Shenanigans 601 W. Main St. 295-4797 shenaniganstoys.net Runner-up: Alakazam 100 E. Main St. 971-1717 alakazamtoys.com It takes 63′ of wire to make a slinky. There are no hard and fast facts about how long it takes a child to get it all unraveled and tangled up, but we’re guessing it’s not long. Kids are tricky […]
Heidi’s Perfect Fit 1311 Wertland St. 295-8777 hpfinc.com Runner-up: E Tailor 112 W. Main St. #7 923-8500 In a season 2 episode of “Friends,” Joey sends Chandler to his family tailor, who takes a few inappropriate liberties with his measuring methods. Hilarity ensues, of course, but that’s not quite what you want from a tailor. […]
Nick Crutchfield at Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar Runner-up: Amanda Wood at Zocalo Tom Arnold, Sandra Bullock, Bill Cosby, Chevy Chase, and Bruce Willis were all bartenders before they got famous. We can’t be sure of Nick or Amanda’s acting prowess, but one thing’s certain: When it comes to pouring a tall one in this town, […]
Downtown Grille 201 W. Main St. 817-7080 downtowngrille.com Runner-up: Aberdeen Barn 2018 Holiday Dr. 296-4630 aberdeenbarn.com Necessity is the mother of invention. For Henry Ford, inventor of the gas-powered vehicle, that necessity was finding a way to turn a profit on the wood scraps used in the production of his Model A. With some help […]
Tip Top 1420 Richmond Rd. 244-3424 tiptoprestaurant.com Runner-up: Eppie’s 412 E. Main St. 963-9900 eatateppies.com Real talk. There are some places kids just really shouldn’t be: airplanes, museums, and, depending on how good of a job you’re doing as a parent, some restaurants. Luckily, Tip Top and Eppie’s provide solid options where little ones can […]
McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW 295-7973 mcguffeyartcenter.com Runner-up: Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE 977-7284 secondstreetgallery.com Three galleries comprise the McGuffey Art Center, the largest display space in the city. It’s there, in the 1916 school building, that visual artists, sculptors, photographers, and more converge for a veritable zoo of artistic talent. […]
Bright Beginnings 1221 Stoney Ridge Rd. 979-8585 3401 Worth Crossing 973-8414 brightbeginningsva.com Runner-up: ACAC Preschool 200 Four Seasons Dr. 978-7529 acac.com/youth/after-school “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” That’s a quote from Frederick Douglass who, as an escaped slave and revered orator, knew a little something about strong men. Bright […]
Revolutionary Soup 105 14th St. NW 979-9988 108 Second St. SW 296-7687 revolutionarysoup.com Runner-up: Eppie’s 412 E. Main St. 963-9900 eatateppies.com A 2006 TV ad for Nutri-Grain bars features a very enthusiastic office worker who eats one of the snacks and then decides he feels so “grrrrrreeeaaaat!” that he quits his job, proposes to his […]
ACAC Summer Camp 200 Four Seasons Dr. 978-7523 acac.com Runner-up: Triple C Camp 920 Camp Rd. 293-2529 tripleccamp.com In Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, young Sam sets off on a trek of his own while the rest of his fellow campers stay behind. It’s a grand adventure to be sure, but if the camp had been […]
Martin Hardware 941 Preston Ave. 293-8171 martinhardwareinc.com Runner-up: Crozet Hardware 5783 The Square (Crozet) 823-4381 facebook.com/crozethardware If it’s true that the average wood frame house uses between 20,000 and 30,000 nails of varying types and sizes, then Martin Hardware, readers say, is the place to go for supplies. For folks outside of the city, Crozet […]