Best Bakery
First Place: Newtown Baking, Staunton, NewtownBaking.com, 540-885-3799
The beloved bakery now offers a new dinner menu (including wine and beer) available Thursdays through Saturdays from 5-9 p.m. Dishes include leg of lamb gyro and wood-fired pizzas with toppings like feta, fennel sausage and kale, and dough prepared with the “labor intensive love” for which the bakery is known.
Second place: Bella Gelato & Pastries, Harrisonburg, 540-217-5657
Third place: Heritage Bakery & Cafe, Harrisonburg, HeritageBakes.com, 540-564-1200
Best Barbecue Restaurant
First Place: Peck’s Barbecue, Staunton, PecksBBQ.com, 540-886-4647
A welcoming front porch and a heavenly smell greet visitors to Peck’s, a rustic eatery on Route 11. Here, plates are piled with sliced or chopped North Carolina-style barbecue as well as flounder, grilled or fried chicken, hamburger steak, half chicken, ribs or oysters, and served with French fries, a choice of white or barbecue slaw, and rolls or hush puppies.
Second place: 1752 Barbecue, Woodstock, WoodstockBrewhouse.com, 540-233-0616
Third place: Bean’s BBQ, Edinburg, 540-325-3738
Best Breakfast Restaurant
First Place: Kathy’s Restaurant, Staunton, Kathys-Restaurant.com, 540-885-4331
You’ll flip for Kathy’s gourmet pancakes. Imagine a plate filled with five ultra-light and tender buttermilk pancakes, topped with whipped butter. Flavors include blueberry, strawberry, chocolate chip, apple, buckwheat and even bacon. You can even pick up “Kathy’s Pancake Mix” to use at home.
Second place: Little Grill Collective, Harrisonburg, LGC.coop, 540-434-3594
Third place: Kind Roots Café, Lexington, KindRootsCafe.com, 540-460-5697
Best Burger Joint
First Place: Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint, Harrisonburg, JackBrownsJoint.com, 540-433-5225
Harrisonburg is the original location of this popular hangout, which now has eight restaurants in Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee. Since 2008, customers have come here for the fun burgers (like The Greg Brady, topped with mac and cheese and Martin’s barbecue potato chips), and the more than 100 craft beer options.
Second place: Cuban Burger, Harrisonburg, CubanBurger.com, 540-434-1769
Third place: Pure Eats, Lexington, Pure-Eats.com, 540-462-6000
Best Caterer
First Place: CHEFS Catering, Lexington, StoneRidgeCatering.com, 540-462-7182
Located at the Stoneridge Inn, CHEFS will bring the party to you, or host it on-site at the historic inn. The full-service, ABC-licensed caterer offers a wide range of options to meet any budget—from rehearsal dinners, receptions and dinner parties to pig pickings, boxed lunches and tailgates. Menus prepared by Chef John Stallard.
Second place: Full Circle Catering, Lexington, FullCircleCatering.com, 540-463-1634
Third place: Mike Lund Food, Staunton, MikeLundFood.com, 540-649-4782
Best Chocolatier
First Place: Cocoa Mill Chocolatier, Lexington, CocoaMill.com, 540-464-8400
How do I love thee? Let Cocoa Mill count the ways with its assortments of handmade candies. The Valentine Chocolate Hearts and Truffles (in an edible, heart-shaped chocolate box) “truly blew us away,” wrote the Wall Street Journal. But there are more treasures to find in this family-run shop, the go-to location for Easter bunnies, caramels, barks and other delights.
Second place: Warfel’s Sweet Shoppe, Dayton, Warfels.biz, 540-879-9598
Third place: Shenandoah Fine Chocolates, Winchester, ShenandoahFineChocolates.com, 540-535-0010
Best Dessert Menu
First Place: Local Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, LocalChops.com, 540-801-0505
Pastry Chef Rachel Herr uses fresh fruits and ingredients from the Shenandoah Valley in her creations, and also churns her own ice cream. Seasonal offerings are constantly rotating, including this recent gem: a salted honey-pistachio sundae featuring buttermilk pistachio cake, orange caramel, salted local honey and chamomile ice cream with honeycomb candy.
Second place: Flotzie’s Soft Serve, Luray, Facebook.com/Flotzies, 540-742-2531
Third place: Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza, Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-433-1366
Best Farmers’ Market
First Place: Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market, Harrisonburg, HarrisonburgFarmersMarket.com, 540-476-3377
This producers-only farmers’ market is open year-round. Items include freshly baked bread and yeasted sweet rolls from Staff of Life Baking Co., bath and body products from White Oak Lavender Farm, and baked, filled donuts—including raspberry, double delight and huckleberry—from Clover Blossom Farm.
Second place: Staunton Farmers’ Market, Staunton, StauntonFarmersMarket.org, 540-448-1937
Third place: Lexington Farmers’ Market, Lexington, 540-463-9234
Best Food Truck
First Place: Grilled Cheese Mania, Harrisonburg, GrilledCheeseMania.com, 540-746-7515
“Mania” may be the maiden name of co-owner Kathleen Mania-Casey (aka “The Grilled Cheese Lady”), but it also captures her devotion to her food truck and family. Her siblings and others pop up in the names of the items, such as the BLT known as “The Larold”—as in Harold, with an L—the nickname of her bacon-loving nephew, Larry.
Second place: Mashita, Harrisonburg, EatMashita.com, 540-810-1875
Third place: Cravingz, Waynesboro, Facebook.com/CravingzConcessions, 540-471-0464
Best Gourmet Grocery Store
First Place: Friendly City Food Co-op, Harrisonburg, FriendlyCity.coop, 540-801-8882
Everyone can shop at this co-op, and anyone can join. The focus is local, natural, organic foods and all profits are returned to the community. With an emphasis on sustainability, customers can bring in their own containers (weighed first by a cashier) for bulk items such as herbs, spices, flour, beans, grains, candies and other snacks.
Second place: Cranberry’s Grocery & Eatery, Staunton, GoCranberrys.com, 540-885-4755
Third place: Martin’s, Harrisonburg, MartinsFoods.com, 540-442-7576
Best Local Craft Brewery
First Place: Pale Fire Brewing Co., Harrisonburg, PaleFireBrewing.com, 540-217-5452
Started in 2015, Pale Fire was named one of the 33 Best New Breweries by BeerAdvocate last year and its Salad Days American Saison won a bronze at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival. The brewery hosts concerts and Books & Booze (book signings by local authors) in its cozy taproom.
Second place: Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Lexington, DBBrewingCompany.com, 540-462-6200
Third place: Brothers Craft Brewing, Harrisonburg, BrothersCraftBrewing.com, 540-421-6599
Best Local Ice Cream Shop
First Place: The Split Banana, Staunton, TheSplitBanana.com, 866-492-3668
Step inside this downtown shop and you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store. Beneath glass-topped cases, tubs of thickly swirled gelato beckon. Will it be the tan and chocolate-drizzled Espresso Biscotti, or the bright-speckled M&M birthday cake? There’s even a sugar-free hazelnut among the 18 rotating flavors made on-site.
Second place: Kline’s Dairy Bar, Harrisonburg, KlinesDairyBar.com, 540-434-4014
Third place: Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe, Lexington, SweetThingsIceCream.com, 540-463-6055
Best Locally-Owned Coffee Shop
First Place: Black Sheep Coffee, Harrisonburg, BlackSheepCoffeeHBurg.com, 540-217-5560
Black Sheep is new to the scene (2015), but is quickly becoming a favorite space for locals to meet and gather. Customers can choose from a large selection of brewed coffees and pour-overs—made with beans from Red Rooster Coffee Roasters, Mudhouse Coffee and Lexington Coffee Roasters—as well as teas, espressos, baked treats and other menu items.
Second place: By & By Café, Staunton, TheByAndBy.us, 540-887-0041
Third place: Lexington Coffee Shop, Lexington, Facebook.com/LexingtonCoffeeShop, 540-464-6586
Best Outdoor Dining
First Place: Clementine Café, Harrisonburg, ClementineCafe.com, 540-801-8881
Grab a spot in the sun and watch the world go by from Clementine’s patio. Brunch, served on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers the standard favorites with a twist—such as salmon Benedict or shrimp and poached eggs (with grits, lobster cream sauce, pico and potato straws).
Second place: Byers Street Bistro, Staunton, ByersStreetBistro.com, 540-887-6100
Third place: Rocca, Lexington, RoccaRistorante.com, 540-461-8484
Best Bar
First Place: TAPs-The Georges, Lexington, TheGeorges.com, 540-463-2500
The Georges, an elegant boutique inn located in two of Lexington’s oldest buildings, is home to TAPS, a lounge in the lobby. The name is a nod to Virginia Military Institute (as are creative cocktails like the General, the Marshall and the Keydet), for which owners Teddy and Ann Parker Gottwald have a great affinity (along with nearby Washington and Lee).
Second place: The Golden Pony, Harrisonburg, GoldenPonyVa.com, 540-901-2628
Third place: Yelping Dog Wine, Staunton, YelpingDogWine.com, 540-885-2275
Best Restaurant
First Place: Local Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, LocalChops.com, 540-801-0505
As the name implies, Local Chop focuses on products supplied by Shenandoah Valley farmers and others in close proximity. See the website for photos of Chef Jakob Napotnik’s visits to local producers. Noted for its steaks, be sure to try your cut with one of the restaurant’s special sauces. All of the toppings are made from scratch, even the ketchup.
Second place: Mill Street Grill, Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
Third place: Zynodoa Best Restaurant, Staunton, Zynodoa.com, 540-885-7775
Best Pizzeria
First Place: Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza, Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-433-1366
If you like to watch your pizza prepared, come on over to Bella Luna, which features an enormous wood-fired oven front and center. For the daring, there’s the Ring of Fire pizza, which includes house-made hot sauce and fennel sausage, roasted mushrooms from nearby amFOG Farms, red onions and mozzarella.
Second place: Shenandoah Pizza and Tap House, Staunton, ShenPizza.com, 540-213-0008
Third place: Franks Pizza, Lexington, FranksPizzaLexington.com, 540-463-7575
Best Place for Brunch
First Place: Mill Street Grill, Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
The brunch menu offers a gluten-free section, French toast, huevos rancheros and an egg and cheese frittata with a rotating weekly topping. Hearty eaters can choose from several options for eggs Benedict—filet mignon, shrimp Florentine, crab cake, or shrimp and fried green tomatoes—all served with fresh fruit and home fries.
Second place: Food. Bar. Food, Harrisonburg, FoodBarFood.com, 540-433-3663
Third place: Little Grill Collective, Harrisonburg, LGC.coop, 540-434-3594
Best Place for Lunch
First Place: Pampered Palate Café, Staunton, ThePamperedPalateCafe.com, 540-886-9463
Pampered Palate opened in 1979 as a wine and gourmet shop with a few pre-packaged sandwiches. Food sales boomed, and today the shop and café offers a full-service continental breakfast and made-to-order lunch. The extensive sandwich and wrap menu includes the Historic Staunton, made with hot roast beef and brie on a buttered, multi-grain ciabatta.
Second place: Blue Sky Bakery, Lexington, 540-463-6546
Third place: Yelping Dog Wine, Staunton, YelpingDogWine.com, 540-885-2275
Best Seafood Restaurant
First Place: Red Lobster, Staunton, RedLobster.com, 540-887-7582
Generally low in fat and a good source of Omega-3s, seafood is a top choice for heart-healthy eaters. At Red Lobster, diners can also choose from the Lighthouse menu, which offers choices like he garlic-grilled shrimp or rock lobster tail, each with 600 calories or fewer.
Second place: Mill Street Grill, Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
Third place: Finnigan’s Cove, Harrisonburg, FinnigansCove.com, 540-433-9874
Best Mexican Restaurant
First Place: El Charro, Harrisonburg, EatElCharro.com, 540-564-0386
Created by four brothers originally from Mexico, El Charro celebrated its 25th anniversary in December, and now operates two locations in Harrisonburg, and one each in Bridgewater and King George. Customers keep coming back for the sizzling fajitas, tacos de carne asada and the arroz con pollo, a local favorite.
Second place: Baja Bean Co., Staunton, BajaBean.com/Staunton, 540-885-9988
Third place: El Sol, Harrisonburg, Facebook.com/ElSolMexicanRestaurante, 540-442-8763
Best Steakhouse
First Place: Local Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, LocalChops.com, 540-801-0505
The menu is simple and elegant, the directions straightforward. First, you select from one of 10 entrées—from filet mignon to tofu steak—then you choose a rub, a made-from-scratch steak sauce and two sides. Offered are three rubs (bleu cheese, house and garden), six sauces (in the categories of sweet and tart, savory and hot and spicy) and seven seasonal sides.
Second place: Texas Roadhouse, Harrisonburg, TexasRoadHouse.com, 540-801-0324
Third place: Outback Steakhouse, Waynesboro, 540-941-0087
Best Asian Restaurant
First Place: Taste of Thai, Harrisonburg, Taste-of-Thai.com, 540-801-8878
Opened in 1999, Taste of Thai offers an array of favorite dishes, such as papaya salad, tom kha gai (coconut chicken breast) soup, spicy squid, and red curry, available with tofu, chicken or beef. Chinese and Thai beers are among the beverages, which, like the food, you can enjoy by dining in or taking out.
Second place: Thai Flavor Restaurant, Harrisonburg, 540-433-8424
Third place: Silk Road, Waynesboro, SilkRoadCuisineVa.com, 540-949-9097
Best Italian Restaurant
First Place: Vito’s Italian Kitchen, Harrisonburg, VitosItalianKitchen.com, 540-433-1113
Whether you are sitting at the bar, a cozy booth or at a patio table under the stars, Vito’s will make you feel welcome. Specialty pizzas and pasta dishes are among the extensive menu offerings. Grab a friend and head to “Two for Tuesdays,” which offers two glasses of beer or wine, two side salads, one single-topping 16-inch pizza and a dessert to share, all for $24.
Second place: Emilo’s Italian Restaurant, Staunton, EmiliosItalianRestaurant.com, 540-885-0102
Third place: Scotto’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, Waynesboro, Scottos.net, 540-942-8715
Best Wine Shop
First Place: Yelping Dog Wine, Staunton, YelpingDogWine.com, 540-885-2275
A wine shop and a cafe, Yelping Dog offers a laid-back atmosphere, with staffers eager to share their knowledge of wines. Customers can choose from more than 1,200 wines from around the world, including two Yelping Dog brands, sourced by Virginia’s Lovingston and Prince Michel vineyards, as well as beers, cheese and charcuterie.
Second place: Downtown Wine & Gourmet, Harrisonburg, DowntownWines.com, 540-432-9463
Third place: Washington Street Purveyors, Lexington, GopherWine.com, 540-464-9463
Best Winery
First Place: Bluestone Vineyard, Bridgewater, BluestoneVineyard.com, 540-828-0099
Although its first vintage was not until 2009, Bluestone is already receiving accolades for its wines. The vintner’s 2014 Estate Grown Chardonnay won a double gold medal in the 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Competition, and also a gold from the 2016 Virginia Governor’s Cup along with inclusion in the Virginia Governor’s Case.
Second place: Barren Ridge Vineyards, Fishersville, BarrenRidgeVineyards.com, 540-248-3300
Third place: Rockbridge Vineyard, Raphine, RockbridgeVineyard.com, 540-377-6204
Most Creative Cocktail Menu
First Place: Food. Bar. Food, Harrisonburg, FoodBarFood.com, 540-433-3663
Sippers and swizzlers delight—this cocktail haven offers an inspired menu with drinks such as Rosemary’s Bellini and Cider Margarita. Brunch offers seven types of Bloody Mary alone. Meanwhile, those hankering for a little nosh can choose from small plates such as black beans and goat cheese hummus, duck carnitas, and rustic country pate.
Second place: Zynodoa, Staunton, Zynodoa.com, 540-885-7775
Third place: Taps, The Georges, Lexington, TheGeorges.com, 540-463-2500