The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

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Best Of SMU & Park Cities 2011

Second Annual Best of SMU & the Park Cities Edition presented by The Daily Campus
Best Of SMU & Park Cities 2011

Voting took place November-early December 2010 through an online survey on smudailycampus.com.

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Best place to sit and hang out with friends

  • Hang out? Who has time for that?
  • Varsity in Hughes-Trigg
  • Java City (now Cafe 100)

Best place to study

  • Fondren Library
  • Bridwell Library
  • Hamon Arts Library

Best first-year memory

  • Residence Hall
  • Mustang Corral
  • AARO

Best residence hall overall

  • Virginia-Snider
  • Boaz
  • McElvaney

Best residence hall for social butterflies

  • Boaz
  • McElvaney
  • Perkins/Smith

Best place to take out-of-town visitors

  • The Boulevard
  • Meadows Museum
  • Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports

Best SMU tradition

  • The Boulevard
  • Celebration of Lights
  • Peruna

Best residence hall for shut-ins

  • Virginia-Snider
  • Shuttles
  • Moore

Best off-campus student housing

  • The Lofts at Mockingbird Station
  • The Shelby
  • The Village

Best place for your parents to stay

  • Hotel Palomar
  • Hotel Lumen
  • Hilton Park Cities/Ritz-Carlton

Best SMU female athlete

  • Courtney Webb – Women’s Soccer
  • Audra Egenolf – Swimming
  • Kathryn Wilkerson – Volleyball

A junior goalkeeper on the SMU women’s soccer team, Courtney Webb started all 22 games and played every minute in net for the Mustangs. Webb posted career-bests in goals-against average (1.00), save percentage (.813) and shutouts (7).

The Dallas native helped lead SMU to the Conference USA Championship semifinals and was named first team Academic All Conference USA.

Best professor

  • Rick Halperin
  • Judy Newell
  • Veronica Leon

Best reason to go to an SMU football game

  • Watch the game
  • There’s a game? Stay on The Boulevard.
  • See friends

Best SMU sport to watch outside of football/basketball

  • Men’s Soccer
  • Swimming & Diving
  • Volleyball

Best SMU male athlete

  • Kyle Padron Football
  • Juan Castillo Men’s Soccer
  • Zach Line Football

In his season as a full-time starter, sophomore quarterback Kyle Padron led SMU to its second consecutive bowl game appearance after earning Hawaii Bowl MVP in 2009. Padron set single season school records with 3,828 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and 35 total touchdowns.

The Southlake native also earned honorable mention All Conference USA accolades.

Best campus office

  • Student Activities & Multicultural Student Affairs (SAMSA)
  • Lyle School of Engineering Offices
  • Hegi Family Career Development Center

Best on-campus hideaway

  • West Stacks in Fondren Library
  • Tunnel system under campus
  • Study cubicles in Fondren Library

Best fraternity

  • Sigma Phi Epsilon
  • Beta Theta Pi
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Best sorority

  • Gamma Phi Beta
  • Kappa Alpha Theta
  • Chi Omega

Best non-Greek campus organization

  • Student Foundation
  • Program Council
  • Student Senate

Best sorority event

  • Mr. University
  • Theta Late Night
  • Gamma Phi Frog Fry

Best fraternity event

  • Heaven & Hell
  • White Trash Bash
  • Phi Delta Theta Casino/BYX Island Party

Best place to propose marriage

  • Steps of Dallas Hall
  • Steps of Perkins Chapel
  • Scoreboard of Gerald J. Ford Stadium

Best view of campus

  • From steps of Dallas Hall looking south toward downtown Dallas
  • From Mockingbird looking north on Bishop Boulevard
  • From 4th floor of Fondren Library

Best campus building exterior

  • Dallas Hall
  • Perkins Chapel
  • Blanton Student Services Building

Best place to find girls

  • Sorority Row
  • In class
  • Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports

Best place to find guys

  • Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports
  • Fraternity Row
  • In class

Best women’s fashion store

  • Cotton Island
  • Lilly Pultzer
  • Stanley Korshak

Best men’s fashion store

  • Ralph Lauren at Highland Park Village
  • J. Crew
  • Culwell & Sons

Best shopping mall

  • NorthPark Center
  • Highland Park Village
  • Snider Plaza

Best shopping boutique

  • Francesca’s
  • The Impeccable Pig
  • Jenna B’s

Best resale store

  • Buffalo Exchange
  • Lula B’s
  • Revente

Best cleaners

  • Mustang Laundry
  • Avon Cleaners
  • Bibbentucker’s

Best place to get a facial

  • Hotel Palomar
  • Avalon
  • Aqua Medical Spa

Best movie theater

  • AMC in NorthPark Center
  • Angelika in Mockingbird Station
  • Inwood Theater

Best bookstore

  • Half-Price Books
  • SMU Bookstore on Mockingbird
  • Barnes & Noble Northwest Highway

Best convenience store

  • 7-11 on Hillcrest
  • CVS
  • 7-11 at University & Greenville

Best golf course

  • Dallas Country Club
  • Highlands at Tennison
  • Royal Oaks

Best barber shop for guys

  • Willy’s in Hughes-Trigg
  • SuperCuts on Hillcrest
  • Sports Clips

Best hair salon for girls

  • Avalon
  • Toni & Guy
  • Salon Pompeo

Best doctor

  • SMU Health Center
  • QuestCare
  • Lake Highlands Medical Partners

Best pharmacy

  • CVS on Mockingbird
  • Walgreen’s
  • CVS Snider Plaza

Best cell phone service

  • AT&T
  • Verizon
  • Sprint

Best car dealer

  • Sewell
  • Park Place Porsche/Mercedes- Benz
  • Classic BMW

Best flower shop

  • Central Market
  • Mockingbird Florist
  • Dr. Delphinium

Best grocery store

    Central Market at Lover’s Lane and Greenville
  • Kroger on Mockingbird
  • Whole Foods Market

Many find Central Market to be the place to shop if you want to turn your grocery experience from dull to exciting. Not only is the grocery store known for having an incredible range of food items available, but it also provides shoppers with a chance to try the newest products in the market. The store is known for bringing people together with its cooking classes, live music, and sit-down café. It’s no wonder this grocery store is a favorite among SMU students.

Best electronics store

  • Apple Store
  • Fry’s
  • Computer Corner in Hughes-Trigg

Best sporting goods store

  • Dick’s Sporting Goods
  • Academy Sports
  • Sports Authority

Best manicure/pedicure

  • Park Cities Nail & Spa
  • Deluxe Nails Spa
  • Salon Pompeo

Best pet supplies store

  • PetSmart
  • Petco
  • Pet Supplies Plus on Mockingbird

Best massage therapy

  • Hotel Palomar
  • Massage Envy
  • The Spa at The Crescent

Best bank

  • Bank of America
  • Chase Bank
  • Wells Fargo

Best bike shop

  • Bicycles Plus in Snider Plaza
  • Wheels in Motion
  • Kit Kats

Best on-campus eatery

  • Subway/Chik-Fil-A/Pizza Hut in Hughes-Trigg
  • Einsteins Bagels
  • RFoC

Best lunch deal

  • Chik-Fil-A
  • Subway
  • Taco Bell

Best chicken

  • Chik-Fil-A
  • Raising Cain’s
  • Bubba’s

Best sushi

  • Sushi Kyoto
  • Bluefish
  • Sushi Zushi

Best sandwich

  • Jimmy John’s
  • New York Subs
  • Eatzi’s

Best comfort food

  • Bubba’s
  • Breadwinner’s
  • Boston Market

Best salad

  • La Madeleine
  • Central Market
  • Eatzi’s
  • Best place to eat after midnight
  • Café Brazil
  • Jimmy John’s
  • IHOP

Whether studying or sobering up, many students spend their late nights at Café Brazil. The café features a bottomless coffee bar and a menu with breakfast foods among lunch and dinner plates.

Each of the 11 DFW locations features Café Brazil’s specialty coffees such as the Cinnamon Roll, Southern Pecan Crème, and Carrot Cake flavors.

SMU’s closest Café Brazil on Central near University Avenue is open 24-hours, with good food and free Wi-Fi, living up to its motto, it’s “not just another coffee house.”

Best organic store

  • Central Market
  • Whole Foods Market
  • Sprouts

Best new restaurant

  • Rusty Taco
  • Another Broken Egg Cafe
  • Dive

Best place to take your parents

  • Campisi’s
  • Nick & Sam’s
  • Villa O/Abacus

Best food to grab in 15 minutes or less

  • Einsteins Bagels
  • Chik-Fil-A
  • Jimmy John’s

Best meal deal

  • Jimmy John’s
  • Plucker’s
  • Wai Wai

Best appetizer

  • PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps
  • Snuffer’s Cheese Fries
  • Plucker’s Fried Pickles

Best frozen yogurt

  • I Heart Yogurt
  • Yogurtland
  • Yogilicious

Best pizza

  • Olivella’s
  • Campisi’s
  • Fireside Pies

Best Italian Food

  • Patrizio’s
  • Maggiano’s
  • Campisi’s

Best Mexican Food

  • Mi Cocina
  • Chuy’s
  • Gloria’s

Best Chinese Food

  • P.F. Chang’s
  • Pei Wei
  • Wai Wai

Best BBQ

  • Peggy Sue’s
  • Dickey’s
  • Sonny Bryan’s

Best steak

  • Nick & Sam’s
  • Ruth’s Chris
  • Bob’s Steak and Chop House

Best seafood

  • Pappadeaux’s
  • Truluck’s
  • Half Shell

Best vegetarian

  • Zoe’s
  • Cosmic Cafe
  • Dream Café

Best breakfast

  • Café Brazil
  • Breadwinner’s
  • La Madeleine

Best Thai Food

  • Royal Thai Palace/Bangkok City
  • Asian Mint
  • Mango’s Thai Cuisine on Lovers

Best coffeehouse

  • Starbuck’s
  • Cafe Brazil
  • Crooked Tree Coffee House

Best donuts

  • Mustang Donuts
  • Krispy Kreme
  • Dunkin Donuts

Best cookies

  • JD’s Chippery
  • Pokey-O’s
  • Tiff’s Treats

Best wine / liquor store

  • Cork & Bottle
  • Sigel’s
  • Goody Goody

Best burger

  • Twisted Root
  • Burger House
  • Village Burger Bar

If you’re looking to enjoy an amazing burger in an eclectic environment, Twisted Root Burger Company is the place. Three chefs came together to create burger joint with fresh ingredients for a fresh taste. The burgers get people to the restaurant but the funky ambience is what makes them return. With comical signs, crazy bar stools, good music and juicy burgers, there is no reason for you not to go enjoy some food at Twisted Root.

Best cupcakes

  • Sprinkles
  • Society Bakery
  • The Cupcakery

Best bar

  • Zephyr’s
  • Homebar
  • Barley House

Best bartender

  • Homebar
  • Barley House
  • Ozona Bar & Grill

Best beer selection

  • The Ginger Man
  • Barley House
  • The Old Monk

Best Happy Hour drink special

  • Monday: Margaritas at Ozona’s
  • Friday: Reverse happy hour at Kona
  • Saturday: Bellinis at Penne Pomodoro

Best cocktail

  • Mi Cocina’s Mambo Taxi
  • Mattito’s Rumbarita
  • Electric Lemonade at Snookie’s

Best margarita

  • Bandito’s
  • Mi Cocina
  • Gloria’s

Best museum

  • Dallas Museum of Art
  • Meadows Museum
  • Nasher Sculpture Center

Best live music venue

  • House of Blues
  • Granada Theater
  • Palladium Ballroom

Best TV Show

  • Glee
  • Gossip Girl
  • Dexter

Glee started off as a little show about a little glee club that couldn’t. The club couldn’t attract enough members. Its members couldn’t get less popular. That’s still pretty much the case for all those Glee characters, but the show itself has proven to be a big-time success—a
nd with good reason. It turns out that the little glee club that couldn’t makes really good TV. We could tell you to watch it for the music or choreography, but that would be a lie. The true gem in this show is Jane Lynch, otherwise known as Sue Sylvester, the controlling fireball of a cheerleading coach who hates to have her budget cut and loves to make fun of Mr. Schuster’s hair.

Best viral video of 2010

  • Dey Rapin Eerybody Out Here
  • Pants on the Ground
  • Best Cry Ever

Although it started out as just a newscast in Alabama, Antoine Dodson and “The Bed Intruder Song” quickly became an internet sensation.

Dodson’s warning to the man who broke into his sister’s window was auto-tuned into a song that made the top 100 on iTunes. So hide yo kids, hide yo wife and hide yo husbands because this viral video is coming for you!

Best club for under-21s

  • Lizard Lounge
  • Zephyr’s
  • M Street

Best club for over-21s

  • Homebar
  • Barley House
  • Lizard Lounge

Best movie of the school year

  • Inception
  • The Social Network
  • Toy Story 3

Best classic movie

  • Forrest Gump
  • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
  • Star Wars/Breakfast Club

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