Best of Baltimore Readers’ Poll 2016

Thanks to everyone who voted in our 2016 Best of Baltimore Readers’ Poll! Subscribe now or pick up a copy of our annual “Best of Baltimore” issue to see who we picked as this year’s winners.

Arts & Culture

Band

Winner: What’s Next
Runners-up: Symphony Number One, Parks Landing

Bookstore

Winner: Red Emma’s
Runners-up: The Ivy Bookshop, Atomic Books

Dance Party

Winner: Save Your Soul
Runners-up: Ministry of Swing, Plork Prom

Exhibit

Winner: Charlie The Peacock (Light City)
Runners-up: Devin Allen: Awakenings, In a New Light, Only When It’s Dark Enough Can You See the Stars

Festival

Winner: Artscape
Runners-up: Light City Baltimore, HonFest

Gallery

Winner: Crystal Moll Gallery
Runners-up: Creative Alliance, Gallery 788

Museum

Winner: The Baltimore Museum of Art
Runners-up: The American Visionary Art Museum, The Walters Art Museum

Music Venue

Winner: The Ottobar
Runners-up: The 8×10, Pier 6 Pavilion

Musician

Winner: Maynard Edwards
Runners-up: Kristin Young, Cris Jacobs

Park

Winner: Patterson Park
Runners-up: Druid Hill Park, Wyman Park

Play or Performance

Winner: Halloween: Nosferatu (Occasional Symphony)
Runners-up: Neverwhere (Cohesion Theatre Company), All Baltimore Voices: Stories About and Beyond the Unrest

Poet

Winner: Stephen Zerance
Runners-up: Kondwani Fidel, Tariq Touré

Sports League

Winner: Charm City Roller Girls
Runners-up: BSSC, Baltimore Social

Street Art

Winner: Baltimore LOVE Project
Runners-up: Inside Out Project, Open Walls Baltimore

Theater (Movie)

Winner: Charles Theatre
Runners-up: Senator Theatre, Landmark Harbor East

Theater (Live)

Winner: Center Stage
Runners-up: Everyman Theater, Hippodrome

Writer

Winner: D. Watkins
Runners-up: Lisa Van Wormer, Dan Rodricks

Food & Drink

Bagel

Winner: Towson Hot Bagels
Runners-up: Greg’s Bagels, Goldberg’s Bagels

Bakery

Winner: La Cakerie
Runners-up: Vaccaro’s, Fenwick Bakery

Bar (Casual)

Winner: Max’s Taphouse
Runners-up: Barfly’s, Forno Baltimore

Bar (Fancy)

Winner: Wit & Wisdom
Runners-up: Bookmakers Cocktail Club, W.C. Harlan

Bartender

Winner: Amie Ward (Aggio)
Runners-up: Jonathan Levy (Wit & Wisdom), Ricky Johnson (Forno Baltimore)

Breakfast

Winner: Miss Shirley’s Café
Runners-up: Blue Moon Café, Iron Rooster

Brunch

Winner: Miss Shirley’s Café
Runners-up: Forno Baltimore, The Food Market

Brewery

Winner: Union Craft Brewing
Runners-up: Heavy Seas Beer, The Brewer’s Art

Burger

Winner: Vagabond Sandwich Company
Runners-up: Abbey Burger Bistro, Hamilton Tavern

Cheap Eats

Winner: Samos Greek Island Grill
Runners-up: Nalley Fresh, Ekiben

Chef

Winner: Enrique Limardo (Alma Cocina Latina)
Runners-up: Cindy Wolf (Foreman Wolf), Matt Audette (Forno Baltimore)

Cocktails

Winner: Bookmakers Cocktail Club
Runners-up: Forno Baltimore, W.C. Harlan

Coffee

Winner: Zeke’s Coffee
Runners-up: Ceremony Coffee Roasters, Artifact Coffee

Crabs

Winner: Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood
Runners-up: L.P. Steamers, Captain James Crabhouse & Restaurant

Fine Dining

Winner: Charleston
Runners-up: Woodberry Kitchen, The Prime Rib

Food Truck

Winner: Gypsy Queen Café
Runners-up: Kooper’s Chowhound Burger Wagon, The Green Bowl

Ice Cream

Winner: The Charmery
Runners-up: Cream Cruiser, Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Indian

Winner: Ambassador Dining Room
Runners-up: Darbar, Namaste Baltimore

Italian

Winner: Forno Baltimore
Runners-up: Cinghiale, La Scala Ristorante

Lunch

Winner: Nalley Fresh
Runners-up: Miss Shirley’s Café, Vagabond Sandwhich Company

Mexican

Winner: Blue Agave
Runners-up: Clavel, La Tolteca

Outdoor Dining

Winner: Boathouse Canton
Runners-up: Forno Baltimore, Little Havana

Pizza

Winner: Coal Fire Pizza
Runners-up: Verde, Matthew’s Pizza

Server

Winner: Tabitha Baxter (Petit Louis)
Runners-up: Randy Lock (Miss Shirley’s), Michael “Miguel” Wilkens (Fork & Wrench)

Soup

Winner: Atwater’s
Runners-up: Soup’s On, Alma Cocina Latina

Steak

Winner: The Prime Rib
Runners-up: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille

Sports Bar

Winner: Max’s Taphouse
Runners-up: Wiley Gunter’s, Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille

Sushi

Winner: Azumi
Runners-up: RA Sushi, Shoyou Sushi

Thai

Winner: Thai Arroy
Runners-up: Stang of Siam, Thai Landing

Vegetarian

Winner: One World Café
Runners-up: Nalley Fresh, Land of Kush

Lifestyle & Home

Auto Repair

Winner: Firestone Complete Auto Care
Runners-up: Hollenshade’s Auto Service, Hunt Valley EuroCar

Dry Cleaning

Winner: Zips Dry Cleaning
Runners-up: Parsonizing Fine Dry Cleaning, J&J Alteration & Cleaning

Contractor (Home)

Winner: G&E Contractors
Runners-up: FC Batton and Son, Inc., B&H Chimneys

Electrician

Winner: Walter Electric
Runners-up: Winn Electric, Malstrom Electric

Fitness Instructor

Winner: Guy Cragwell (MV Fitness)
Runners-up: Sonja Burns (Booty Burns), Aurelia Jones (Zumba)

Furniture Store

Winner: Gardiner Wolf Furniture
Runners-up: Su Casa, The Silver Fox

Grocery Store

Winner: Wegmans
Runners-up: Harris Teeter, Mom’s Organic Market

Gym

Winner: Brick Bodies
Runners-up: Merritt Athletic Clubs, REV Cycle Studio

Handyman

Winner: The Baltimore Handyman Company
Runners-up: Irv’s Handyman Service, Joe Letke

HVAC

Winner: BGE Home
Runners-up: At Your Service Heating and Cooling LLC, Perry Hall Heating & Cooling

Kids’ Clothing

Winner: Wee Chic Boutique
Runners-up: Cohen’s, The Pied Piper

Landscaping

Winner: Maryland Landscape Supply
Runners-up: Live Green Landscapes, Arbormasters Inc.

Men’s Clothing

Winner: JS Edwards
Runners-up: Men’s Wearhouse, Sixteen Tons

Personal Trainer

Winner: Guy Cragwell (Federal Hill Fitness)
Runners-up: Reese Ashe (Reflex Functional Fitness), Dan Harris (Charm City Fitness)

Pet Care

Winner: Prancing Pooches
Runners-up: Barks and Blooms, Biederman’s Better Dogs

Plumber

Winner: Len The Plumber
Runners-up: Vince Marino Plumbing & Heating, Saffer Plumbing

Salon (Hair)

Winner: Studio&Co
Runners-up: Form Salon, Crafted Hair Studio

Salon (Spa)

Winner: Ojas Wellness Center
Runners-up: Crop Salon, About Faces

Shoe Store

Winner: DSW
Runners-up: Poppy and Stella, Ma Petite Shoe

Sporting Goods

Winner: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Runners-up: Charm City Running, Under Armour

Toy Store

Winner: Amuse Toys
Runners-up: Shenanigans, Toys R Us

Veterinarian

Winner: Charm City Veterinary Hospital
Runners-up: Falls Road Animal Hospital, Light Street Animal Hospital

Women’s Clothing

Winner: Sass Upscale Resale Boutique
Runners-up: Brightside Boutique, Punch! Boutique

Yoga Studio

Winner: YogaWorks (formerly Charm City Yoga)
Runners-up: M. Power Yoga, CorePower Yoga

News & Media

Blog (News)

Winner: Booze News
Runners-up: Baltimore Brew, What Weekly

Blog (Sports)

Winner: The Big Leagues Daily
Runners-up: The Spitter, Russell Street Report

Blog (Other)

Winner: Invisible Crowne Blog
Runners-up: 30th & Weldon, Aesthetic Distance

Columnist

Winner: Dan Rodricks
Runners-up: Becky Witt, Dan Clark

Oriole

Winner: Adam Jones
Runners-up: Manny Machado, Chris Davis

Instagram Account

Winner: @thebmorecreatives
Runners-up: @1304Photos, @AestheticDistance

Publication (Print)*

Winner: City Paper
Runners-up: The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal

Publication (Online)*

Winner: Baltimore Brew
Runners-up: 30th & Weldon, The Baltimore Sun

Radio Show Host

Winner: Tom Hall (WYPR)
Runners-up: Marc Steiner (WEAA), Alex Cortright (WTMD)

Radio Station

Winner: WTMD
Runners-up: WYPR, 98 Rock

Raven

Winner: Joe Flacco
Runners-up: Justin Tucker, Steve Smith, Sr.

TV Broadcaster (News)

Winner: Megan Gilliland
Runners-up: Denise Koch, Jennifer Franciotti

TV Broadcaster (Sports)

Winner: Gerry Sandusky
Runners-up: Mark Viviano, Keith Mills

Twitter Account

Winner: @Justin_Fenton
Runners-up: @MrTrashWheel, @aesthdistance1

*Baltimore magazine was excluded.