What better honor than to be voted the best of the best by your customers and colleagues?
In August, we asked Howard Magazine readers to tell us the most notable businesses, people and places from Marriottsville to Savage and from Elkridge to Clarksville. Here are the results of how our readers voted.
Annual Festival Event
Winner: Wine in the Woods
Honorable mention:
Columbia Festival of the Arts
Howard County Fair
Highland Days
Symphony of Lights
Place to Buy Antiques
Winner: Historic Savage Mill
Honorable mention:
Westwood Antiques
Historic Ellicott City
Abode
Art Gallery
Winner: Gallery 44
Honorable mention:
Artists' Gallery
Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House
Howard County Center for the Arts
Place for Auto Repair
Winner: Hillmuth Certified Automotive
Honorable mention:
British American Auto Care
O'Donnell Honda
Ken's Service Center
Bakery
Winner: Touche Touchet Bakery & Pastry Shoppe
Honorable mention:
Great Harvest Bread Co.
Panera Bread
Oh, What A Cake!
Blog
Winner: HoCo Rising (hocorising.com by Tom Coale)
Honorable mention:
HowChow (howchow.blogspot.com)
Place to Buy Books
Winner: Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Honorable mention:
Daedalus Books
Second Edition
Amazon.com
Car Dealership
Winner: Apple Ford
Honorable mention:
O'Donnell Honda
Antwerpen
Win Kelly Chevrolet Buick GMC
Caterer
Winner: Putting on the Ritz Catering
Honorable mention:
Rehm's Catering
Absolutely Perfect Catering
Zeffert and Gold Catering
Charity/Nonprofit
Winner: Neighbor Ride
Honorable mention:
Grassroots
Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults
The ARC of Howard County
Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center
Child Care
Winner: Bet Yeladim
Honorable mention:
Little Builders
The Young School
Columbia Academy
Cradlerock Children's Center
Chiropractor
Winner: Dabbs Rehab Center of Maryland (Vaughan Dabbs)
Honorable mention:
Howard County Chiropractic Spine & Sports Rehabilitation (Russel & Veronica Antico)
Elite Chiropractic & Sport (Josh Bross)
Morrison Chiropractic (Brian Morrison)
Clergyperson
Winner: The Rev. Paige Getty, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia
Honorable mention:
Rabbi Mark Panoff, Temple Isaiah Congregation
Rabbi Susan Grossman, Beth Shalom Congregation
The Rev. Heather Kirk-Davidoff, Kittamaqundi Community Church
Monsignor Joseph L. Luca, St. Louis Church
Clothing Boutique (3-way tie):
Winners: Chico's, Serendipity and Simply Divine
Honorable mention:
Bra-la-la
Liquid Blue Denim Boutique
Nordstrom
Place for Dance Lessons
Winner: Arthur Murray
Honorable mention:
Misako Ballet
Studio Dans
Arabesque Dance Studio
Backstage Dance Studio
Day Spa (including massage)
Winner: Skin Care Institute
Honorable mention:
Mason & Friends Hair, Skin & Nail Salon
Massage Envy
Lynn's Day Spa
Dental Practice
Winner: Columbia Smiles Family Dentistry (Dr. David Halpern)
Honorable mention:
Dobbin Dental
Katkow Dentistry
Dr. Henry Fasteau
Doggie Day Care
Winner: Club Pooche
Honorable mention:
The Coventry School Inc. for Dogs and Their People
Dogtopia
PetSmart
Dry Cleaner
Winner: Zips Dry Cleaners
Honorable mention:
Wilde Lake Cleaners
Wardrobe Valet Cleaners
Oakland Mills Cleaners
Elected Official
Winner: County Executive Ken Ulman
Honorable mention:
Del. Elizabeth Bobo
Del. Guy Guzzone
County Council member Mary Kay Sigaty
Financial Institution
Winner: Columbia Bank
Honorable mention:
Wachovia/Wells Fargo
Bank of America
M&T Bank
Place for a First Date
Winner: Clyde's
Honorable mention:
Iron Bridge Wine Co.
Lakefront activities
The Kings Contrivance Restaurant
Flooring & Carpeting
Winner: Bode Flooring
Honorable mention:
The Vertical Connection Carpet One
Andy Breeden Floors
Home Depot
Florist
Winner: Wilhide's
Honorable mention:
Raimondi's Florist
Wessel's Florist & Weddings
Clarksville Flower Station
Furniture Store
Winner: Oak Tree
Honorable mention:
Havertys
Indoor Furniture
Room Store
Garden Center/Nursery
Winner: River Hill Garden Center
Honorable mention:
Grandfather's Garden Center & Nursery
Sun Nurseries
Home Depot
Golf Course
Winner: Hobbit's Glen Golf Club
Honorable mention:
Timbers at Troy Golf Course
Fairway Hills Golf Club
Turf Valley
Gym/Health Club
Winner: Columbia Athletic Club
Honorable mention:
Supreme Sports Club
Columbia Gym
Life Time Fitness
Hair Salon
Winner: Mason & Friends Hair, Skin & Nail Salon
Honorable mention:
Looks Salon & Spa
Victoria & Albert Hair Studio
Patrick's Hair Design
Place to Buy Health Food/Supplements
Winner: David's Natural Market
Honorable mention:
Roots Market
MOM's Organic Market
Trader Joe's
Heating/Air Conditioning Repair
Winner: Environmental Systems Associates
Honorable mention:
BGE
Ron Air
B & B Air Conditioning & Heating
Homebuilder
Winner: Columbia Builders
Honorable mention:
Williamsburg Builders
Toll Brothers
NVHomes
Housecleaning Service
Winner: Merry Maids
Honorable mention:
Cleaning Authority
Pioneer Custom Cleaning
Clean As A Whistle
Jeweler
Winner: Edward Arthur Jewelers
Honorable mention:
Everett Designers of Fine Jewelry
Smyth Jewelers
Sergio's
Kids' Activities
Winner: Clark's Elioak Petting Farm
Honorable mention:
Howard County Parks & Recreation activities
Columbia Association venues & scheduled activities
Jump!Zone Party Play Centers
Landscaper
Winner: Rhine Landscaping
Honorable mention:
Oaklawn Landscaping
River Hill Garden Center
Town Creek Landscaping
Place for a Manicure (tie)
Winners: Mason & Friends Hair, Skin & Nail Salon and Skin Care Institute
Honorable mention:
Pro Finish Nails
Pro Nails
Columbia Nails
Place for Martial Arts classes
Winner: Klotz Institute of Karate
Honorable mention:
Wilde Lake Karate
American Academy of Martial Arts
Chung's Martial Arts
Medi-Spa
Winner: Between the Lines Medispa (Mason & Friends Hair, Skin & Nail Salon)
Honorable mention:
Pura Vida Medical Spa
Skin Care Institute
Medical Skin Therapeutics
Place for Music Lessons
Winner: Mike's Music
Honorable mention:
Music Institute at Howard Community College
Music & Arts Center
Damon Foreman Music Academy
OB/GYN Practice
Winner: Signature OB-GYN
Honorable mention:
Dr. Jeri Shuster
Dr. Francoise Abrams
Capital Women's Care
Pediatric Practice
Winner: Kenneth Klebanow & Associates
Honorable mention:
Parnes, May, McKay, Lee & Associates
Dr. Aruna Khurana
The Pediatric Center
Personal Trainer
Winner: Vic Selvaggi (Colosseum Gym & Personal Training)
Honorable mention:
Tim Gallagher (Colosseum Gym & Personal Training)
Stella Fanzone (Columbia Athletic Club)
Vicki Burns (Columbia Athletic Club)
Place for Pet Grooming
Winner: PetSmart
Honorable mention:
Club Pooche
Highland Groomery
Petco
Plumber
Winner: Ken Griffin Plumbing & Heating
Honorable mention:
Crouse Plumbing & Heating
Stanton & Sons Plumbing & Heating
Joseph Heil Co.
Mark Brew Plumbing
Len The Plumber
Police Officer
Winner: Charles Toler
Honorable mention:
Police Chief William McMahon
Russell Burris
James Zamillo
Principal
Winner: Marcia Leonard (Hammond High School)
Honorable mention:
Frank Eastham (Oakland Mills High School)
Adrianne Kaufman (Reservoir High School)
Heidi Balter (Atholton Elementary School)
Remodeler
Winner: Pro-Built Construction
Honorable mention:
Cossentino and Sons
Ken Griffin Plumbing & Heating
Faith Home Remodeling Services
Place to Buy Seafood
Winner: Today's Catch
Honorable mention:
Frank's Seafood Wholesale Market
Sea King/Shanty Grille
Costco
Place for Shoe Repair
Winner: Renew Instant Shoe Repair
Honorable mention:
King's Cobbler
Custom Tailor of Columbia
Vance Shoe Repair
Place to Rent for Special Occasions
Winner: Historic Oakland
Honorable mention:
The Other Barn (Oakland Mills Village Center)
The Great Room at Historic Savage Mill
Ten Oaks Ballroom
Place to Buy Spirits and/or Beer
Winner: Decanter Fine Wine
Honorable mention:
Perfect Pour
Allview Liquors
Jason's Wine & Spirits
Travel Agent
Winner: Destinations Inc.
Honorable mention:
AAA
Classic Travel
Harvest Events and Travel Planning
Urgent Care Center
Winner: Righttime Medical Care
Honorable mention:
Patient First
AllCare of Maryland
Veterinary Practice
Winner: VCA Lewis Animal Hospital
Honorable mention:
Cat and Dog Hospital of Columbia
Countryside Veterinary Clinic
Triadelphia Veterinary Clinic
Place to Buy Wine
Winner: Decanter Fine Wines
Honorable mention:
Iron Bridge Wine Co.
Perfect Pour
Wine Bin