Upfront

by Sherry Foster
Editor

For the past month we’ve been immersed in our annual Best of Augusta issue. While it’s a pretty hectic magazine to put together, it’s always wonderful to hear from readers and visit with the people and businesses they’ve voted as the “best” in the CSRA. From an editor’s point of view, it’s a terrific way to get feedback on the magazine and realize the high esteem in which our magazine is held among people from across the business spectrum.

It’s also an opportunity for me to discover the new people and places that have been added to the already diverse and vibrant landscape of our city. There are certainly enough national chain restaurants to add a sort of urban sophistication to the city. And I must confess it’s nice to be able to enjoy a Red Robin hamburger—a restaurant my family discovered years ago while visiting Anchorage. And P.F. Chang’s is legend among Asian food fanatics. So its appearance on the restaurant scene is certainly very exciting and satisfying.

But Best of Augusta is really about the places and activities that are unique to Augusta. Things like Reed Creek Park. What a gem in the middle of bustling Columbia County, providing residents a place to go and enjoy the natural environment within a few miles of home. If that stirs your interest, read the story by Grace Belangia on page 54. And John Harpring’s photos are icing on the cake.

Then there are dozens of restaurants and shops in our ballot results that are owned and personally managed by local people. Places like Luigi’s, French Market Grille, Sheehan’s, T’s, Bee’s Knees, Shangri-La. And new comers like Goolsby’s, Toast, Stonecrest Steakhouse to name a few. Then there are the retailers: Weinberger’s, Shoe Studio, Cudos, Posh Tots, Summerville Rags, Island Seafood and on and on. These aren’t faceless corporate entities but rather places where you see and get to know the owners and often times their families as you dine or shop. Or maybe you’ll see them at church or a soccer game. You’d be hard pressed in a city the size of Atlanta to find such an extensive lineup of thriving small businesses.

It’s the sort of thing that makes Augusta such a great place to live. There’s a connectedness among those of us who live here that’s getting harder to find in urban environments. It’s definitely one of the things at the top of my Best of Augusta list.