Get a load of North Idaho's best

The people have spoken. Roughly 30,000 times, in fact.

The result? Today, all their hard work punching computer and smartphone keys has been laid in front of you. The 2015 edition of Best of North Idaho is inside today's Press.

This people's choice contest has become quite an event over the years. For the businesses that win, it's the marketing equivalent of solid gold. For those who come up short? It's a chance to recognize that perhaps they have more marketing work to do after determining what their competitors are doing to put them first in voters' minds.

Best of North Idaho is not a scientifically executed, research-intensive market analysis. It's a big, highly publicized survey that citizens are free to weigh in on, or not. It's designed for passionate customers, for folks who will go a little out of their way to endorse what they consider the best of the best. Electronic balloting was open the entire month of January, and sure enough, more than 30,000 separate ballots were cast. Today you'll learn whom the voters prefer in each of 164 categories.

Best pub? Got that.

Best wedding planner? Check.

Best bakery, best bank? Yes and yes.

One hundred and sixty-four times, yes. In every category, you'll see first and second place winners. Many won't surprise you a bit. Some almost certainly will.

While it's nice to put spotlights on worthy local businesses, our goal is broader than that. It's to give you, our readers, an annual, updated guide that can help shape your purchasing decisions. You don't have to take our word for it, or the word of our advertisers. Today you can hear what thousands of your fellow citizens have to say.