Best of the City votes are in, they’re counted, and now, they’re revealed.
First off, congratulations to all winners and runners-up. Also, our sincere thanks to the thousands of readers who submitted votes in this year’s survey, sharing their favourites in more than 150 categories. The online survey was open for a month on Canada’s best community newspaper website, www.nanaimobulletin.com, and voters were free to choose the category winners from a list or submit write-in votes, which were subsequently added to that list. More than enough people participated in the process to make the survey results statistically significant, with worthy winners across all categories.
Here are this year’s top-three results, in the order in which they appear in Best of the City magazine:
Best Tourism Activity/Adventure Business
1. WildPlay Nanaimo
2. Saysutshun
3. Kitties and Cream
Best Real Estate Agent
1. Robyn Hewer
2. Scott Parker Team
3. Cory Chapman
Best Seafood Restaurant
1. The View Oceanside Grill
2. Trollers Fish and Chips
3. Nori Japanese Restaurant
Best Pizza
1. Mambo Gourmet Pizza
2. Milano’s Ristorante
3. Pizzeria La Stella
Best Take-Out Food
1. Mambo Gourmet Pizza
2. Huong Lan Vietnamese Restaurant
3. Poké Page
Best Restaurant Overall
1. Asteras Greek Taverna
2. The View Oceanside Grill
3. Mahle House Restaurant
Best Mediterranean Food
1. Asteras Greek Taverna
2. Zougla Restaurant
3. Milano’s Ristorante
Best Bakery
1. Cobs Bread
2. Columbia Bakery
2. Nanaimo Bakery and Café
2. Red’s Bakery
3. Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery
Best Breakfast/Brunch
1. Gabriel’s Café
2. Tania’s Restaurant
3. Kelly’s Kitchen Café
Best Catering Business
1. Spice of Life Catering
2. Coastal Boards and Bites
2. Smokin’ George’s BBQ Restaurant
3. COCO Café
Best Fish and Chips
1. Trollers Fish and Chips
2. Maggie’s Seafood Market Fish and Chips
3. Cod Squad Fish and Chips
Best Chicken Wings
1. Landlubber Pub
2. Oxy Pub
3. Quarterway Pub
Best Cinnamon Buns
1. Cobs Bread
2. Red’s Bakery
3. Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery
Best Curry
1. The Curry Culture
2. Flavours of India
3. Gateway to India Restaurant
Best Deli
1. Nesvog Meats and Sausage Company
2. Nellie’s Dutch Deli
3. Meat Craft Island Butchery
Best Family Restaurant
1. White Spot
2. Montana’s BBQ and Bar
3. Mrs. Riches Restaurant
Best Fast Food
1. Big Wheel Burger
2. Poké Page
3. Wendy’s
Best Place to Buy Seafood
1. Seadrift Seafood Market
2. The Drift Meat and Seafood
3. St. Jean’s Cannery and Smokehouse
3. Thrifty Foods
Best Food Truck
1. Sip and Sliders
1. Smitty’s Smokin’ Pig
2. Harbour City Donuts
3. Van Isle Poutinerie
Best French Fries
1. New York Fries
2. Costco Wholesale
3. McDonald’s
Best Hamburgers
1. Bin 4 Burger Lounge
2. Top Notch Burgers
3. Big Wheel Burger
3. Joe Burger
Best Kids Restaurant
1. White Spot
2. McDonald’s
3. Smitty’s
Best Lunches
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Delicado’s Deli
3. Gabriel’s Café
3. Huong Lan Vietnamese Restaurant
Best Asian Food
1. Nori Japanese Restaurant
2. Huong Lan Vietnamese Restaurant
3. Quality Foods
Best Sushi
1. Nori Japanese Restaurant
2. Umai Sushi
3. Firehouse Grill
Best Nachos
1. Longwood Brew Pub and Restaurant
2. Gina’s Mexican Café
3. Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighbourhood Pub
Best Patio Restaurant
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Dinghy Dock Pub
3. Cactus Club Café
3. Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighbourhood Pub
Best Place to Buy Meat
1. Nesvog Meats and Sausage Company
2. Meat Craft Island Butchery
3. Costco Wholesale
Best Nanaimo Bars
1. Red’s Bakery
2. Nanaimo Bakery and Café
3. Hearthstone Artisan Bakery
Best Place to Buy Produce
1. Country Grocer
2. Cedar Farmer’s Market
3. Nanaimo Fruit and Vegetable Company
Best Pasta
1. Milano’s Ristorante
2. La Stella Trattoria
3. Asteras Greek Taverna
Best Place to Meet for Coffee
1. Drip Coffee Social
2. The Vault Café
3. Buzz Coffee House
Best Romantic Restaurant
1. Mahle House Restaurant
2. The View Oceanside Grill
3. Asteras Greek Taverna
Best Steakhouse
1. Bold Knight Restaurant
2. Montana’s BBQ and Bar
3. Mahle House Restaurant
Best Tacos
1. Jalapenos Mexican Food
2. Gina’s Mexican Café
3. Baby Salsa Mexican Restaurant
Best Vegetarian Food
1. Eve Olive
2. Gabriel’s Café
3. Delicado’s
Best Desserts
1. Burnt Honey Dessert Company
2. Red’s Bakery
3. Nanaimo Bakery and Café
Best Ice Cream/Gelato
1. Burnt Honey Dessert Company
2. Cold Front Gelato
3. Dairy Queen
Best Appetizers/Tapas
1. Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighbourhood Pub
2. Cactus Club Café
3. Longwood Brew Pub and Restaurant
Best Place for Birthday Parties
1. Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighbourhood Pub
2. Brechin Lanes
3. WildPlay Element Park
Best Cocktails and Shots
1. Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighbourhood Pub
2. The Nanaimo Bar
3. Cactus Club Café
Best Happy Hour
1. Cactus Club Café
2. Carlos O’Bryans Neighbourhood Pub
3. Browns Socialhouse
Best Martini
1. Cactus Club Café
2. The Nanaimo Bar
3. Browns Socialhouse
Best Karaoke
1. Quarterway Pub
2. Oxy Pub
3. Corner Lounge
Best Music Trivia
1. Landlubber Pub
2. The Black Bear Pub
3. Lantzville Pub
Best Open Mic/Jam Session
1. The Queen’s
2. The Vault Café
3. Landlubber Pub
Best Place for Live Bands
1. The Queen’s
2. Port Theatre
3. The Nanaimo Bar
Best Place to Buy Craft Beer
1. White Sails Brewing
2. Longwood Brewery
3. Longwood Brew Pub and Restaurant
Best Place to Buy Wine
1. B.C. Liquor Store
2. Lucky’s Liquor Store
3. Greenrock Liquor Store
Best Place to Dance
1. The Queen’s
2. Vibe Studios
3. Brigadoon Dance Academy
Best Pub
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Longwood Brew Pub and Restaurant
3. Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighbourhood Pub
Best Sports Bar
1. Old City Station Pub
2. Carlos O’Bryan’s Neighbourhood Pub
2. Quarterway Pub
3. Boston Pizza
Best Wine-Making Store
1. Wine Kitz
2. Off the Vine Winemaking
3. Brewers Corner/Nanaimo Wine Shoppe
Best Art Gallery
1. Nanaimo Art Gallery
2. Art 10 Gallery
3. The View Gallery
3. YellowBird Arts Gallery
Best Dental Clinic
1. Diver Lake Dental Clinic
2. Franklyn Street Dental Centre
2. Harewood Dental Clinic
3. Northfield Dental Clinic
Best Accounting Firm
1. MNP LLP
2. Church Pickard Chartered Professional Accountants
3. Dougan, Irwin and Associates
Best Auto Body Shop
1. Trojan Collision
2. Craftsman Collision
3. CSN Mid-Island Auto Collision
Best Auto Detailer
1. Bro’s Detailing Nanaimo
2. Galaxy Motors
2. V.I. Precision Detailing and Car Care
3. Eco Wash Automotive Detailing
3. A Touch Above/Nanaimo Toyota
Best Auto Servicing
1. Precise Mechanical Repairs
1. Supertech Diesel Truck Specialists
2. Bavarian Imports Auto Repair
2. Ernie’s Blackpoint Repair
3. BCAA Auto Service Centre
Best Banking Institution
1. Coastal Community Credit Union
1. RBC Royal Bank
2. TD Canada Trust
3. CIBC
Best Hearing Clinic
1. Ears To You
2. HearingLife/NexGen Hearing
3. Connect Hearing
Best Barbershop
1. Edge Barbershop
2. That 50’s Barbershop
3. Shear Agony Barber Shop
Best Bathrooms
1. Cabela’s
2. Cactus Club Café
3. Woodgrove Centre
Best Bike Shop
1. Arrowsmith Bikes
2. Rock City Cycles
3. Coal City Cycles
Best Bookstore
1. Chapters
2. Nanaimo Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store
3. Literacy Central Vancouver Island
Best Carpet Cleaners
1. Classic Care Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
2. Eco Clean Carpet Care
2. Suck It Up Carpet Furnace
3. Nanaimo Carpet Cleaning
Best Janitorial/Housekeeping Business
1. Bastion Janitorial Supplies
2. Maid For This
3. Maid to Please Cleaning Services
Best Cell Phone Repair
1. Mobile Klinik/UbreakiFix
2. London Drugs
3. Cell Pro
Best Clothing Store for Inclusive Sizing
1. CurVa-Voom
2. Penningtons
3. Old Navy
Best Community Minded Business
1. Red’s Bakery
2. V.I. Towing
3. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating
Best Computer Sales and Service
1. R-U Computing Co.
2. Alpine Technical Services and Sales
3. Best Buy
Best Consignment or Thrift Store
1. Nanaimo Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store
2. Nanaimo Hospice Shoppe
3. Friends of Haven Thrift Shop
Best Pharmacy
1. Central Drugs
2. Medicine Shoppe
3. Costco Wholesale
Best Customer Service
1. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating
2. KC’s Boutique and Petites
3. Country Grocer
3. V.I. Towing
Best Denture Clinic
1. Harbour City Denture Clinic
2. Nanaimo Denture Clinic
3. Pacific Denture Centre
Best Electrical Company
1. DenMar Electric
2. Walls Electrical
3. Mazzei Electric
Best Engineering Firm
1. Herold Engineering
1. Sorensen Trilogy Engineering
2. Onsite Engineering
2. Tetra Tech
3. Lewkowich Engineering Associates
Best Estheticians
1. The Nail Lounge
2. The Babe Cave
3. Breze Salon and Day Spa
3. Pure Spa
Best Lingerie Store
1. Purple Cactus Lingerie
2. La Vie En Rose
3. Elizabeth’s Lingerie Drawer
Best Farmers’ Market
1. Cedar Farmers Market
2. Island Roots Farmers Market
3. Gabriola Farmers Market
Best Financial Planning Business
1. Coastal Community Private Wealth Group
1. RBC Dominion Securities
1. TD Canada Trust
2. RBC Royal Bank
3. Integral Wealth Management
Best Fitness/Exercise Company
1. Healthy Role Models
2. Authentically Fit
3. Planet Fitness
Best Floor Covering Store
1. End of the Roll
1. United Floors
2. Abba Floorcoverings
3. City Tile
Best Furniture Store
1. Dodd’s Furniture and Mattress
2. La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries
2. The Brick
3. Hartmann and Company
Best Vitamin/Health Food Store
1. Charlie Brown’s Health Foods
2. Pomme Natural Market
3. Nanaimo’s Health Shop
Best Health-Care Clinic
1. Caledonian Clinic
2. Medical Arts Centre
3. Wellington Medical Clinic
Best Heating Business
1. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating
2. Servicexcel
3. Coastal Energy
Best Home/Kitchen Appliance Store
1. Trail Appliances
2. Home Depot
3. Coast Appliances
Best Home Builder
1. Shining Knight Construction
2. Alair Homes Nanaimo
2. Pheasant Hill Homes
3. Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island Society
Best Home Improvement Store
1. Home Depot
2. Home Hardware
3. Lowe’s
Best Flower Shop
1. Turley’s Florist
2. Thrifty Foods
3. Ladybug Floral
Best Home Renovation Company
1. Shining Knight Construction
2. Alair Homes Nanaimo
2. B. Gallant Homes
3. Pheasant Hill Homes
Best Housewares/Linen Store
1. HomeSense
2. Flying Fish
2. Winners
3. Quilts Etc.
Best Insurance Agency
1. Driven Agencies
2. Hub International
3. BCAA
Best Interior Designer
1. Evolve Interior Design
2. La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries
3. AEStudio Interior Design
Best Jewelry Store
1. Keller’s Jewellers
2. Peoples Jewellers
3. KPK Goldsmith
Best Kids Clothing Store
1. Once Upon A Child
2. Carter’s OshKosh B’gosh
3. Pumpkin Pie Kids
Best Hair Salon
1. Hair Tech Salon
2. Edge Hair Design
2. Kiyo Salon and Day Spa
3. Chameleon Hair Salon
Best Landscaping Business
1. McKenzie Maintenance
2. Jim’s Mowing
3. Hoedown Excavating
3. Islanders Outdoor Maintenance
3. Rainbow Landscapes
Best Law Firm
1. Bradbury Sippel
2. Heath Law LLP
2. Mont and Walker Law Corp.
3. Ramsay Lampman Rhodes Lawyers
Best Lighting Store
1. McLaren Lighting
2. Home Depot
3. Habitat For Humanity ReStore
Best Marine Supplier
1. The Harbour Chandler
2. Stones Boatyard and the Marine Store Chandlery
3. Marine Parts Supply
Best Massage Clinic
1.Knead Registered Massage Therapy
2. Woodgrove Pines Wellness Clinic
3. 3 Cedars Wellness Collective
Best Outdoor Garden Centre
1. GardenWorks
2. Little Tree Garden Centre
3. Green Thumb Garden Centre
Best Mattress Store
1. Sleep Country
2. John’s Bedrooms
3. Dodd’s Furniture and Mattress
Best Mortgage Broker
1. Lendlab Mortgage
2. Rachel Cousins/Mortgage Architects
3. Mid Island Mortgage and Savings
Best Moving Company
1. Take A Load Off Moving
2. Junk In Our Trunk
3. 2 Burley Men
Best Nail Studio
1. The Nail Lounge
2. The Babe Cave
3. Beyond Beauty Bar
3. Neon Nail Studio
Best Oil Changes
1. Great Canadian Oil Change
2. Supertech Diesel Truck Specialists
3. Nanaimo Auto Care
Best Optical Store
1. Highview Optical
1. Specsavers
2. FYidoctors
3. Costco Wholesale
Best Painting Company
1. Pride Painting
2. Simply Painting
3. Mark the Painter
Best Performing Arts School
1. Vibe Studios
2. Wellington Secondary Jazz Academy
3. Vancouver Island University
Best Personal Training Business
1. Authentically Fit
2. Prime Performance and Therapy
3. David Gilks
Best Pest Control Service
1. V.I. Pest Control
2. The Pest Doctor
3. Antex Pest Control
Best Pet Supply Store
1. Bosley’s by Pet Valu
2. PetSmart
3. Oliver’s Pet Supplies
Best Photographer
1. Janayh Wright Photography
2. Jorja Portraits (Angela Eaves Photography)
3. Concept Photography
Best Place to Buy a New Vehicle
1. Nanaimo Toyota
2. Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln
3. Harris Kia
Best Gas Bar
1. Mid Island Co-op
2. Snaw-Naw-As Market/Shell
3. Super Save Gas
Best Place to Buy a Used Vehicle
1. Galaxy Motors
2. Nanaimo Toyota
3. Eddbarry Motors
Best Place to Get Tires
1. Cedar Tireland
2. Kal Tire
3. Costco Wholesale
Best Place to Shop
1. Woodgrove Centre
2. Nanaimo Buyers Club
3. KC’s Boutique and Petites
Best Plumbing Business
1. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating
2. 250 Plumber
2. Archie Johnstone Plumbing and Heating
3. High Tide Plumbing and Gas
Best Retirement Community
1. Berwick on the Lake
2. Origin at Longwood
3. Kiwanis Village Nanaimo
Best Paint Store
1. Cloverdale Paint
2. Home Depot
3. Benjamin Moore
Best Roofing Company
1. Erickson Roofing
2. All the Way Roofing
3. Alpine Roofs
Best Security Company
1. Footprints Security Patrol
2. Telus
3. Securco Services
Best Sewing Notions Store
1. Fabricland
2. Serge and Sew
2. Snip and Stitch Sewing Centre
3. Sew It Begins
Best Shoe Store
1. Frontrunners
2. A Step Ahead
3. SoftMoc
Best Sporting Goods Store
1. Frontrunners
2. Kirbys Source for Sports
3. Cabela’s
Best Storage Company
1. U-Lock Mini Storage
2. Nanaimo Mini Storage
3. Budget Self Storage
Best Store for Ladieswear
1. KC’s Boutique and Petites
2. CurVa-Voom
3. Winners
Best Exterior Cleaning Company
1. Green Tech Property Care
2. Mr. Sparkle Exterior Cleaning
3. West Coast Softwash
Best Store for Menswear
1. Mark’s
2. Moores Clothing for Men
2. NYLA Fresh Thread
2. The Bay
3. Costco Wholesale
Best Store to Buy Tools
1. Midland Tools
2. Home Depot
3. KMS Tools and Equipment
Best Tanning Salon
1. Glow With the Flow Tanning
2. House of Dandy
3. Golden Sands Tanning Studio
Best Tattoo Studio
1. Relegation Tattoo
2. The Electric Umbrella Tattoo and Gallery
3. Old City Tattoo
Best Tile Store
1. City Tile
2. Cornerstone Tile
3. BEtile
Best Theatre Company
1. Nanaimo Theatre Group
2. Yellow Point Drama Group
3. TheatreOne
Best Toy Store
1. Toys ‘R’ Us
2. The Children’s Treehouse
3. Curious Comics
Best Pet Grooming Business
1. Dog N’ Suds Pet Services
2. Dawg Pet Care and Training
2. Happy Hound Dog DayCare
2. Wild Tails
3. 1 Purr 4 Paws
Best Travel Agency
1. Amanda Rauh the Travel Agent Next Door
2. Marlin Travel
3. Ashley Travel
Best Tree Service
1. V.I. Tree Service
2. Davey Tree Expert Company
3. Jeff’s Tree Service
Best Veterinary Clinic
1. Mahalo Veterinary Hospital
2. VCA Canada Island Animal Hospital
3. Chase River Veterinary Hospital
Best Window Coverings
1. Budget Blinds
2. Paradise Shades and Blinds
3. Costco Wholesale
3. Jysk
Best Yoga Studio
1. Red Door Yoga
2. Oxygen Yoga and Fitness
3. Modo Yoga
Best Accommodations
1. Yellow Point Lodge
2. The Grand Hotel
3. Coast Bastion Hotel
Best Local Campground
1. Living Forest Oceanside Campground and RV Resort
2. Brannen Lake RV Park and Campsite
3. Saysutshun
Best People-Watching Spot
1. Harbourfront Walkway
2. Maffeo Sutton Park
3. Commercial Street Night Market
Best Place for a Picnic
1. Neck Point Park
2. Pipers Lagoon Park
3. Saysutshun
Best Place for Paddling
1. Westwood Lake
2. Newcastle Channel
3. Long Lake
Best Place to Jog, Walk or Hike
1. Westwood Lake
2. Neck Point Park
3. Cable Bay Trail
Best Place to Mountain Bike
1. Doumont Hill
2. Mount Benson
3. Westwood Lake
Best Place to Swim Outdoors
1. Nanaimo River
2. Westwood Lake
3. Departure Bay
Best Place to Take Guests
1. Neck Point Park
2. Harbourfront Walkway
3. Pipers Lagoon Park
Best Place to Walk Your Dog
1. Colliery Dam Park
2. Neck Point Park
3. Westwood Lake
Best Place to Watch Birds
1. Buttertubs Marsh
2. Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary
3. Nanaimo River Estuary
Best Playground
1. Maffeo Sutton Park Playdock
2. Harewood Centennial Park
3. Beban Park Altrusa Playground
Best View of the City
1. Mount Benson
2. Sugarloaf Mountain
3. Jack Point/Biggs Park