Every year The Inquirer and Mirror and Nantucket Today ask their readers to identify the BEST OF NANTUCKET in 75 categories, from food to lodging to leisure activities and more.
This year we had an enormous response to our online questionnaire, the best ever. A number of categories tied, including Top Chefs and several restaurant categories. Where there’s a tie, we noted that. We also named our categories Gold, for first; Silver, for second and Bronze for third, in honor of the London Olympics, which begin at the end of the month. Keep an eye out for an announcement later this month on www.ack.net for the online voting for Best of Nantucket 2013.
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
RESTAURANT
GOLD: Tie: The Languedoc; The SeaGrille
SILVER: Tie: American Seasons; Fusaro’s
BRONZE: Company of the Cauldron
BARTENDER
GOLD: Melissa Kniskern, Fusaro’s
SILVER: Tie: Johnny Bresette & Holly Finigan, both of Ventuno
BRONZE: Anna Worgess, Dune
WATERVIEW DINING
GOLD: Galley Beach
SILVER: Straight Wharf Restaurant
BRONZE: The Jetties
TOP CHEFS
GOLD: Three way tie: Gabriel Frasca - Straight Wharf and Ventuno; Chris Freeman - Òran Mór; EJ Harvey - The SeaGrille
ROMANTIC DINING
GOLD: Company of the Cauldron
SILVER: American Seasons
BRONZE: Tie: Galley Beach and Topper’s
FINE DINING
GOLD: Tie: American Seasons; Òran Mór
SILVER: The Languedoc
BRONZE: Straight Wharf Restaurant
ETHNIC RESTAURANT
GOLD: Corazon del Mar
SILVER: Siam to Go
BRONZE: Fusaro’s
SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
GOLD: The SeaGrille
SILVER: Sayle’s Seafood
BRONZE: Straight Wharf Restaurant
NEW RESTAURANT
GOLD: Fusaro’s
SILVER: Pazzo
BRONZE: Ventuno
ITALIAN RESTAURANT
GOLD: Fusaro’s
SILVER: DeMarco
BRONZE: Ventuno
FAMILY DINING
GOLD: Fusaro’s
SILVER: Faregrounds Restaurant
BRONZE: The Brotherhood of Thieves
LUNCH
GOLD: Centre Street Bistro
SILVER: Something Natural
BRONZE: The Downyflake
BREAKFAST
GOLD: The Downyflake
SILVER: Black-Eyed Susan’s
BRONZE: Fog Island Cafe
INEXPENSIVE MEAL
GOLD: Fusaro’s
SILVER: Stubby’s
BRONZE: Faregrounds Restaurant
RAW BAR
GOLD: Spanky Kania
SILVER: 12 Degrees East
BRONZE: The Jetties
SUNDAY BRUNCH
GOLD: Brant Point Grill at The White Elephant
SILVER: The Boarding House
BRONZE: Black-Eyed Susan’s
LOBSTER, LOBSTER, LOBSTER
LOBSTER BISQUE
GOLD: The SeaGrille
SILVER: The Languedoc
LOBSTER DINNER
GOLD: Sayle’s Seafood
SILVER: The SeaGrille
BRONZE: The Lobster Trap
LOBSTER ROLL
GOLD: Sayle’s Seafood
SILVER: Straight Wharf Fish Store
BRONZE: Tie: Millie’s / The Lobster Trap
SWEET STUFF
CANDY STORE
GOLD: Force Five Candy Room
SILVER: Sweet Inspirations
BRONZE: Aunt Leah’s Fudge
FUDGE:
GOLD: Aunt Leah’s Fudge
ICE CREAM
GOLD: The Juice Bar
SILVER: Stars
BAKERY
GOLD: Nantucket Bake Shop
SILVER: Petticoat Row Bakery
BREAD
GOLD: Something Natural
SILVER: Nantucket Bake Shop
DOUGHNUT
GOLD: The Downyflake
SILVER: Nantucket Bake Shop
COFFEE
GOLD: The Bean
SILVER: Tie: Espresso to Go; Fast Forward
BRONZE: Island Coffee Roasters
FUN AND FAST
PIZZA
GOLD: Pi Pizzeria
SILVER: Sophie T’s
BRONZE: Tie: Steamboat Pizza; Foood for Here & There
SUSHI
GOLD: Sushi by Yoshi
SILVER: Lola 41
SANDWICH
GOLD: Something Natural
SILVER: Provisions
BRONZE: Henry Jr.
FAST FOOD
GOLD: Stubby’s
SILVER: Easy Street Cantina
BRONZE: Walter’s
HAMBURGER
GOLD: Lola 41
SILVER: The Brotherhood of Thieves
BRONZE: The Languedoc
FRIED CLAMS
GOLD: Sayle’s Seafood
CLAM CHOWDER
GOLD: The SeaGrille
SILVER: Sayle’s Seafood
GETTING HERE AND THERE
AIRLINE
GOLD: Island Airlines
SILVER: Cape Air/ Nantucket Airlines
AUTO RENTAL
GOLD: Windmill Auto
SILVER: Affordable Rentals
BRONZE: Young’s
TAXI
GOLD: A-1 Taxi
SILVER: Chief’s Cab
BRONZE: Milestone Taxi
BOAT LINE
GOLD: Hy-Line Cruises
SILVER: Steamship Authority
BIKE SHOP
GOLD: Young’s Bicycle Shop
SILVER: Nantucket Bike Shop
WHERE TO STAY
BED & BREAKFAST
GOLD: Union Street Inn
SILVER: The Brass Lantern
BRONZE: The Roberts House
LUXURY HOTEL
GOLD: The Wauwinet
SILVER: The White Elephant
LOOKING GOOD
HAIR STYLIST
GOLD: Darya Afshari
SILVER: Margie Malone
BRONZE: Whitney Conrad
HAIR SALON
GOLD: RJ Miller Salon
SILVER: Darya Salon
BRONZE: Suzanne’s
SPA
GOLD: Tresses and The Day Spa
SILVER: RJ Miller Salon
BRONZE: Spa at The White Elephant
JEWELER
GOLD: Jewel of the Isle
SILVER: Jessica Hicks
BRONZE: Jeweler’s Gallery
T-SHIRT SHOP
GOLD: Annie and the Tees
SILVER: The Sunken Ship
BRONZE: Island Studios
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
GOLD: Murray’s Toggery Shop
SILVER: Vis a Vis
BRONZE: Nalu
MEN’S CLOTHING
GOLD: Murray’s Toggery Shop
SILVER: The Nobby Shop
SHOE STORE
GOLD: Murray’s Toggery Shop
SILVER: The Nobby Shop
BRONZE: Vis a Vis
KIDS’ STUFF
TOY STORE
GOLD: The Toy Boat
SILVER: The Nantucket Toy Company
BRONZE: Island Variety
KIDS’ CLOTHING
GOLD: Pinwheels
SILVER: Kidding Around
BRONZE: Murray’s Toggery Shop
KIDS’ CAMP
GOLD: Strong Wings
SILVER: Murray Camp
BRONZE: Maria Mitchell Discovery Classes
SETTLING IN
ANTIQUE STORE
GOLD: Sylvia Antiques
SILVER: Val Maitino Antiques
BRONZE: The Antiques Depot
CATERER
GOLD: Mark & Eithne Yelle, The Nantucket Catering Company
SILVER: Kendra Lockley, Simply with Style
BRONZE: Susan Warner, Nantucket Clambake Company
FISH MARKET
GOLD: Sayle’s Seafood
SILVER: East Coast Seafood
BRONZE: Glidden’s Fish Market
FLORIST
GOLD: Flowers on Chestnut
SILVER: The Flower Shop at Marine Home Center
GARDEN CENTER
GOLD: Bartlett’s Farm
SILVER: Marine Home Center
BRONZE: Valero’s
MARINA
GOLD: Madaket Marine
SILVER: Nantucket Boat Basin
REAL ESTATE OFFICE
GOLD: The Maury People
SILVER: Coffin Real Estate
BRONZE: Windwalker
PET STORE
GOLD: Geronimo’s
WINE SHOP
GOLD: Tied: The Cellar / The Islander
SILVER: Hatch’s
BRONZE: Épernay
ARTS & CRAFTS
IVORY CARVER
GOLD: Nancy Chase
SILVER: Michael Vienneau
LIGHTSHIP BASKET MAKER
GOLD: Michael Kane
SILVER: Susan Ottison
BRONZE: Manny Dias
GIFT SHOP
GOLD: Four Winds Gifts
SILVER: Best of the Beach
BRONZE: Stephanie’s
ART GALLERY
GOLD: Artists Association of Nantucket
SILVER: Cavalier Gallery
BRONZE: Old Spouter Gallery
WHAT TO DO
BEACH
GOLD: Surfside
SILVER: Ladies’ Beach
BRONZE: Fisherman’s Beach
BOAT CHARTER
GOLD: Albacore
SILVER: Absolute
BRONZE: Althea K
BOOKSTORE
GOLD: Nantucket Bookworks
SILVER: Mitchell’s Book Corner
HISTORIC SITE
GOLD: Nantucket Whaling Museum
SILVER: The Old Mill
MUSEUM
GOLD: The Whaling Museum
SILVER: Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum
SUMMER EVENT
GOLD: Boston Pops on Nantucket
SILVER: Fourth of July Celebration
TACKLE SHOP
GOLD: Bill Fisher Tackle
SILVER: Nantucket Tackle Shop
NIGHT SPOT
GOLD: The Chicken Box
