With a record number of votes on the books, it’s time to unveil the victors in our 2014 Best of the ’Bus reader poll.
Across 70 categories, some of them new for this year, we had some nail-biting close calls and some huge runaway victories. We owe our CityScene readers a debt of gratitude for their thoughtful nominations and their commitment to voting, as our final vote tally went up once again this year.
Read on to learn who took home top honors.
Arts
Best Art Gallery
Dublin Arts Council gallery
After placing second last year, the Dublin Arts Council gallery managed to take the category, capturing more than 20 percent of the vote. The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery wasn’t far behind.
Best Restaurant Art
Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace
The unique, locally-made baseball- and music-themed artwork lining the walls of Dirty Frank’s has clearly made an impression on CityScene readers. Melt Bar & Grilled’s massive Ohio celebrity mural was a close second.
Best Suburban Arts Festival
Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce Music & Arts Festival
Westerville’s 41-year-old arts festival barely managed to grab the top spot, but give Grove City credit – the Grove City Wine and Arts Festival took second and its Arts in the Alley took third.
Best Suburban Public Art Program
Dublin
Grove City’s downtown sculpture project came close, but Dublin’s decades-long commitment to public art carried it over the top in this category.
Best Orchestra
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Despite having five opponents to contend with, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra managed to garner more than 50 percent of the vote in this category.
Best Local Band – Original
The Ohio State University Marching Band
It was no contest here, with the Best Damn Band in the Land taking first place. But laud 44-year-old country rock band McGuffey Lane, which still managed a strong showing despite its overpowered opponent, too.
Best Local Band – Cover/Party
Phil Dirt and the Dozers
Nostalgia rock ‘n’ roll band Phil Dirt and the Dozers overcame such rivals as the Reaganomics, the Neighbor’s Kids and Lt. Dan’s New Legs to win this one.
Best Museum
Best Interactive Arts Activities for Kids
Best Interactive Arts Activities for Adults
COSI
The big winner not only repelled the Columbus Museum of Art to win Best Museum and Wine & Canvas and the Columbus Arts Festival to win Best Interactive Arts Activities for Adults, it took home a whopping 63 percent of the vote in Best Interactive Arts Activities for Kids.
Best Theater Troupe
Shadowbox Live
Columbus has lots of top-notch theater companies, but longtime favorite Shadowbox Live – which this season has offered up such shows as Monty Python’s Spamalot!, Into the Woods and Bigger than Jesus – is a tough champion to unseat.
Dining
Best Classic Cocktails
Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse
Hyde Park’s four locations and popular martinis carried it past close Short North rivals Betty’s Fine Food & Spirits and Mouton.
Best Restaurant for a Night Out Downtown
Best Outdoor Dining
Barcelona
Check out In the Spirit for a recipe for one of Barcelona’s hugely popular sangrias – which, along with top-shelf tapas and large plates and a relaxing outdoor seating area, helped make the German Village restaurant a winner this year.
Best Restaurant for a Night Out in the Suburbs
Matt the Miller’s Tavern
If its victory in our poll isn’t convincing enough, just look at Matt the Miller’s continued growth – it’s expected to open a new location on Gemini Place in the Polaris area this year, bringing the number of locations up to three – as evidence of its success.
Best Wine Selection – Restaurant
The Wine Bistro
With a commanding lead – and a fourth location just opened in Westerville – the Wine Bistro shows no signs of slowing down.
Best Wine Selection – Retail
Best Beer Selection – Retail
Giant Eagle Market District
For the second year, Giant Eagle Market District takes “Best Selection” honors in both beer and wine.
Best Wine Events
Grove City Wine and Arts Festival
This celebration of local artists and wineries had more than twice as many votes as its closest competitor.
Best Beer Selection – Restaurant
World of Beer
The massive beer menu at World of Beer, with locations in Easton Town Center and the Brewery District, carried it over the top. But give credit to Cleveland-based chain the Winking Lizard and Dublin original the Pint Room for coming close.
Best Local Wine
Plum Run Winery
Though Signature Wines, Wyandotte Winery and Brothers Drake Meadery had a close scrap for second place, Grove City-based Plum Run was far and away the top vote-getter.
Best Food Truck
Mikey’s Late Night Slice
Fun fact: Nina West, Columbus’ premier drag queen, has been known to perform a song about Mikey’s set to the tune of “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
Best Unique Cocktails
The Pearl
Cameron Mitchell Restaurants took two of the top three here, with the Pearl at No. 1 and M at Miranova taking No. 3 (No. 2 was Surly Girl Saloon).
Best Food Coma Potential
Best Menu Item Name
Thurman Café
The Thurman Café wins two awards with one item: the two-pound, aptly named Thurmanator.
Best New Restaurant
Melt Bar & Grilled
The Cleveland-based massive grilled cheese chain is a juggernaut; another location is already in the works for Easton Town Center. Give props to Pizza Cucinova, though, for coming closest to the top.
Best Unique Meat on Menu
Bison, Ted’s Montana Grill
It appears CityScene’s readers don’t have much of a taste for ostrich, alligator, Spam, beef tongue or bone marrow. Your loss.
Best Sandwiches
Katzinger’s
Neither Melt Bar & Grilled nor Thurman Café nor City Barbeque could overcome the enormously popular deli sandwiches of Katzinger’s, which just opened a stand at the North Market.
Best Extravagant Dessert and Best Restaurant to Take Out-of-Towners to
Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus
The former category is for Schmidt’s trademark jumbo cream puff, in case you couldn’t guess.
Best Frozen Desserts
Best Hometown Product
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Anyone who underestimates the popularity of Jeni’s does so at his or her own peril. The local gourmet ice cream blew away the competition in both categories.
Best Pies
Der Dutchman Bakery
Last year, Der Dutchman won the day with its doughnuts. This year, the pies take the gold medal.
Best Business Lunch
Cap City Fine Diner and Bar
Tempting as it is, you might have to resist the Seriously Big Chocolate Cake after your business lunch, unless you’ve scheduled an afternoon nap.
Best Barbecue
City Barbeque
The super-popular local barbecue chain had more than four times as many votes as second place. “Resounding” doesn’t even begin to describe that victory.
Best Doughnuts
Buckeye Donuts
This University District favorite has photos behind the counter to prove it can count Hulk Hogan and comedian Dave Attell among its customers. The owner claims Prince has stopped by, too, but nobody could find a camera in time.
Best Cakes
Mrs. Goodman’s
This is the second year in a row Mrs. Goodman’s has taken this category, thanks in no small part to the company’s elaborate Occasion Cakes.
Best Bakery
Schneider’s Bakery
This makes two years in a row for Westerville institution Schneider’s – known for middle-of-the-night doughnut runs for Otterbein University students – as Best Bakery.
Best Pizza
Tammy’s Pizza
Nos. 1 and 2 differ by only one letter – Grove City-based Tammy’s Pizza took first, while multi-location Tommy’s Pizza took second.
Best Waterfront Dining
Bel Lago
Westerville’s lakeside Italian restaurant takes this category again, but it was a close run with both Milestone 229 and the Boat House at Confluence Park
Best Food Presentation
The Refectory
Best Bar/Restaurant for Live Music
Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza
Best Regional Liquor
Watershed Distillery
Best Local Beer
Columbus Brewing Company
Best Vegetarian/Vegan Options
Northstar Café
Best Cupcakes
Capital City Cakes
Best Sushi
Haiku
Best Happy Hour
The Old Bag of Nails Pub
Entertainment
Best In-State Weekend Trip
Hocking Hills
Hocking Hills was practically untouchable in this category, and considering the huge variety of options there, from walking trails to zip lines, it’s not hard to see why.
Best Neighborhood Park
Best Park for Dogs
Goodale Park
Humans and canines alike can appreciate Goodale Park – as well as the people-watching available there during ComFest, as you’ll soon see.
Best Concert Venue
LC Pavilion
July shows at the LC include 311 on July 7, the Under the Sun Tour (Blues Traveler, Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray and Uncle Kracker) on July 8, Sublime with Rome on July 13, Counting Crows on July 15 and Jurassic 5 on July 27.
Best Performance Venue
Ohio Theatre
The CAPA Summer Movie Series affords a great opportunity to check out the Ohio Theatre. We recommend Hitchcock classic North by Northwest July 12-13.
Best Farmers’ Market
Worthington
Worthington took this one in a squeaker; the North Market and Grove City were not far behind.
Best Afternoon with Kids
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Not only did the zoo carry a whopping 62 percent of the vote, another 10 percent went to Zoombezi Bay.
Best Public Bathroom
Nordstrom, Easton Town Center
We expected this one to be Von Maur at Polaris in another walk, so imagine our surprise when Nordstrom pulled off the upset victory.
Best Face of Columbus
Jack Hanna
Jack Hanna, who graced the cover of last year’s Best of the ’Bus issue, makes it two years in a row as Best Face of Columbus. And at No. 2? Why, that would be drag queen Nina West, who was actually in the lead at one early point in the voting.
Best Suburban Fireworks
Grove City
Yet another big victory for Grove City shows the popularity of the city’s offerings – and the passion of its residents for their hometown.
Best Annual Event for Out-of-Towners
Dublin Irish Festival
A friend from another big city can be tough to impress, but the Dublin Irish Festival is unlike a lot of other festivals – including those that also celebrate Irish heritage – so it’s easy to see why it might win this award two years in a row.
Best Out-of-State Weekend Trip
Chicago
Best Metro Park
Highbanks Metro Park
Best Event for People Watching
ComFest
Best View/Cityscape
Milestone 229/The Scioto Mile
Best Movie Theater
AMC Easton
Health
Best Charitable Event
Best Run/Fitness Event
Pelotonia
Combine a lengthy and scenic bike ride with a colossal cancer-fighting fundraiser, and it’s not hard to see how Pelotonia might manage to bring home two awards this year.
Best Dance Studio
BalletMet Dance Academy
The extensive knowledge of BalletMet’s dance instructors is tough to top, but give some respect to second-place finisher Generations Performing Arts Center for coming the closest.
Best Charity
Mid-Ohio Foodbank
Best Spa
Woodhouse Day Spa
Best Gym
Premier at Sawmill
