Best Of The Bay 2012: San Francisco Bay Guardian Releases Annual List (PHOTOS)

Ah, "best of" season. The time of year when every restaurant, yoga studio, circus class and coffee cart smiles wider and distributes fliers begging for a nomination in one of the city's many Best of the Bay issues.

But since 1974, one superlative list has trumped all others: the San Francisco Bay Guardian's. And today, the 2012 Best of the Bay list is out.

Speaking for the far(thest)-left, SFBG not only releases an annual "best of" list; they claim they invented it. And for nearly 40 years, the publication has been shining a spotlight on some of the strongest--and strangest--spots in San Francisco.

Containing both editor and reader curated sections, the exhaustive list spans nearly 200 categories. (Best coffee? Child's play. SFBG has categories for best full-scope roast, best six-way stimulant and best cup.)

Head over to SFBG for the entire list, and check out a few of our favorites in the slideshow below.

Cheers to the Guardian. Here's to another 38 years.