Meat and Verb Houston is not the best place in the world to go graffiti hunting. Most of the cats out here are merely taggers with limited skill, or have no regard for art whatsoever. But we do have a couple of superstars who take their work seriously -- and who haven't yet graduated to the legal stuff. Meat and Verb have taken over the H-town graffiti scene. The adventurous pair, hands down the 2004 champs, usually paints their unique lettering high in the sky. Some works consist of only one or two colors -- like the ones you might see high above 59 South on the green signs as you approach the Shepherd exit -- and some are straight-up masterpieces. The best way to find the work of these artists is to just look up wherever you happen to be in the center city, and there they are. You'll see Meat and Verb on billboards, walls, traffic signs... these guys are nuts!

Best Bar Atmosphere

Red Lion Pub, 2316 S. Shepherd, 713-782-3030

Best Bloody Mary

Mary's, 1022 Westheimer, 713-527-9669

Best Dance Event

Barnevelder Movement/Art Center's Big Range Dance Festival

Best French Fries

Barnaby's Cafe, 604 Fairview, 713-522-0106; and other locations

Best Irish Pub

Brian O'Neill's, 5555 Morningside, 713-522-2603, www.brianoneills.com

Best Karaoke

Karaoke Junkie at Azteca's Margarita Bar & Grill, 2207 Richmond, 713-643-0683

Best New Store

Tansu, 321-B W. 19th, 713-880-5100, www.tansustyle.com

Best Philly Cheese Steak

Firehouse Philly's, 1111 Prairie, 713-225-3473

Best Veterinarian

Montrose Veterinary Clinic, 1701 Montrose, 713-524-3814