Two new awards ---

RFT 2009 Reader's Poll

St. Louis' Best Liquor Store
WINNER: The Wine and Cheese Place
"Don't be fooled by the fancy name. There's enough booze at the Clayton outpost of local chain the Wine & Cheese Place to stock the green room at a Guns N' Roses reunion tour. While the vast wine selection and cheese counter are the flagship attractions, the liquor aisle is a sight to behold, particularly for those in search of exotic or top-shelf spirits. The W&CP stocks everything from the finest single-malt scotches to five different types of absinthe (including airline-size bottles) to hard-to-find mixers (agave nectar, anyone?) to imported Cuban rum (bottled in the Dominican Republic, of course). Particularly dear to the RFT staffers' livers is the tequila rack. The Place, which earlier this year hosted a release party for 901 Silver, Justin Timberlake's craft tequila brand, also carries hard-to-find brands such as El Tesoro Paradiso, not to mention Patrón in gallon-size decanters, a.k.a. the Axl Rose special." -- RFT

St. Louis' Best Cheese Counter
WINNER: The Wine and Cheese Place
"In belt-tightening times, fine cheese might not be at the top of the average shopper's list, but for those of us who don't have room in the fridge for Kraft singles, great cheese is an affordable luxury. And when we shop for cheese, we want the assistance of a staff that knows the way around its own cheese counter. So off we hie to the Wine & Cheese Place, where we start off by forgetting the name of one of the cheeses we're looking to buy. It's a Swiss cheese (without holes), and you make some fondue-like deal with it. Raclette? Bingo! Everyone knows Parmigiano-Reggiano, but that illustrious name comes with a high-flying price. That's why if you ask, you might just learn that an Argentinean version of Parmesan tastes great and costs less. But the Wine & Cheese Place's cheese-friendliness really comes into its own when you don't know what you want. Four simple words: "What do you recommend?"" -- RFT