Yes, that ominous rumbling you hear IS the sound of the Great Age of Best of Burque Restaurants voting coming to its vainglorious conclusion. When? Tomorrow, Sept. 20 at high noon!

The age-old debate over which came first seems close to being resolved in favor of the chicken. After years of hens being treated as little more than egg-dispensers, concern is rising for the well-being of the layers themselves. Meanwhile, the practice of personal flock-keeping is on the upswing. Across the country, and in many parts of the world, chicken-first approaches are supplanting the simple quest to create the cheapest eggs possible.