One of my favorite pizza places in town has a lobby that’s full of those “Best of…” plaques. It’s got that local feel, too – one of those places where the woman behind the counter gives the kids cookies while we wait. (As you can probably guess, it’s also one of their favorite places for take-out.)

That good feeling that comes from staying local is gaining traction in other areas of our lives too. Locavores are moving into the mainstream.

So when we learned that Eliza won the 2009 Best of Beverly Award from the U.S. Commerce Association – which recognizes local companies that provide exceptional service –we couldn’t help but feel proud to be part of a community that values the good work people are doing in our own backyard.

Even if the people we serve are located all over the country.

How about you? Are you more likely to support a local musician or shopkeeper? How far did your lunch have to travel to get to your plate? What kind of amazing ‘best of’s are there in your own neighborhood?