CATSKILL — All the votes have been tallied and the Best of Greene County awards were handed out at a ceremony Friday evening.
Each year awards are given to county businesses that have received the highest number of votes in each of 53 categories, from best art gallery, historic site and annual large-scale event to recreation, European cuisine, farm stand, burger and more.
The Best of Greene County is co-sponsored by the Greene County Chamber of Commerce and Columbia-Greene Media, which publishes The Daily Mail.
“We do this event each year to allow the general public to choose who the best are amongst our many exceptional businesses across the area,” Greene County Chamber of Commerce President and Executive Director Jeffrey Friedman said Friday. “This gives us the opportunity to honor those businesses and all the finalists in the over 50 categories that we have people vote in. It is a nice way to recognize all of the finalists and winners, as well as all the great businesses in the community.”
First place in the Best Library category went to the Catskill Public Library.
“The staff and trustees of the Catskill Public Library and Palenville Branch Library truly appreciate being recognized as one of ‘Greene County’s Best,” Joan Miller said after accepting the award on behalf of the library. “Since 1893, 128 years, we’ve been providing services to our residents, and we are very much looking forward to continuing sharing not only our books, but our DVDs, audiobooks, music CDs and magazines in every format — print, CD and digital.”
Sarah Slutzky, from Hunter Mountain, accepted awards for Best Place for Live Music and Best Annual Large-Scale Event for the annual Oktoberfest.
“Hunter has won before. We are always excited to be honored,” Slutzky said Friday.
This year’s awards ceremony, held Friday evening at Lumberyard in Catskill, was a bit different from other years.
In a typical year, the Best of Greene County awards are handed out in February, but the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined the awards ceremony for a few months.
“The voting for this year’s awards began in October 2020,” Friedman said. “The first round of voting ended in November and in the beginning of December we had the final round of voting. Normally that voting would have ended the first week of January and the awards would take place on the first weekend in February in 2021. But due to COVID we had to postpone the event and as a result we kept voting open until May and now we are giving out the awards.”
The start of voting for the 2022 Best of Greene County is just around the corner.
“Voting will begin soon,” Friedman said. “We expect that to begin sometime in the middle of November, with the final round of voting taking place sometime around mid to late January.”
The next awards ceremony is planned for sometime in early February, but scheduling is dependent on COVID protocols at the time, Friedman added.
The public is asked to vote for their favorite Greene County businesses in two rounds of voting. The contest has grown steadily over the years.
“The popularity of this event continues to grow, as about 1,000 voters cast votes during the two rounds of voting this year,” said Mary Dempsey, publisher and general manager of Columbia-Greene Media. “Judging from the number of participants in the awards presentation, it has become a must-do on the area’s events calendar.”
The full list of first-, second- and third-place winners can be found in an insert included in this newspaper. First-place winners are:
Best Art Gallery: Thomas Cole National Historic Site
Best Historic Site: Thomas Cole House
Best Library: Catskill Public Library
Best Movie Theatre: HiWay Drive-In
Best Place for Live Music: Hunter Mountain
Best Place for Nightlife: Crossroads Brewing
Best Theatre and Performance Space: Bridge Street Theatre
Best Annual Community Event: Festival of Trees
Best Annual Large-Scale Event: Hunter Mountain Oktoberfest
Best Event Space/Wedding Venue: Windham Mountain
Best Exercise Studio/Gym: YMCA of Greene County
Best Golf Course: Rip Van Winkle Country Club
Best Place for Outdoor Recreation: Windham Mountain
Best American Cuisine: Creekside Restaurant
Best Burger: Barnwood Restaurant
Best Ethnic Cuisine: New York Restaurant
Best European Cuisine: Bavarian Manor Country Inn and Restaurant
Best Farm Stand: Story Farms
Best Place for Breakfast: Lindsay’s
Best Place for Lunch: Barnwood Restaurant
Best Place for Dinner: New York Restaurant
Best Place for Meeting with Friends: Crossroads Brewing Company
Best Place for Outdoor Dining: Frank Guido’s Port of Call
Best Place for Pizza: Village Pizza II
Best Place for Wings: The Cask & Rasher
Best Place to Dine with Kids: Pomodoro’s Italian Eatery
Best Place to Have a Craft Beer: Crossroads Brewing Company
Best Place to Have Coffee or Tea: Gracie’s Luncheonette
Best Auto Repair Shop: R.C. Lacy Ford Lincoln Subaru
Best Beauty Salon or Barbershop: DiStefano’s Barber Shop
Best Building/Contracting Company: Maggio & Sons
Best Caterer: Creedside Restaurant
Best Dental Office (tie): Catskill Dental Care
Best Dental Office (tie): Catalano, Leifer, Bruno & Russell
Best Doctor’s Office: Jefferson Heights Family Care Center
Best Electrical Contractor: Holdridge Electric
Best Hotel/Motel: Blackhead Mountain Lodge
Best Inn/B&B: Bavarian Manor Country Inn & Restaurant
Best Landscaper/Lawn Care Company: Story Farms
Best Pharmacy: Kelly’s Pharmacy
Best Photographer: Veronica Chewens Photography
Best Plumbing Contractor: Huber Enterprises
Best Real Estate Company: Century 21 New West Properties
Best Physical Therapy and Wellness: Excel Physical Therapy
Best Antique Shop: Catskill Collectibles
Best Boutique Shop: Mahalo Gift Shop
Best Florist: Karen’s Flower Shoppe
Best Gift Shop: Karen’s Flower Shoppe
Best Outdoor/Sporting/Ski Shop (tie): Snow Bird Ski Shop
Best Outdoor/Sporting/Ski Shop (tie): Matt’s Cycle Center
Best Place to Buy a Car: R.C. Lacy Ford Lincoln Subaru
Best Place to Buy Apparel/Shoes: Mahalo Gift Shop
Best Place to Buy Jewelry: Mahalo Gift Shop
Best Specialty Food Shop: Circle W Market
Best Wine Shop: Spirits of Cairo