Some say that restaurants and bars have the most at stake in AV’s annual Best of Buffalo poll. And it’s true that competition is fierce among those joints that sell pizzas and chicken wings, among the red sauce and spaghetti factories and the mixers of exotic, oversized cocktails. That Best of Buffalo plaque is a feather in their cap.

However, it’s in this category—shops and services—that the real scrapping takes place, especially among tattoo shops and hair salons. Here’s where merchants muster their friends and customers to vote early and often. Here’s where the most egeregious ballot stuffing surfaces.

Employees of a certain tattoo shop on Elmwood Avenue—it will remain nameless—were seen stealing stacks of newspapers from other distribution points, in order to have more ballots to fill out. Fair enough tactic, we decided when the campaign was reported to us; so long as those ballots were filled out fair and square, one per person, no problem. You are supposed to try to win, after all.

A counterexample: One day, a week before the polling closed, we received nearly 100 envelopes, all addressed in one person’s handwriting and bearing the same stamps. Inside were ballots filled out in the same handwriting, and the votes were practically identical on every ballot. We’d give a ballot-stuffing award to the health club that we suspect was behind the attempted fraud, but frankly it wasn’t that strong an effort: I mean, couldn’t you have at least mailed them over several days, so they didn’t all arrive at once?

I do credit the ballot stuffers with voting almost exactly the same on every ballot, which made it difficult to figure out on whose behalf the fraud had been orchestrated. It could have been any number of South Buffalo businesses. Or someone who really likes South District Councilmember Mickey Kearns and really hates Mayor Byron Brown.

But we think it was the health club.

At any rate, the voting is over and the results are in. As a veteran of five of these polls, I see an encouraging picture withal: A lot of these shops and businesses are perpetual top five finishers, which means they’ve weathered tough economic times and maintained the good will of their customers. But there are relatively new faces, too—the best mens clothing category used to be a complete bust, for example—which suggests that folks are willing and able to start up the new small businesses that keep a city vital.

—geoff kelly

Best Accessories Clutch Sweet and Dirty Chic Boutique Everything Elmwood Plum Pudding Best Antique Shop The Antique Man Coo Coo U Orchard Park Antique Mall Horsefeathers Harold’s Antiques Shop Best Bakery Delish DiCamillo’s Dolci Wegmans Dessert Deli Everything Elmwood Best Barber Vito’s Barber Shop Chick’s Barber Shop Joe’s Barber Shop Christopher Tringali @ Leon Studio One Carmen’s Barber Shop Best Bike Shop Bert’s Bikes Rick’s Cycle Shop Campus Wheelworks Handlebars Shickluna Best Bookstore Talking Leaves Rust Belt Books Second Reader Old Editions Oracle Books Best Butcher Federal Meats Johnny’s Meats Dash’s Spars Redlinski Meats Best Car Dealer West Herr Paddock Northtown Towne Fucillo Best CD/Record Store Record Theater New World Record Frisbees Sit and Spin Doris Records Firebrand Best Customer Service Wegmans Palladino’s Lexington Coop Stereo Advantage Leon Studio One Best Day Spa Excuria Studio 806 Capello Spa at falling Waters Bella Day Spa Best Fish Market Hayes Wegmans Schneider’s Dash’s La Marina Best Florist Maureen’s Mother Nature South End Floral Floral Explorations Michael’s Best Furniture/Home Decor Room Homeward Bound Neo Calvin’s Ashley Lexington Co-Op Best Gift Shop Everything Elmwood Positivley Main Street Spolied Rotten Neo Rotten Jack’s Creep Shop Best Hair Salon Studio 806 New Age Salon Leon Studio One Amy and Aimee Now Salon Best Head Shop Terrapin Station Decades Pavilion Skunk Tail Desert Reflections Best Health Club BAC Allentown Athletix JCC Personal Best KC’s Best Jewelry Wild Things Reed’s Bomi Annie Adams Abraham’s Best Liquor Store Premier Gates Circle Hodge Global Spirits of Allentown

Best Massage Studio 806 Excuria Capello Massage Studio Kathy Regan Best Mens Clothing Urban Krudmart Lu Stache Get Dressed Best Music Store Allentown Music Jackson Music Kenmore Music Airport Music Hamburg Music Shoes from Shoefly Best Natural Foods Lexington Coop Feel Rite Wegmans Mom & Pop’s My garden Best Pedicure/Manicure Studio 806 Excuria Capello Chez Ann Billion Nails Best Pet Store Elmwood Pet Supplies Petsmart Steve’s Pet Supplies Plus Sonny’s Doggy Bakery Best Piercing Cowpok Express Yourself American Skin Art Divine Machine Mad Tatz Best Plastic Surgeon Dr. Shirley Anain Dr. Dave Rigan Dr. Jeff Meilman Dr. Raymond Schultz Dr. Todd Koch Best Produce Wegmans Lexington Co-op Guercios Bidwell Farmers Market Dash’s Best Sex Shop Video Liquidators Pandora’s Boxxx Hamburg Turnpike Kimberley’s Great American News Company Best Shoes Shoe Fly Firebrand Shoe Biz Phatman Ragamuffins Best Outdoor Store Campus Wheelworks Urban Fleet Feet Laux Lindner’s Golf Best Tanning Salon Total tan Tanning Bed Allentan Sun Capsule Plus Tanlines Extreme Best Tattoos Hand of Doom Divine Machine Madd Tatz Cowpok Blue Moon Best Thrift Shop Amvets Plato’s Closet Goodwill Ragamuffins Salvation Army Spirits of Allentown (Photo by Peter Koch) Best Video Store Mondo (RIP) Best Women’s Clothing Sweet and Dirty Urban Allen Street Dress Shop Anna Grace Half and Half Best Yoga/Pilates East Meets West Pilates Loft Shakti Yoga Bikram Yoga Yoga Ma