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Best of the City winners announced

Survey results revealed, top-three winners announced in more than 60 categories
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The News Bulletin’s Best of the City magazine can be found tucked inside today’s print issue. NEWS BULLETIN photo

We like to think that our annual Best of the City magazine is kind of like a souvenir program to what’s best about Nanaimo.

The pages are also filled with your faves – your favourite restaurants, shops and services. The results found throughout the magazine are an accounting of online votes submitted by News Bulletin readers. Thanks to all who filled out the survey to help us acknowlege and appreciate Nanaimo’s very best.

For a link to the e-edition of the Best of the City magazine, click here.

Here are the Best of the City winners for 2018:

Best Place for a Picnic

1. Neck Point Park

2. Pipers Lagoon Park

3. Westwood Lake Park

Best Place to Take Guests

1. Neck Point Park

2. Maffeo Sutton Park

3. Harbourfront Walkway

Best Place to Watch Birds

1. Buttertubs Marsh

2. Morrell Nature Sanctuary

3. Neck Point Park

Best Playground

1. Oliver Woods Community Centre

2. Beban Park Altrusa Playground

3. Maffeo Sutton Park Playdock

Best View of the City

1. Mount Benson

2. Sugarloaf Mountain

3. College Heights

Best Place to Swim Outdoors

1. Westwood Lake Park

2. Nanaimo River

3. Pipers Lagoon Park

Best Place to Walk, Jog or Hike

1. Westwood Lake Park

2. Neck Point Park

3. Harbourfront Walkway

Best Place to Walk Your Dog

1. Westwood Lake Park

2. Colliery Dam Park

3. Neck Point Park

Best Place to Mountain Bike

1. Westwood Lake

2. Doumont trails

3. Mount Benson

Best Local Campground

1. Living Forest Oceanside Campground

2. Brannen Lake Campground

3. Nanaimo Lakes

Best People-Watching Spot

1. Harbourfront Walkway

2. Sway’ A’ Lana Lagoon

3. Woodgrove Centre

Best Place for Kayaking

1. Newcastle Island/Saysutshun

2. Departure Bay

3. Westwood Lake

Best Art Gallery

1. Nanaimo Art Gallery

2. The View Gallery

3. Yellow Bird Arts Gallery

Best Karaoke

1. Quarterway Pub

2. Oxy Pub

3. Wellington Pub

Best Music Trivia

1. Landlubber Pub

2. Carlos O’Bryan’s

3. Wellington Pub

Best Open Mike/Jam Sessions

1. The Vault Café

2. Landlubber Pub

3. The Queen’s Hotel

Best Performing Arts School

1. Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts

2. Vibrant Studio (Vibe)

3. Harbour Dance Centre

Best Place for Live Bands

1. The Queen’s Hotel

2. The Nanaimo Bar

3. Wellington Pub

Best Place to Dance

1. The Queen’s Hotel

2. Level 2 Nightclub

3. The Nanaimo Bar

Best Theatre Company

1. Nanaimo Theatre Group

2. Schmooze Productions

3. TheatreOne

Best Place to Shop

1. Woodgrove Centre

2. Downtown Nanaimo

3. Costco

Best Kids’ Clothing Store

1. Carter’s

1. Pumpkin Pie

2. Old Navy

3. Children’s Place

Best Shoe Store

1. A Step Ahead

2. Payless Shoes

3. Soft Moc

Best Store for Ladies’ Wear

1. KC’s Boutique

2. Quintessentials

3. The Bay

Best Store for Men’s Wear

1. NYLA

2. Hudson’s Bay

3. Mark’s

Best Accounting Firm

1. MNP

2. Church Pickard

3. Cross and Co.

Best Auto Detailer

1. Precision Detailing

2. Crystal Clear

3. Laird Wheaton GM

3. Nanaimo Toyota

Best Auto Servicing

1. Supertech Diesel Truck

Specialists

2. Bavarian Imports

3. Midas

Best Banking Institution

1. RBC

2. TD

3. Coastal Community Credit Union

Best Barber Shop

1. Sports Barbers

2. Shear Agony

3. That 50’s Barber Shop

Best Bathrooms

1. Cactus Club Café

2. Carlos O’Bryan’s

3. Woodgrove Centre

Best Beauty Salon or Spa

1. Breze Salon and Day Spa

2. Nanaimo Elements Holistic Centre and Spa

3. Maffeo Salon and Day Spa

Best Bike Shop

1. Arrowsmith Bikes

2. Rock City Cycles

3. Coal City Cycles

Best Carpet Cleaners

1. Classic Care Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning

2. Citrus-O Carpet Care

3. Premier Carpet Cleaning

Best Consignment/Thrift Store

1. Salvation Army

2. Charlie’s Closet

3. Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store

Best Customer Service

1. Thrifty Foods

2. KC’s Boutique

3. Home Hardware

Best Lingerie Shop

1. My Undies

2. La Senza

3. La Vie en Rose

Best Daycare Centre

1. Jolly Giant Childcare

2. Kidz Kompany Children’s Centre

3. Boys and Girls Club of Central Vancouver Island

Best Electrical Contractor

1. DenMar Electric

2. Mazzei Electric

3. Walls Electrical

Best Estheticians

1. Nanaimo Elements Holistic Centre and Spa

2. Breze Salon and Day Spa

3. Kiyo Salon and Day Spa

Best Financial Planner

1. RBC

2. Island Savings

2. Coastal Community Credit Union

3. Sunlife Financial

Best Fitness Centre

1. Driven Performance Fitness

2. Fit 4 Less

3. Lifestyle Health and Fitness Centre

Best Floor Covering Store

1. End of the Roll

2. United Floors

3. Home Depot

Best Dentist

1. Harewood Dental Clinic

2. Northfield Dental Clinic

3. Seven Sails Dental Centre

Best Flower Shop

1. Turley’s Florist

2. Thrifty Foods

3. Ladybug Floral

Best Furniture Store

1. Dodd’s Furniture and Mattress

2. La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries

3. Island Home Furniture

Best Gas Bar

1. Mid-Island Co-op

2. Chevron

3. Real Canadian Superstore

Best Hair Salon

1. Maffeo Salon and Day Spa

2. Kiyo Salon and Day Spa

3. Serenity Salon

Best Heating Business

1. Archie Johnstone Plumbing and Heating

2. Norm’s Mobile Services

3. Sloan’s Heating Services

Best Home Improvement Store

1. Home Depot

2. Lowe’s

3. Home Hardware

Best Housewares/Linen Store

1. HomeSense

2. Flying Fish

3. Hudson’s Bay

Best Pet Grooming Business

1. Dog n’ Suds

2. Nanaimo Pet Services

3. PetSmart

Best Insurance Agency

1. BCAA

2. Western Financial Group

3. Real Insurance Solutions

3. Waypoint Insurance

Best Jewelry Store

1. Peoples Jewellers

2. Keller’s Jewellers

3. Bastion Jewellers

Best Landscaper

1. Neat ‘n’ Tidy Landscaping

2. Jim’s Mowing

3. Jinglepot Landscaping and Irrigation

Best Law Firm

1. Ramsay Lampman Rhodes

2. Johnston Franklin Bishop

3. Krog & Co.

Best Lighting Store

1. Mclaren Lighting

2. Home Depot

3. Illuminations Lighting Solutions

Best Marine Supplier

1. The Harbour Chandler

2. Anchorage Marina

3. Allen Marine Service

3. Parker Marine

Best Tanning Salon

1. Golden Sands Tanning Studio

2. Divine Glow Tanning Studio

3. Body Glo Tanning

Best Massages

1. Island Optimal Health and Performance

2. Nanaimo Elements Holistic Centre and Spa

3. Hillside Massage Therapy

Best Mattress Store

1. Sleep Country

2. John’s Bedroom Barn

3. The Brick

Best Moving Company

1. Take a Load Off Moving

2. Two Burley Men Moving Co.

3. Clydesdale Moving and Hauling

Best Optical Store

1. Costco

2. Highview Optical

3. FYidoctors

Best Outdoor Garden Centre

1. Art Knapp Plantland

2. Green Thumb Nursery

3. Costco

Best Painting Contractor

1. Pride Painting

2. Sloan’s Painting

3. Sonshine Girls Painting

Best Personal Trainer

1. Miguel Diaz, Driven Performance Fitness

2. Erin Crawford, Body Tempo Health and Fitness

3. Brian Schick, B-Fit Bootcamp

Best Pet Supply Store

1. Bosley’s

2. PetSmart

3. Olivers Pet Supplies

Best Photographer

1. Concept Photography

2. HA Photography

3. Julien Photography

Best Place to Buy a Used Vehicle

1. Galaxy Motors

2. Nanaimo Toyota

3. Bouman Motors

Best Place to Get a Tattoo

1. Black and Blue Tattoo

2. Tranceformations Tattoo and Body Piercing

3. Electric Umbrella Tattoo Studio and Gallery

Best Place to Get Tires

1. Cedar Tireland

2. Kal Tire

3. Costco

Best Plumbing Business

1. Archie Johnstone Plumbing and Heating

2. 250 Plumber

3. Norm’s Mobile Service

Best Retirement Community

1. Berwick on the Lake

2. Origin at Longwood

3. Lakeside Garden

3. Nanaimo Seniors Village

Best Roofing Company

1. Erickson Roofing

2. Allterrain Roofing

2. G and G Roofing

3. Milne Roofing

Best Sewing/Notions Store

1. Fabricland

2. Snip and Stitch Sewing Centre

3. Serge and Sew

Best Sporting Goods Store

1. Sport Chek

2. Cabela’s

3. Kirby’s Source for Sports

Best Paint Store

1. Cloverdale Paint

2. Benjamin Moore Paints

3. Home Depot

Best Store to Buy Books

1. Chapters

2. Literacy Central Vancouver Island

3. Costco

Best Store to Buy Tools

1. Midland Tools

2. Home Depot

3. Canadian Tire

Best Tile Store

1. City Tile

2. Cornerstone Tile

3. Home Depot

Best Toy Store

1. Kool and Child

2. Toys ‘R’ Us

3. Children’s Treehouse

Best Travel Agency

1. Flight Centre

2. Marlin Travel

3. Imagine Cruise and Travel

Best Veterinary Clinic

1. Chase River Veterinary Hospital

2. Petroglyph Animal Hospital

3. Island Animal Hospital

Best Yoga Studio

1. Moksha Yoga

2. Red Door Yoga

3. OmTown Yoga

Best Deli

1. Nesvog Meat and Sausage Co.

2. McLean’s Specialty Foods

3. Thrifty Foods

Best Place to Buy Meat

1. Nesvog Meat and Sausage Co.

2. Meat Craft Island Butchery

3. Costco

Best Asian Food

1. Huong Lan Vietnamese Restaurant

2. Nori Sushi

2. Du Tang Chinese Seafood Restaurant

3. Quality Foods

Best Bakery

1. Cobs Bread

2. Hearthstone Artisan Bakery

3. Nanaimo Bakery and Confectionery

Best Breakfasts

1. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café

2. Ricky’s All-Day Grill

3. Tania’s Restaurant

Best Catering Business

1. Spice of Life Catering

2. Coco Café

3. Sea Salt Food Company

Best Chicken Wings

1. Landlubber Pub

2. Oxy Pub

3. Quarterway Pub

Best Cinnamon Buns

1. Cobs Bread

2. Hearthstone Artisan Bakery

3. Bee’s Knees Community Café

Best Restaurant Overall

1. Asteras Greek Taverna

2. Longwood Brew Pub

3. Hilltop Bistro

Best Mediterranean Food

1. Asteras Greek Taverna

2. Alexandra’s Bistro

3. Zougla Restaurant

Best Romantic Restaurant

1. Asteras Greek Taverna

2. Hilltop Bistro

3. The Nest Bistro

Best Desserts

1. Hearthstone Artisan Bakery

2. Mrs. Riches Restaurant

2. A Wee Cupcakery

3. Columbia Bakery

Best Family Restaurant

1. White Spot

2. Ricky’s All-Day Grill

3. Mrs. Riches Restaurant

3. Montana’s

Best Fast Food

1. Wendy’s

2. A&W

3. McDonald’s

Best Fish and Chips

1. Trollers Fish and Chips

2. Pirate Chips

3. Cod Squad Fish and Chips

Best French Fries

1. McDonald’s

2. Pirate Chips

3. Costco

Best Hamburgers

1. Mrs. Riches Restaurant

2. White Spot

3. Longwood Brew Pub

Best Kids’ Restaurant

1. White Spot

2. Ricky’s All-Day Grill

3. Mrs. Riches Restaurant

Best Lunches

1. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café

2. Delicado’s

3. Carlos O’Bryan’s

3. Mrs. Riches Restaurant

Best Nachos

1. Gina’s Mexican Café

2. Longwood Brew Pub

3. Penny’s Palapa

Best Pasta

1. Milano’s Ristorante

2. La Stella Trattoria

3. Figo Italian Bistro

Best Pizza

1. Mambo Gourmet Pizza

2. Ali Baba Pizza

3. La Stella Trattoria

Best Place to Buy Produce

1. Thrifty Foods

2. Country Grocer

3. Save-On-Foods

Best Place to Buy Seafood

1. Seadrift Fish Market

2. Thrifty Foods

3. Costco

Best Seafood Restaurant

1. The Bold Knight Restaurant

2. Trollers Fish and Chips

3. Zougla Restaurant

Best Place to Get a Nanaimo Bar

1. Hearthstone Artisan Bakery

2. Bocca Café

3. Smokin’ George’s BBQ Restaurant

Best Place to Meet for Coffee

1. The Buzz Coffee House

2. Starbucks

3. Serious Coffee

Best Steakhouse

1. The Keg Steakhouse and Bar

2. The Bold Knight Restaurant

3. Beefeater’s Seaside Bar and Grill

Best Sushi

1. Nori Sushi

2. Umai Sushi

3. Firehouse Grill

Best Tacos

1. Gina’s Mexican Café

2. Baby Salsa

3. Penny’s Palapa

Best Vegetarian Food

1. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café

2. Powerhouse Living Foods

3. Delicado’s

Best Vitamin/Health Food Store

1. Pomme Natural Market

2. Charlie Brown’s Health Foods

3. Popeye’s Supplements

Best Place for Birthday Parties

1. Carlos O’Bryan’s

2. Brechin Lanes

3. Jumping Jiminy’s

Best Sports Bar

1. Carlos O’Bryan’s

2. Landlubber Pub

3. Old City Station Pub

Best Patio

1. Carlos O’Bryan’s

2. Cactus Club Café

3. Penny’s Palapa Restaurant

Best Cocktails and Shots

1. Carlos O’Bryan’s

2. Cactus Club Café

3. The Nanaimo Bar

Best Place to Buy Craft Beer

1. Longwood Brew Pub

2. White Sails

3. Lucky’s Liquor Store

Best Pub

1. Longwood Brew Pub

2. Carlos O’Bryan’s

3. Landlubber Pub

Best Martini

1. Cactus Club Café

2. Carlos O’Bryan’s

3. The Nanaimo Bar

Best Wine-Making Store

1. Wine Kitz

2. Urban Wine Cellar

3. Off the Vine Winemaking