Simply the Best (of JH)

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

By Matthew Irwin

By the time this issue hits stands, the Best of Jackson Hole 2010 party will be over, and some of us will already be talking about next year. (Our “ad guy,” Shannon McCormick, tallies the results of the readers poll, and catching fraud for him is something along the lines of playing Space Invaders, so it takes him a while to come down.)

I have heard the phrase “best of” so many times in the last couple months that it has become as meaningless to me as “compassionate conservative.” I’ve heard it so often that not until Sunday night, when a friend reminded me, did I consider that people are excited for this Best of Issue, if for no other reason than it emphasizes things we enjoy about our town that do not hinge on the weather.

Another reason might be to scoff at the results, but I’ve begun to find some comfort in the predictability of cynical (often anonymous) reactions.

Here is my “ultimate” Best of Jackson Hole: The Web, for giving anonymous haters a forum. On the other hand, if it weren’t for the Web, or columnist Aaron Wallis, no Jackson resident would ever say anything unkind about anybody (where it can be heard).

Boy, am I in a mood … Shall I also question the value of superlatives while I’m at it?
Never mind.

In addition to a poll of the best Jackson Hole has to offer, Best Of is a measure of the collective taste of JH Weekly readers, of our “demographic,” if you will.

Interestingly, I agree with many of the results of the readers poll, and what I find comforting about BOJH, versus a Best Of issue elsewhere, is that while tastes differ across the valley, they do not siphon down to the lowest common denominator. Best Of’s in big cities that I’ve reviewed often end up with some chain or other as Best Mexican or Best Coffee. The results in Jackson, I believe, stem as much from a sophisticated readership as from a noticeable lack of chains.

I wonder, then, to what degree voters select what they actually consider to be the best over the places they frequent, because of cost, for instance, or convenience.
I certainly find myself rotating two or three favorite restaurants, in part because I know I can eat at them without having an allergic reaction, but also because I crave particular items on their menus or because they are within walking distance.

Some of the more interesting things about Jackson Hole culture, however, are not easily categorized. They are moments or feelings, even if they are about a person or a place, that can’t be qualified, but we can certainly try to explain. That’s where editorial picks come in. They vary as much in the selections as in the reasons behind them – reflective of the individuals who wrote them. I don’t agree with all of them, and many of them are meant to be funny, if not ironic, but at any rate entertaining.

And if you think this BOJH is good, just wait until next year … JHW
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Simply the Best (of JH) | Planet JH News Article: Editorial

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