September 2020 - Current Magazine

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

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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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