MEXICO

2007 Oaxaca Survey Winners Announced

MEXICO FORUM

Publication date: December 2007

PHOTO GALLERY: Oaxaca 2007
SLIDESHOW

OAXACA, OAXACA - From piedrazos to tlayudas, the Oaxaca Survey addresses what makes this Mexican city special to so many people. The bilingual survey offers travelers and locals an opportunity to evaluate attractions of Oaxaca, including the city's famous markets, art galleries, bookstores and restaurants.

WINNERS

Favorite place for live music? Lugar favorito para musica en vivo? - Zocalo

Favorite art gallery? Mejor galeria de arte favorita? - El Maco

Favorite restaurant? Restaurante favorito? - La Biznaga

Favorite market? ¿Mercado favorito? - Pochote

Favorite place for sherbet and ice cream? Lugar favorito para nieves? - Socrates Garden (next to La Soledad Church)

Favorite place for popsicles? Lugar favorito para paletas? - Popeye

Favorite place to buy grasshoppers? ¿Lugar favorito para comprar chapulines? - Benito Juarez/20 de Noviembre Market

Favorite place to buy Oaxaca cheese? Lugar favorito para comprar queso Oaxaqueño? - Benito Juarez Market

Favorite place to eat a tlayuda, memela or empenada? Lugar favorito para comer una tlayuda, memela o empanada? - Libres Street (nights)

Favorite place to eat tacos? Lugar favorito para comer tacos? - Itanoni

Favorite place to buy tamales? Lugar favorito para comprar tamales? - Conzatti Park, north side (mornings)

Favorite place for a hot chocolate? Lugar favorito para tomar un chocolate caliente? - Mayordomo Chocolate Store

Favorite place for a jello or nicuatole? Lugar favorito para compar geletin o nicuatole? - Pochote Market

Favorite place for a fruit drink or tejate? Lugar favorito para tomar un agua o tejate? - Benito Juarez Market

Favorite mezcal brand? Marca de mezcal favorito? - De la Vega

Favorite place for a mezcal? Lugar favorito para tomar un mezcal? - Casa de Mezcal

Favorite cantina? - Bar Jardin

Favorite place to buy a piedrazo? Lugar favorito para compar un piedrazo? - Benito Juarez Market

Favorite newspaper? Diario favorito? - Noticias

Favorite bookstore? ¿Libreria favorita? - Amate

Favorite city park? Parque urbano favorito? - Zocalo

Favorite place to rent a bicycle? Lugar favorito a rentar una bicicleta? - Bicicletas Pedro Martinez

Favorite notable or historic tree? ¿Árbol notable o histórico favorito? - Árbol del Tule

ABOUT THE AWARD

Planeta.com created this award in 2005 to help collect information about favorite places and services popular with travelers and locals. Information has been incorporated into our popular Oaxaca Guide.

"'Best of' tends to be an overworked phrase -- 'lo mejor' prefaces up to a third of Oaxaca City businesses," said Planeta.com webhost Ron Mader. "Most usage is by business owners themselves. This survey provides an opportunity to engage locals and visitors by seeking out their favorites."

Nominations were open in July and August, announced via the Oaxaca Guide on Planeta.com and the Oaxaca Options mailing list. Voting took place from September-November 2007. We asked that respondents vote only once.

"Talking to locals and visitors, it's easy to see that the social protests of 2006 transformed the city landscape. Businesses have changed, some have closed, some have opened," said Planeta.com webhost Ron Mader. "There have been great changes in 2007 and no doubt further transformations will occur in 2008.

Response to the survey was encouraging. Within the first two days of the launch, more than two dozen people responded, one writing, "Taking this survey makes me realise how much I haven't done in Oaxaca yet. I need to go back!"

PREVIOUS SURVEY

In the 2005-2006 survey readers ranked the Zocalo as a great place for live music, Noticias for a daily newspaper and Casa de Mezcal as the city's best cantina.