NOTE: Runners up listed in alphabetical order
Best New Retail Shop
Hart’s Local Grocers. 10 Winthrop Street, 521-4278, hartslocalgrocers.com
Runners up: Abode | Ruffles Boutique | True North Artisans
Best Jewelry Store
Cornell’s Jewelers. 3100 Monroe Avenue, 264-0100, cornellsjewelers.com
Runners up: Blueground Jewelry | Dorje Adornments | The Source Jewelers
Best Local Car Dealership
Dorschel Auto Group. Many area locations. dorschel.com
Runners up: Van Bortel Cars | Hoselton Auto Mall | Vision Automotive Group
Best Auto Repair Shop
Nu-Look Collision. Many area locations. Nulookcollision.com
Runners up: East Avenue Auto | Schrader’s Garage | Vesa’s Automotive
Best Bike Shop
Park Ave Bike Shop. 2900 Monroe Avenue, 381-3080; 600 Jay Scutti Boulevard, Henrietta, 427-2110; parkavebike.com
Runners up: Full Moon Vista | Towners Bike Shop | Yellow Haus Bicycles
Best Fitness Trainer
John H. (Downtown Fitness Club) 50 Chestnut Street, 756-4090, downtownfitnessclub.com
Runners up: Kerry S. (Roc the Barre) | Vinny (Real Life Food & Fitness) | Greg Walsh (Wolf Brigade)
Best Yoga Instructor
Carly Weiss (Breathe Yoga) Many area locations. breatheyoga.com
Runners up: Jesse Amesmith (Tru Yoga) | Molly Huff (Molly’s Yoga Corner) | Tom Somerville (Downtown Fitness Club)
Best Massage Therapist
Danielle Cowley (Shear Ego) 3349 Monroe Avenue, Pittsford, 586-1781, shearego.com
Runners up: Colin Coffey (Renewing Massage) | Joel Lloret (East Avenue Chiropractic) | Summer Mourgides (Integrated Wellness)
Best Spa
Spa at the Del Monte. 43 North Main Street, Pittsford, 419-3000, delmontespa.com
Runners up: Scott Miller | Shear Ego | Solutions
Best Salon
Scott Miller. 3340 Monroe Avenue, 264-9940, scottmillerstyle.com
Runners up: Gallery | World Hair | Shear Ego
Best Barbershop
The Gentlemen’s Barber Shop. 36 South Union Street, 478-2698, thegentlemensbarber.com
Runners up: Barbetorium | The Men’s Room | The Men’s Club at Shear Ego
Best Florist
Arena’s. 260 East Avenue, 454-3720, arenasforlife.com
Runners up: Kittelberger Florist | Rockcastle Florist | Stacy K Floral
Best Garden Store
Garden Factory. 2126 Buffalo Road, Gates, 247-6236, gardenfactoryny.com
Runners up: Bristol’s Garden Center | Gro-Moore Farms | Grossmans Garden & Home
Best Clothing Store
Thread. 654 South Avenue, 232-7110, shopatthread.com
Runners up: Dado Boutique | Hot Rod Betties | Peppermint
Best Thrift/Secondhand Store
Far Out Vintage. 633 Monroe Avenue, 530-7139, faroutvintage.tumblr.com
Runners up: Greenovation | Panache Vintage | Utter Clutter
Best Record/Music Store
House of Guitars. 645 Titus Avenue, 544-3500, houseofguitars.com
Runners up: The Bop Shop | NeedleDrop Records | Record Archive
Best Musical Instrument Store
House of Guitars. 645 Titus Avenue, 544-3500, houseofguitars.com
Runners up: Bernunzio Uptown Music | Echo-Tone | Sound Source
Best Tattoo Parlor
Love Hate Tattoo. 217 Alexander Street, 262-6440, lovehatetattoo.com
Runners up: Physical Graffiti | Steadfast Tattoo | White Tiger Tattoo
Best Tattoo Artist
Joseph “Jet” DiProjetto (Love Hate Tattoo) 217 Alexander Street, 262-6440, lovehatetattoo.com
Runners up: Gooch (Physical Graffiti) | Erik Mannhardt (Steadfast Tattoo) | TeeJay (White Tiger Tattoo)
Best Piercing Parlor
Primitive Impressions. 274 North Goodman Street, 244-4290, primitiveimpressions.com
Runners up: Dorje Adornments | Icon Piercing Studio | The Ultimate
Best Local Coffee Roasters
Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters. Many area locations. fingerlakescoffee.com
Runners up: Fuego Coffee Roasters | Java’s Café | Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
Best Regional Winery
Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars. 9749 Middle Road, Hammondsport, 1-800-320-0735, drfrankwines.com
Runners up: 3 Brothers Wineries & Estates | Bully Hill Vineyards | Casa Larga
Best Regional Brewery
Rohrbach’s Brewing Company. 97 Railroad Street, 546-8020, rohrbachs.com
Runners up: Genesee Brewing Company | Roc Brewing Company | Three Heads Brewing
Best Regional Distillery
Black Button Distillery. 85 Railroad Street, 730-4512, blackbuttondistilling.com
Runners up: Finger Lakes Distilling | HomeTown Brew Distillery | Iron Smoke Whiskey | Myer Farm Distillers
Best Farmers Market
Rochester Public Market. 280 North Union Street, 428-6907, cityofrochester.gov/publicmarket
Runners up: Brighton Farmer Market | South Wedge Farmers Market | Westside Farmers Market
Best Bakery
Savoia Pastry Shoppe. 2267 Clifford Avenue, 482-1130, savoiapastry.com
Runners up: Flour City Bread Co. | Leo’s Bakery and Deli | Village Bakery and Café
Best Candy/Chocolate Shop
Stever’s Candies. 623 Park Avenue, 473-2098, steverscandy.com
Runners up: Andy’s Candies | Encore Chocolates | Hedonist Artisan Chocolates
Best Caterer
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. 99 Court Street, 325-7090, dinosaurbarbque.com
Runners up: Madeline’s | Manicotti’s Catering Company | Tasteful Connections
Best Pet-Related Business
Lollypop Farm Humane Society of Greater Rochester. 99 Victor Road, Fairport, 223-1330, lollypop.org
Runners up: Natural Pet Foods | Park Ave. Pets | PetSaver Healthy Pet Superstore
Best Geek-FriendlyBusiness
Comics Etc. 1115 East Main Street, 473-7150, comicsetc.biz
Runners up: Bartertown Collectibles | Boldo’s Amory | Millennium Games | Pair-A-Dice Games
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2014.
I don’t understand why you do Best of Rochester and include the best of other places, such as Pittsford, and other surrounding areas. Best of Rochester should be the best of ROCHESTER! I loved the poll, but didn’t realize that you were incorporating other towns. Greece is technically Rochester, so that would make sense, but Penfield, Fairport, Spencerport, and so on are not the best of Rochester, they are the Best of Monroe County.
Greece is technically Rochester??? By what logic???
Anyway, I (and I’m guessing pretty much everyone else except for A. Cook) view the survey as the best of greater Rochester, not just what’s within the city limits.
A. Cook can take some solace in the fact that a very high percentage of the winners are in fact within the city limits, which I think is great, just not a requirement.