Editor’s Voice

February is a significant month here at the Severna Park Voice. It marks the start of our annual Best of Severna Park contest, which runs for the next few months and always brings out the enthusiasm among our readers and local business owners.

While our staff was going through the categories this year — you’ll notice that we’ve brought back many of our traditional categories while adding a few really cool new ones — it got me thinking a little bit about how I rank my favorite spots around town, and what I mean when I say which one I think is the best.

It sometimes goes beyond the quality of the product or service, although that’s probably the most significant indicator. In many cases, it’s about the overall experience. If I’m going out to eat, I’m not just enjoying the food but also the atmosphere of the dining room and the cordiality of the wait staff. If I’m hiring a contractor, I’m worried not just about the quality of the finished job but also about how friendly or honest or careful the worker was. I’m sure many of you feel the same way.

Qualities that might be important to me might not be important to you, and vice versa. That’s what’s always so engaging about Best of Severna Park — there are a few responses where I say, “Yeah, right on!” and a few responses where I say, “Wait, what? Really?”

The other aspect of the competition that I love is the reminder of how vast and diverse a community we have. I’m not going to lie — I always think I know Severna Park until I read a ballot with the name of some business I’ve never heard of, or when I see numerous votes for a place that I haven’t yet patronized and start to wonder what I’m missing.

My hope is that we’re able to enjoy another year of friendly competition, learn a little bit more about the places and people who make our community wonderful, and recognize those who have really stood out, for whatever reason, throughout the past year.

Don’t forget that as this contest gets underway, we have wrapped up another contest from last month. We received several memorable submissions for Severna Park’s Best Love Story, held in honor of Valentine’s Day, and we were pleased to recognize each with a distinctive recognition. Be sure to turn to page ## to read them.

That’s all for now, folks. As always, feel free to drop me a note at dylan@severnaparkvoice.com.