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Raise your hand if, at any point in your drinking career, you have sat at the bar of La Carafe, set your wineglass down and, in a knowledgeable tone, said, “You know, this is the oldest bar in Houston.” You would not be alone, and you would not blamed. That bar just screams, “I’m ancient.” But its reputation isn’t founded, according to James Glassman’s Amnesia Houston, an organization started to preserve our city’s history. La Carafe is old, yes, but it’s not the city’s oldest.

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There’s been an unfortunate oversight in this week’s Press celebrating all-things Houston. Somehow, we failed to include the category Best Fountain That Appears To Be Bubbling Liquid Poop. The winner: Bob and Vivian Smith Fountain at Polk and Smith.

Did anybody else see this today? Ich. – Todd Spivak

Why does this year's Best Of Houston® feature a category for Best Regular Public Speaker at City Council Meetings? Well, do you know of any other city where council members are attacked with eggs?

Back in the oil-boom days, the joke used to be that the building crane was the official bird of Houston. (Yeah, it was a shitty joke, but how good do real-estate jokes ever get?)

The crane is making a comeback in the city, thanks in part to outrageous oil-company profits. Our town is littered with empty lots that are being transformed into what developers promise will be hip, trendy places.

Which developer shows the most promise, at least as far as “artist’s renderings” go? What will be the hot new destination for Houstonians when the cranes finish their work?

Check out the Best of Houston™ to find out.

Picking the Best Restaurant in Houston is no easy chore. Just to be fair, we try to consider every single taco truck, hot dog stand and Whataburger within the city limits. And then we start drinking our way through taverns that serve microwave pizzas. In the end, we usually give the honors to the place where we find ourselves when the deadline hits. This year, it was a joint right down the street from our favorite tattoo parlor. (Got ink?)

Don't expect a quaint B&B or hoity-toity cafe inside Houston's Best Renovation. In fact, you're more likely to score a payday loan.

Where's Houston's Best Bingo Night? Let's just say it involves condoms, high-heels and men wearing thongs.

The Best Route into the City slashes through many of its most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods. Pupusas, anyone?

Gone are the days when you had to run from store to store to find a vibrating flexidong and a space-age cock-and-ball harness. Now it's one-stop shopping -- and you'll know where to go once you discover our pick for Best Novelty Store.

When deciding on the Best Gym, we wanted to be able to lift some serious weight, so that helped us narrow down the choices to these five locations:

a) the Downtown YMCA,
b) the River Oaks Curves,
c) the 24 Hour Fitness on Richmond,
d) the Fit Athletic Club on West Gray, and
e) underneath Wayne Dolcefino

Picking the Best Pool Hall wasn’t easy. But we finally made our decision based on a complicated set of metrics, including the number of tables, the quality of those tables, and the locale’s potential for dick jokes.

Where’s the Best Place to Meet Single Women? The same place you can meet a rutabaga, of course.