Last year, I expressed dismay at the results of local alt-weekly City Life ‘s Best of the Valley 2006 choices, submitted by local readers. If you recall, Vegas readers chose unique establishments such as The Olive Garden for Best Italian and P.F. Chang’s for Best Chinese. I promised that I would submit a 2006 entry, and I plan to mail it in tomorrow. It’s only fair that I publish my own Food & Drink choices, so here they are. Let me know where I’ve gone wrong:

• Best non-chain restaurant: Rosemary’s
• Best cheap eats: In ‘n Out
• Best pricey eats: Okada
• Best late-night dining: Paymon’s Meditteranean Grill (on Maryland Parkway)
• Best place to take a date when you really want to get laid: Firefly
• Best steakhouse: [No answer. I’ve been to very few.]
• Best Mexican restaurant: Lindo Michoacan
• Best Chinese restaurant: Little Buddha [Although I’ve heard Joyful House is good.]
• Best Italian restaurant: Pasta Shop
• Best Thai restaurant: Lotus of Siam
• Best Indian restaurant: Origin India
• Best buffet: [No answer. None have been the “best.”]
• Best sushi: I Love Sushi
• Best beer selection: Freakin’ Frog
• Best coffeehouse: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (on Maryland Parkway) [Sorry for the chain. I don’t drink much coffee.[
• Best looking waitstuff staff: [No answer.]
• Best wine selection: Lotus of Siam [Pages and pages of reislings.]

Only one of my above answers (Okada) is on The Strip. I can’t afford to go to most of the top restaurants there, but even if I could, I’d prefer to recommend off-Strip locations.