Welcome to the 2004 edition of the Providence Phoenix Best awards. Well, we don’t really hand out awards, but we do try to give credit where it’s due. Each of our four categories “Arts and Entertainment,” “City Life,” “Food and Drink,” “Romance,” and “Shopping” features Best selections chosen by our readers (Readers’ Picks) in the 2004 Best Readers Poll. Look there to see if your nominee won. We also feature a slightly more offbeat collection of Bests selected by our writers and editors. Then do us all a favor and go out and experience the best our city has to offer. It’s all here, from the "Best Salad Invented from Leftovers" to the "Best Uses for Mud" to the "Best Place to Find Elbow Patches," and more.