Well, that sucked. Last year, as we closed the door on Best of the Bay, Hurricane Helene was barrelling towards our neck of the woods. Milton followed shortly, delivering the second half of a one-two-punch that left so many of us black-and-blue, Shop-vacs and chainsaws in hand, digging ourselves and our neighbors out of the mess.

Many of us are still dusting off. Others left Florida altogether. But there’s not a single person who’ll forget the heartache. Which is why we feel so lucky to be back here again, with another big celebration of the very best Tampa Bay has to offer.

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay readers, contributors, and staffers somehow found time, and the scratch, to get out and try to live their lives in the aftermath of the storm. And what you’re holding in your hand—more than 500 categories from the readers ballot, and nearly 150 critics picks—represents highlights from one of the Bay area’s hardest years on record.

At a time when being online can be insufferable, and taking care of business in the real world gets overwhelming, these winners give us a chance to log off, take a breath, and check out that cool thing our neighbors are up to. Because that’s where hope is, out in the real world.

But first, a little housekeeping. In 2025, the print version of the readers' winners and finalists reflects the categories that more than seven million people who visited the ballot saw online. Some of the readers' picks have more than two finalists listed, which means there was a tie for third place. Critics picks are still organized in the same four categories: Arts & Entertainment, Food & Drink, Good & Services, People Places and Politics.

Just like the Bay area over the last year, CL has really relied on the kindness of its friends and supporters since we last gathered. That’s not going to change in the months to come, but for now, we’re grateful to be back here with you, free of that algorithm, living meaningful, sometimes messy lives all while talking about the joy we found over the last 365 days.

We’re so grateful you’re here, and we hope to be back with you in 2026. For now, hold fast, hold each other near, and make it to the next day.—Ray Roa

Not all ERs are like the one on The Pitt. Opened in West St. Pete’s Crossroads area in 2023, Orlando Health’s free-standing emergency room is a shiny, bright, nicely decorated 14,000-sq-ft space on the ground floor of a building that also houses medical offices. During recent visits—maybe it was the time of day?—the atmosphere was downright serene. And the care couldn’t have been better. bayfronthealth.com—David Warner

Winner: Blue Collar Heating & Cooling (Blue Collar Home Services)
Finalists: Jenergy Air Services, Alligator Air Conditioning

Winner: Corin Nemec
Finalists: Patrick Wilson, Arianna Williams

Winner: Kecia Fowler—Art of Acupuncture
Finalists: Elevate Wellness—Kim Kuhn, Dr. Hannah Winner—Art of Acupuncture

Winner:Chelsey Smith at Bodze
Finalists: Natacha Christeler—The Garden Med Spa, Castellano Cosmetic Surgery Center