The results are in!
Each year, we ask our readers to tell us their favorite businesses, people and places in Howard County. The response was better than ever this year, with a new option to vote online.
Stay tuned for a special feature in our December issue that will let you get to know our winners even better.
Want your voice to be heard? Send us a tweet @HowardMagazine with a specific reason why you like one of our winners, post your comments on our Facebook page, or e-mail jbroadwater@tribune.com. Your comments could be included in our Best of Howard issue.
Winner: Wine in the Woods
Honorable mention
Columbia Festival of the Arts
Howard County Fair
Winner: The Antique Center at Historic Savage Mill
Honorable mention
Historic Ellicott City
Taylor’s Antique Mall
Westwood Unique Furnishings & Antiques
Art gallery
Winner: Gallery 44
Honorable mention
Artists’ Gallery
Horowitz Visual & Performing Arts Center at Howard Community College
Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House
Auto repair shop
Winner: British American Auto Care
Honorable mention
Hillmuth Certified Automotive
Ken’s Service Center
Eakles Auto Care
Foreign Auto Experts
Bakery
Winner: Touche Touchet
Honorable mention
Great Harvest Bread Co.
Kupcakes & Co.
Panera
Bonaparte Breads
Blog
Winner: HowChow (howchow.blogspot.com)
Honorable mention
HoCo Rising (hocorising.com by Tom Coale)
Pawsitive Outlook (clubpoochecolumbia.blogspot.com)
Tale of Two Cities (writing-the-wrongs.blogspot.com by Dennis Lane)
Place to buy books
Winner: Barnes & Noble
Honorable mention
Daedalus Books
Second Edition
Books-a-Million
Car Dealership
Winner: Apple Ford
Honorable mention
Antwerpen
O’Donnell Honda
Jim Coleman Honda
Caterer
Winner: Putting on the Ritz Catering
Honorable mention
Columbia Chef Catering
Rehm’s Catering
Absolutely Perfect Catering
Kloby’s Smokehouse
Charity/Nonprofit
Winner: Neighbor Ride
Honorable mention
Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center
Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults
The Arc of Howard County
Animal Advocates
Child care
Winner: Bet Yeladim
Honorable mention
Little Builders
Brookfield Christian
Columbia Academy
Young School
Goddard School
Chiropractor
Winner: Howard County Chiropractic Spine & Sports Rehabilitation (Russel & Veronica Antico)
Honorable mention
Dabbs Rehab Center of Maryland (Vaughan Dabbs)
Morrison Chiropractic (Brian Morrison)
Elite Chiropractic & Sport (Josh Bross)
Clergyperson
Winner: Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, St. John’s Baptist Church
Honorable mention
Monsignor Joseph L. Luca, St. Louis Church
Rev. Paige Getty, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia
Rabbi Susan Grossman, Beth Shalom Congregation
Clothing boutique
Winner: Serendipity
Honorable mention
Simply Divine
Chicos
Liquid Blue Denim
Coach
Winner: (tie) Alex Pagnotta, Western Howard County Warhawks Football and Hero's Lacrosse, and Sue Mangan, Columbia Masters Swimming
Honorable mention
Megan Vallach, All Pro All Stars Cheerleading
Russ Dickens, Soccer Association of Columbia/Howard County and Special Olympics Howard County
Chris Beil, Glenelg High School golf
Mike Harrison, Wilde Lake High School football
Place for dance lessons
Winner: Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance Studio
Honorable mention
Arabesque Dance Studio
Studio Dans
Backstage Dance Studio
One for All Dance Academy
Day spa (including massage)
Winner: The Pearl Modern Spa and Boutique
Honorable mention
Lynn’s Day Spa
Skin Care Institute
The Still Point
Dental practice
Winner: Columbia Smiles Family Dentistry (Dr. David Halpern)
Honorable mention
Dobbin Dental
Dr. John Graybeal
Katkow Dentistry
Doggie day care
Winner: Dogtopia
Honorable mention
Club Pooche
PetSmart
The Coventry School Inc. for Dogs and Their People
Dry cleaner
Winner: Zips Dry Cleaning
Honorable mention
Oakland Mills Cleaners
The Wardrobe Valet
Elected official
Winner: County Executive Ken Ulman
Honorable mention
State Sen. Allan Kittleman
County Council member Calvin Ball
State Del. Guy Guzzone
State Del. Liz Bobo
Financial institution
Winner: Columbia Bank
Honorable mention
Tower Federal Credit Union
PNC
M&T Bank
Howard Bank
Place for a first date
Winner: Clyde’s
Honorable mention
Lakefront activities
Iron Bridge Wine Co.
Victoria Gastro Pub
Columbia Orchestra
The Melting Pot
Flooring and carpeting
Winner: Bode Flooring
Honorable mention
The Vertical Connection Carpet One
A Plus Carpet & Flooring
Andy Breeden Floors
Florist
Winner: Wilhide’s
Honorable mention
Clarksville Flower Station
The Flower Basket
Wessel’s Florist & Weddings
Raimondi’s Florist
Furniture store
Winner: Oak Tree Furniture
Honorable mention
Havertys
Indoor Furniture
Garden center/Nursery
Winner: River Hill Garden Center
Honorable mention
Sun Nurseries
Grandfather’s Garden Center & Nursery
Golf course
Winner: Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club
Honorable mention
Turf Valley
Timbers at Troy Golf Course
Gym/Fitness center
Winner: Lifetime Fitness
Honorable mention
Supreme Sports Club
Athletic Club
Columbia Gym
Hair salon
Winner: Mason & Friends Hair, Skin & Nail Salon
Honorable mention
Dakota Salon
Looks Salon & Spa
YOU Salon
Victoria & Albert Hair Studio
Place to buy health food/supplements
Winner: David’s Natural Market
Honorable mention
Roots Market
MOM’s Organic Market
Trader Joe’s
Heating/Air conditioning repair
Winner: Environmental Systems Associates
Honorable mention
Husky Home Services
Ron Air
Homebuider
Winner: Williamsburg Builders
Honorable mention
Columbia Builders
ProBuilt Construction
Housecleaning service
Winner: Merry Maids
Honorable mention
The Cleaning Authority
Pioneer Custom Cleaning
Jeweler
Winner: Sergio’s Jewelers
Honorable mention
Edward Arthur Jewelers
St. John’s Jewelers
Smyth Jewelers
Everett Designers of Fine Jewelry
Kids’ activities
Winner: Clark’s Elioak Farm
Honorable mention
Columbia Association
Howard County Recreation & Parks
Columbia Neighborhood Swim League
Landscaper
Winner: Rhine Landscaping
Honorable mention
Lauren’s Garden Service
Tony’s Lawn & Garden
Oaklawn Landscaping
Place for a manicure
Winner: Mason & Friends Hair, Skin & Nail Salon
Honorable mention
Skin Care Institute
Columbia Nails
Place for martial arts classes
Winner: Klotz Institute of Karate
Honorable mention
American Academy of Martial Arts
Black Belt Institute
Medi-spa
Winner: Between the Lines Medispa
Honorable mention
Medical Skin Therapeutics
AllCare of Maryland
Pura Vida Medical Spa
Place for music lessons
Winner: Damon Foreman Music Academy
Honorable mention
Mike’s Music
Music & Arts
Olenka School of Music
OB/GYN practice
Winner: Signature OB-GYN
Honorable mention
Capital Women’s Care
The Women’s Group
Dr. Jeri Shuster
Pediatric practice
Winner: Kenneth Klebanow & Associates
Honorable mention
Parnes, May, McKay, Lee & Associates
The Pediatric Center
Personal trainer
Winner: Bonnie Pace, Columbia Gym
Honorable mention
Vic Selvaggi, Colosseum Gym
Nick Barr, Fitness Together
Place for pet grooming
Winner: Highland Groomery
Honorable mention
PetSmart
Club Pooche
The Dog Wash
Plumber
Winner: Ken Griffin Plumbing & Heating
Honorable mention
Joseph Heil Co.
Len The Plumber
Police officer
Winner: Christopher Cromwell
Honorable mention
Derek Johnson
Steve Willingham
Michael Johnson
Principal
Winner: Marcia Leonard, Hammond High School
Honorable mention
Frank Eastham, Oakland Mills High School
Pat Saunderson, Reservoir High School
Rick Wilson, Folly Quarter Middle School
Scott Ruehl, Mt. Hebron High School
Remodeler
Winner: Pro-Built Construction
Honorable mention
Ken Griffin Plumbing & Heating
Cossentino and Sons
Place to buy seafood
Winner: Frank’s Seafood Wholesale Market
Honorable mention
Today’s Catch
Wegman’s
Sea King
Place for shoe repair
Winner: King’s Cobbler
Honorable mention
Renew Instant Shoe Repair
Vance Shoe Repair
Place to rent for special occasions
Winner: (tie) Historic Oakland and Ten Oaks Ballroom
Honorable mention
The Great Room at Savage Mill
The Other Barn in Oakland Mills
Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center
Place to buy spirits and/or beer
Winner: Perfect Pour
Honorable mention
Jason’s Wine & Spirits
Decanter Fine Wine
Pine Orchard Liquors
Travel agent
Winner: Destinations Inc.
Honorable mention
AAA
Frosch Travel
Urgent care center
Winner: Patient First
Honorable mention
Righttime Medical Care
AllCare of Maryland
KinderMender Walk-in Pediatric Clinic
Veterinary practice
Winner: Cat and Dog Hospital of Columbia
Honorable mention
Countryside Veterinary Clinic
Dunloggin Veterinary Hospital
VCA Lewis Animal Hospital
Place to buy wine
Winner: Perfect Pour
Honorable mention
Decanter Fine Wines
Wine Bin
Pine Orchard Liquors