Best power lunch spot 2013: Bodo’s Bagels

Bodo’s Bagels 505 Preston Ave. 293-5224 1609 University Ave. 293-6021 1418 Emmet St. N 977-9598 bodosbagels.com Runner-up: Hamiltons’ at First & Main 101 W. Main St. 295-6649 hamiltonsrestaurant.com The thing about people in power is that they’re often in a hurry—off to a meeting or to get their shoes shined (we’re guessing). It makes sense, […]

Best toy store 2013: Shenanigans

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 […]

Best tailor 2013: Heidi’s Perfect Fit

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. […]

Best bartender 2013: Nick Crutchfield

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, […]

Best steak 2013: Downtown Grille

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 […]

Best family-friendly restaurant 2013: Tip Top

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 […]

Best art gallery 2013: McGuffey Art Center

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. […]

Best preschool or daycare 2013: Bright Beginnings

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 […]

Best vegetarian menu 2013: Revolutionary Soup

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 […]