.

So, what goes? Is it a popularity contest, a quality-of-product (or service) competition, or just a joyful exercise in mutual support that has little meaning in terms of guiding consumers?

— Edward E. Loewe
Asheville

Editor’s note: Mountain Xpress readers voted for their favorites. The winners were those who got the highest votes.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

6 thoughts on “Would you please define “best”

  1. Dionysis

    I appreciate the question posed by Mr. Loewe and the answer. I’ve not been clear on what criteria is used. So essentially, the rankings have less to do with which is actually ‘best’, but rather simply a matter of total votes. That explains why some chain restaurants are listed as among the ‘best’, even though from any objective standpoint, they may not offer the best cuisine. Would it not be more accurate to describe the rankings as ‘most popular’ instead of ‘best’?

  2. Dionysis

    “Are we really debating this?”

    Not unless you actually have something to do with this annual recognition.

  3. tooslow

    Wow!. I am just astounded and outraged to discover that this “Best of” contest is not actually a “best of” but just a “most popular”!
    And all this time, I though that we were voting so that the Mountainx could tally our votes, and then run them through a special computer program that would account for all kinds of subjective factors that would then alloy them to determine, without any bias, what the “Best” is.
    This is totally unfair and highly misleading and i demand that the MX change the title of this to “Most popular of WNC”
    Perhaps i should sue for emotional damages.
    You WILL be hearing from my lawyer.

  4. So let me get this straight.
    It is an annual “readers vote on the best’ issue, the editors ask you to vote on what you think is the ‘best’, in your opinion, in particular categories. You fill in your votes, and send them in. What part of this exercise do you not understand?
    I cant believe this, but even Jason Bugg can see the idiocy in this confusion. This is the purpose he serves us here. To call a taco a taco.
    Are you truly debating this?
    I can not imagine that there is someone out there who believe that this is not a subjective, readers favorites’ contest.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.