Business & Tech

A Delicious Challenge: Put Burnsville Dining on the Map

In 2011, Burnsville came close to winning the national Best of the Road Rally for "Best Food." Help Burnsville win in 2012: Only 24 hours remain to vote.

Want to make  crème brûlée French toast famous? Think the succulent steaks at deserve national attention? So do I, which means I'm going to vote early (and often) for Burnsville in Rand McNally's Best of the Road contest.

Burnsville was a finalist for “Best Destination for Food” in 2011, and this year the folks at the visitors and convention bureau are in it to win it. 

"I think people think of Burnsville as just chains but we have small independent restaurants that are very, very good," said Michelle Rock, marketing coordinator for the Burnsville Convention & Visitors Bureau. "This is a great opportunity to expose Burnsville as best in the nation. When people come to the Twin Cities they should know that we're here too." 

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As a relatively new Burnsville resident, I couldn't agree more: Burnsville has a bit of an image problem. We have excellent, one-of-a-kind restaurants but not many people know about them, even within our own city limits, a shameful situation that needs to be rectified post-haste.

But here's the truth of the matter. You don't have to go to Minneapolis to get top-notch , stellar , authentic , some ,  or a White Trash Burger. And don't even get me started on those . We can even throw in if need be. It's all here in our own backyard. Believe me, Burnsville is a diamond in the rough, as I promptly discovered after launching Patch last year. I have the 15 extra pounds to prove it, too.

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Last time around, we lost out to Lafayette, LA—a worthy opponent if there ever was one. This time, though, it should be a lock. So what to do: Tell all your friends and vote, vote, and vote some more.

If we win, Burnsville will be prominently featured in Rand McNally’s 2014 Atlas and in the USA TODAY Travel section. Based on the number of votes and the quality of the reviews posted, six finalist towns will then be chosen. The finalists will be vetted by a  who embark on a 4 week-long road rally, beginning June 15 in Washington D.C. The winning towns will be announced at the Destination Marketing Association International’s (DMAI) annual convention on July 15 in Seattle.

Here's how to vote. Log on to bestoftheroad.com and write a review about your favorite restaurant(s) and vote for Burnsville daily through the deadline May 15. Then get your friends, family and co-workers to vote by tweeting up a storm and sharing it on Facebook.

Bon appétit!


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