current SEPTEMBER E-EDITION | ecurrent.com
s r e n n i W
, n i e r a s e t o v e h T S e t h i t ll e r going a e r he s t r o ! s ng in 2020 r e nn i W ! www.ecurrent.com • September 2020 •
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• September 2020 • www.ecurrent.com
Food & Drink Asian-Fusion Pacific Rim pacificrimbykana.com Runner-up: Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse
Korean Miss Kim misskimannarbor.com Runner-up: Tomukun
Indian Cardamom cardamoma2.com Runner-up: Shalimar
Italian Mani Osteria maniosteria.com
Winners Y ou voted and we listened (or, rather, we counted) to determine The Best of the Best of Washtenaw County! With so many great options to choose from, our readers voted and selected the Best in our area. Want to know how your favorite restaurant stacks up against the competition? Or maybe find a new place to shop that other locals love? Check out Current readers’ choices for The Best of Washtenaw.
Runner-up: Paesanos
Mexican Chela’s chelas.co
Vegetarian/Vegan The Lunch Room thelunchrooma2.com Runner-up: Seva
Brewpub/Brewery Corner Brewery (Arbor Brewing) arborbrewing.com Runner-up: Homes Brewing
Cocktail Bar The Last Word thelastwordbar.com Runner-up: Ollie
Fine Dining The Earle theearle.com Runner-up: Logan
Food Truck/Cart Bill’s Hot Dog Stand facebook.com/billshotdogstand Runner-up: Ricewood
Runner-up: MAIZ
Middle Eastern Jerusalem Garden jerusalemgarden.net Runner-up: Palm Palace Pizzeria Buddy’s Pizza buddyspizza.com Runner-up: Pizza House Seafood Monahan’s monahansseafood.com Runner-up: Real Seafood Burger Joint Sidetrack sidetrackbarandgrill.com Runner-up: Frita Batidos BBQ Smokehouse 52 sh52bbq.com Runner-up: Red Rock
Diner Mark’s Midtown Coney Island marksmidtown.com Runner-up: Fleetwood
Dessert Washtenaw Dairy washtenawdairy.com Runner-up: Blank Slate
Local Farm Calder Dairy Farm calderdairy.com Runner-up: White Lotus
Local Grocery Ypsi Food Co-op ypsifoodcoop.org Runner-up: Argus Farm Stop
Ethnic Grocery Dos Hermanos Market facebook.com/DosHermanosMarket Runner-up: Hua Xing Asia Market
Natural Food Store Ypsilanti Food Co-Op ypsifoodcoop.org Runner-up: Arbor Farms
Delivery Food New York Pizza Depot newyorkpizza-annarbor.com Runner-up: Miss Kim Coffee House RoosRoast roosroast.com Runner-up: Cultivate
Shopping New Business
Ann Arbor Kiwanis
kiwanissale.com
Runner-up: DJ’s Bakery
Cont’d on p4
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Greenhouse/Garden Store
Shoe Store
Bicycle Shop
Record Store
Downtownhomeandgarden.com
mastshoes.com
wheelsinmotion.us
encorerecordsa2.com
Downtown Home and Garden
Mast
Wheels in Motion
Encore Records
Runner-up: Growing Hope
Runner-up: Ann Arbor Running Co.
Runner-up: Sic Transit
Runner-up: Underground Sounds
Home Boutique
Jewelry Store
Sports Store/Outfitter
Sex-Positive Shop
Rockpaperscissorsshop.com
lewisjewelers.com
bivouacannarbor.com
loverslane.com
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Lewis Jewelers
Bivouac
Lover’s Lane
Runner-up: Found
Runner-up: World of Rocks
Runner-up: REI
Runner-up: Common Knowledge
Furniture Store
Best Downtown Ann Arbor Shop
Local Pet Store
Services
vaultofmidnight.com
Runner-up: The Pet Emporium
Salt City Antiques
facebook.com/SaltCityAntiques115 Runner-up: Three Chairs Co.
Antique/Vintage Store Treasure Mart
treasuremart.com Runner-up: Salt City Antiques
Thrift Store
Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop
a2ptothriftshop.org
Runner-up: Kiwanis Thrift Store
Locally-Owned Boutique The Mix
mixthestore.com
Vault of Midnight
Runner-up: Downtown Home & Garden
Natural Food Store Ypsilanti Food Co-op
ypsifoodcoop.org
Runner-up: Argus Farm Stop
Farmer’s Market
Ann Arbor Farmers Market
a2farmersmarket.org
Runner-up: Ypsi Depot Town
Party/Wine Store Tippins
Runner-up: Thistle & Bess
facebook.com/Tippins-Market-152148031505940
Cool Eyewear
Runner-up: A&L Wine Castle
SEE EYEWEAR seeeyewear.com
Wags to Wiskers
wagstowiskers.com Independent Books Literati
literatibookstore.com Runner-up: Nicola’s
Used Books Dawn Treader
dawntreaderbooks.com Runner-up: West Side Books
Comic Shop
Vault of Midnight
Florist
Enchanted Florist
enchantedfloristinc.com Runner-up: Tom Thompson
Wedding Venue Cobblestone Farm
cobblestonefarm.org Runner-up: Zingerman’s Cornman Farms
Hotel
Weber’s Inn
webersannarbor.com Runner-up: The Graduate
vaultofmidnight.com Runner-up: Adventure, Ink
Runner-up: Warby Parker
Corner Brewery (Arbor Brewing)
Best Brew pub/Brewery
720 Norris St., Ypsilanti 734-480-2739. arborbrewing.com
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Hometown favorite Corner Brewery pours the tastiest brews to enjoy in a comfortable beer garden. The brewery, located within walking distance of Frog Island Park and historic Depot Town, overflows with creative flavors for new brews while also welcoming the return of popular, seasonal flavors. One minute, you’re tasting the fruity and woodsy Treebeard, then you can enjoy the lavender and wildflower honey in Pollination Sensation. Corner Brewery also serves up a wide variety of delicious fare that will change your definition of “bar food”, including items like a Red Curry Tofu sammie or a Party Shark Flatbread pizza, to pair perfectly with your brew of choice. Gaze at the hopping process through windows where you can look over the brewmaster’s shoulder. Runner-up: Homes Brewing
Caterer
Lawyer
zingermanscatering.com
finkandfink.com
Zingerman’s Catering
James Fink, Fink & Fink
Runner-up: Katherine’s
Runner-up: Dominic Hamden, Esq.
Travel Agent
Professor
Conlin Travel
conlintravel.com Runner-up: Zingerman’s Food Tours
Real Estate Agent
Heather Berkowitz-Freeling, Trillium Real Estate
trilliumrealtors.com
Runner-up: Geri Uhline, Howard Hanna
Veterinarian
Steven Ramold, Eastern Michigan University
emich.edu
Runner-up: Alan Orrick, Washtenaw Community College
Tattoo Artist
Carrie Metz Caporusso, Lucky Monkey Tattoo Parlor in Ann Arbor
luckymonkeytattoo.com
Humane Society of Huron Valley
Runner-up: Thaddeus St Clair, Ink & Dye in Milan
Runner-up: Ann Arbor Animal Hospital
Tattoo Parlor
Doggie Daycare/Boarding
briteideatattoo.wordpress.com
hshv.org
Karnik Pet Lodge
karnik.us
Runner-up: Camp Bow Wow
Auto Dealer Varsity Ford
varsityford.com Runner-up: Dunning Subaru
Auto Repair
Steve Steeb Service
stevesteebservice.com Runner-up: Mallek Service
Bank
Bank of Ann Arbor
bankofannarbor.com Runner-up: Level One Bank
Credit Union
Brite Idea in Ypsilanti
Runner-up: Lucky Monkey Tattoo Parlor in Ann Arbor
Piercer
Jef Saunders, Gamma Piercing in Ann Arbor
gammapiercing.com
Runner-up: Joshua Campbell, Ideal Piercing in Ann Arbor
Serving the Community Since 1934 Dipping 34 Flavors of Ice Cream Every Day! Donuts Made Fresh Daily OPEN DAWN TO DUSK YEAR-ROUND
602 S. Ashley St. Ann Arbor, MI (734) 662-3244
washtenawdairy.com
Piercing Studio
Gamma in Ann Arbor
gammapiercing.com
Runner-up: Ideal Piercing in Ann Arbor
Dispensary Bloom City www.bloomcityclub.com Runner-up: Ann Arbor Wellness
University of Michigan Credit Union
umcu.org
Runner-up: Lake Trust Credit Union
Cont’d on p6
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Health, Wellness, and Self-Care
Skincare
Dentist
facebook.com/mypuravida
Dr. Emily Kennedy, Ann Arbor Smiles
annarborsmiles.com
Runner-up: Dr. Keith Dobracki, Ann Arbor’s Dentist
Doctor
Dr. Amanda Kaufman, Integrative Healthcare Providers
Best Live Music Venue
ihcpaa.com
jessicasapothecary.com Runner-up: Luminosity Salon & Spa
Hair Salon
Pura Vida Color Studio Runner-up: Salon De Lara
Hair Stylist
Lara Ansbacher
solasalonstudios.com Runner-up: Courtney Monroe
Barbershop Arcade Barbers
arcadebarbers.com
Runner-up: Dr. Julia Chen, University Of Michigan Hospitals & Health Center
Runner-up: Ray’s Barber Shop
316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818. Theark.org
Optometrist
Luminosity Salon & Spa
There’s no better way to listen to music live than with a visit to The Ark. This venerable live music venue, an intimate 400-seat club with wide ranging musical proclivities, promotes tunes from roots to folk. For decades they have maintained a mission to enrich the “human spirit through the presentation, preservation, and encouragement of folk, roots, and ethnic music and related arts.” Through music, The Ark preserves and encourages our community by making amazing live music accessible.
fountainoptometry.com
The Ark
Dr. Kevin Fountain, Fountain Optometry Runner-up: Dr. Cunningham, Cunningham Vision Centers
Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Tiffany Ballard, Ann Arbor Plastic Surgery
2nd Place - Travel Agent Zingerman’s Food Tours 2nd Place - Delivery Food Miss Kim
tinybuddhayoga.com Runner-up: Tiny Lions Cat Cafe
facebook.com/a2fitnesspros
Acupuncture
Dr. Kong Acupuncture and Chinese Medical Center
acupuncture-annarbor.com
Amanda Colwell, A2 Fitness Professionals
Runner-up: Daniel Roth, Blue Lion
Gym
Health & Fitness Center at Washtenaw Community College
wccfitness.org
Runner-up: Blue Lion Fitness
Fitness Center
Health & Fitness Center at WCC
wccfitness.org
Runner-up: Lotus Center
Runner-up: Blue Lion Fitness
Massage
Specialty Exercise Classes
relaxstation.com
libertyathletic.net
RelaxStation
Lori Stefanic, Liberty Athletic Club
Runner-up: Luminosity Salon & Spa
Runner-up: Blue Lion Fitness
Day Spa
Place to Hike
luminositysalonandspa.com
mbgna.umich.edu/nicholsarboretum/
Luminosity Salon & Spa
Runner-up: Bellanina Day Spa
Aesthetician
jessicasapothecary.com Runner-up: Bellanina Day Spa
• September 2020 • www.ecurrent.com
Tiny Buddha Yoga
Runner-up: Dr. Diane Babalas, Gateway Chiropractic
Jessica’s Apothecary
ZINGERMANSCOMMUNITY.COM
facebook.com/Briarwood-FoxyNails-121104671320044
Trainer
Runner-up: Lotus Center
2nd Place - Wedding Venue Zingerman’s Cornman Farms
Briarwood Foxy Nails
getsteadfast.com
acupuncture-annarbor.com
1st Place- Korean Miss Kim
Nail Salon
Yoga Studio
Dr. Kong Acupuncture and Chinese Medical Center
1st Place-Caterer Zingerman’s Catering
Runner-up: Smooth Surface Skin and Waxing by Dani Parker
Runner-up: Dr. David Hing, Center for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Andrew Schneider, Steadfast Chiropractic
Thank You from The Zingerman’s familY for VoTing for us!!
luminositysalonandspa.com
Runner-up: Bebe
Chiropractor
Runner-up: The Blind Pig
Hair Removal
annarborplasticsurgery.com
Natural or Alternative Medicine
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Jessica’s Apothecary
The Arb (Nichols Arboretum)
Runner-up: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Arts & Entertainment
Theatre & Dance
Art Gallery
purplerosetheatre.org
Theater Company Purple Rose
Riverside Art Center
Runner-up: Young People’s Theater
Runner-up: UMMA
Music Lessons
Visual Artist
a2musiccenter.com
Ann Arbor Music Center
David Zinn
Runner-up: Sean Rogers Oz’s Music
Runner-up: Kim Rhoney
New Artist/Band
Writer
zzvava.bandcamp.com
zinnart.com
ZZVAVA
Mark Maynard
Runner-up: Electric Huldra
Runner-up: Kyndall Flowers
Local Album
markmaynard.com Poet
Kyndall Flowers
facebook.com/people/KyndallFlowers
theragbirds.com
Runner-up: Casual Crisis by ZZVAVA
Rock Band
Journalist
scissornow.bandcamp.com
wemu.org/people/jorge-avellan Runner-up: Jeff Milo, music writer (and contributing writer for Current)
Radio Host
Daniel W. Long, producer and host of The Grooveyard on WEMU
wemu.org/people/daniel-w-long
Scissor Now
Runner-up: Little Traps
DJ/Electronica DJ Nitro
facebook.com/djnitrousa Runner-up: DJ Graffiti
Radio Station
Hip-Hop Artist
wemu.org
nickiep.com
Runner-up: Cold Tone Harvest Nickie P.
Runner-up: 107.1 WQKL
Runner-up: Approachable Minorities
Comedian
Jazz/Blues Artist
camilaballario.com
paulkellerjazz.com
Runner-up: Luke Nesbitt
Runner-up: Ann Arbor Wellness
Mike Gentry
mikegentrymusic.com
Camila Ballario
Bloom City Club is actively engaged in the community, through local charities and social outreach. Dedicated to outstanding customer service, the highest quality medical cannabis and to be a valuable source of information for patients and recreational users, Bloom City Club provides viable, safe therapies for various medical conditions and other needs. Combined with a wide and impressive selection of products, the ambiance of this dispensary is welcoming, warm, and judgementfree, encouraging customers to return again and again.
Folk/Country Artist
Runner-up: Zoe Clark, Michigan Radio’s Program Director WEMU
423 Miller Ave., Ann Arbor. 734-585-0621. Bloomcityclub.com
The Threshold & The Earth by The Ragbirds
Runner-up: Thomas Lynch Jorge Avellan (WEMU)
Bloom City Club Best Dispensary
riversidearts.org
Paul Keller Orchestra
Runner-up: Saline Big Band
Local Podcast Beats and Brews
beatsandbrews.net Runner-up: Super Skull Show
Cont’d on p8
Dance Company Fun Girl Dance Co.
fungirldance.com
Runner-up: U of M School of Music
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Activities, Nightlife, and Events Museum
U of M Natural History Museum
lsa.umich.edu/ummnh Runner-up: UMMA
Movie Theater Michigan Theater
michtheater.org
Runner-up: Emagine Saline
Best Massage
RelaxStation Massage
Bowling Alley Revel & Roll
300 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor. 34-623-1951. Relaxstation.com
bowlero.com/location/revel-and-roll
Whether you’ve called ahead for an appointment or are a walk-in, RelaxStation, which opened in 2002, has two locations to massage your “kneads”. At 300 W Huron, they offer seated and full-body massages with clothes on, while the newer, second location (in the Phoenix Building) provides a more traditional massage in a quiet, serene space. If you feel like the world is sitting on your shoulders, RelaxStation can work out the kinks.
Sports Bar
Runner-up: Luminosity Salon & Spa
LGBTQ+ Bar
Runner-up: Bel Mark Lanes Wolverine State Brewing Company
wolverinebeer.com
Runner-up: Fraser’s Pub
Date Bar
The Last Word
thelastwordbar.com Runner-up: Ann Arbor Distilling Company Aut Bar
facebook.com/a2autbar Runner-up: Tap Room
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Drag Show Boylesque
facebook.com/pages/category/ Performance---Event-Venue/ Boylesque Runner-up: The Tap Room
Dance Night LIVE
livea2.com Runner-up: Rick’s American Cafe
Happy Hour The Earle
theearle.com Runner-up: Wolverine State Brewing Co.
Karaoke Night
Dan’s Downtown Tavern
facebook.com/DANSBARS Runner-up: Queeriokie Ypsilanti
Open Mic Night Ypsi Alehouse
ypsialehouse.com Runner-up: 734 Saturday’s
Trivia Night
Tiny Lions Cat Cafe
tinylions.org
Runner-up: Wolverine State Brewing Co.
Comedy Night
Outdoor Event
aacomedy.com
a2sf.org
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase
The Ann Arbor Summer Fest
Runner-up: Pointless Brewery
Student Hangout Dominick’s
facebook.com/ Dominicks-117498354935062 Runner-up: Wolverine State Brewing Co.
Late Night Grub Fleetwood Diner
thefleetwooddiner.com Runner-up: Wurst Bar
Live Music Venue
Runner-up: Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
Music Festival
Ann Arbor Summer Fest: Top of the Park
a2sf.org
Runner-up: YpsiFest
Annual Event
Ann Arbor Art Fair
theannarborartfair.com Runner-up: FestiFools
The Ark
theark.org Outdoor Music Venue Cultivate
Cont’d on p10
cultivateypsi.com
Wags to Whiskers works to stand out from the big box, chain pet stores with a focus on holistic, natural pet foods and by ensuring that pet health and well being is top of mind. Taking care of every furry family member they also offer non-traditional pets supplies. With an ever changing and evolving inventory, the expert staff can help you find the perfect item for your pet. Wags to Whiskers is a community-based pet supply store that has expanded based on customer support and amazing service.
Runner-up: Riverside Park
s ori te v a F Fa m i l y
ners n i 201 9 W
220 W. Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor. 734-769-2000. wagstowiskers.com
OUR READERS HAVE SPOKEN!
Runner-up: The Pet Emporium
Best Local Pet Shop
Wags to Whiskers
Runner-up: The Blind Pig
check out our september E-EDITION or annarborfamily.com
www.ecurrent.com • September 2020 •
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Nonprofits/ Community Animal Nonprofit
Humane Society of Huron Valley
hshv.org
Runner-up: The Creature Conservancy
Civil & Human Rights Nonprofit Avalon Housing
avalonhousing.org Runner-up: Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights
Educational/Youth Services Nonprofit
Environmental Nonprofit Leslie Science & Nature Center
lesliesnc.org
Runner-up: Recycle Ann Arbor
Activist
Tanya Hilgendorf, Humane Society of Huron Valley
hshv.org
Runner-up: Dawn Krause
Public Servants
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels
ymow.org
Ozone House
ozonehouse.org
Runner-up: Tanya Hilgendorf, CEO/ President at Humane Society of Huron Valley
Runner-up: The Neutral Zone
Suburban Downtown
Health Nonprofit
Downtown Ypsilanti cityofypsilanti.com
foodgatherers.org
Runner-up: Milan Main Street
Food Gatherers
Runner-up: Planned Parenthood
Zingerman’s Catering
Best Caterer
422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor. 734-663-3400. zingermanscatering.com
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If you have an event that needs a special touch, Zingerman’s Catering offers an impressive variety of food at a reasonable price for parties of any size. And with expert and experienced help to coordinate your event, you never need to feel overwhelmed. Zing event planners will help you navigate the menu and make the best choices to keep your party guests sated. Create a celebration at home with the ‘At Home’ menu, which offers meals for families and friends — which helps you to really get the party started, even for smaller groups. Runner-up: Katherine’s
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