First Posted: 3/27/2015
The results are in.
More than 1,000 votes were tallied and here are the winners and runners-up that our readers have chosen for the 2015 Readers’ Choice awards.
From Best Wings to Best Stripper, we’re recognizing lots, and lots, of local businesses, employees and talent who are doing their best to bring you what you want. And, they’re doing a pretty damn good job.
Come honor the best of the best at our awards ceremony starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30 at the River Street Jazz Cafe, 667 North River St. Plains.
BEST BAR
Winner: R Bar & Grill
Runner-up: Beer Boys
BEST NEW BAR
Winner: Stir
Runner-up: Franklin’s Bar & Grill
BEST CORNER BAR
Winner: Senunas’
Runner-up: Hun’s Cafe 99
BEST COLLEGE BAR
Winner: Beer Boys
Runner-up: Senunas’
BEST KARAOKE BAR
Winner: Ole Tyme Charley’s
Runner-up: 12 Penny Saloon
BEST BIKE NIGHT
Winner: Quaker Steak & Lube
Runner-up: J J Banko’s Seafood
BEST IRISH BAR
Winner: Kildare’s Irish Pub
Runner-up: CrisNics Irish Pub
BEST SPORTS BAR
Winner: Lucky’s
Runner-up: Beer Boys
BEST ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE BAR
Winner: Heat Bar & Night Club
Runner-up: 12 Penny Saloon
BEST RESTAURANT
Winner: Kevin’s Bar and Restaurant
Runner-up: R Bar & Grill
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Winner: Le Manhattan Bistro
Runner-up: Buffalo Wild Wings
BEST CHEF
Winner: Chef Gene Philbin, Peculiar Culinary
Runner-up: Tony Griffiths, Isabella Restaurant & Bar
BEST RESTAURANT SERVICE
Winner: R Bar & Grill
Runner-up: Kevin’s Bar and Restaurant
BEST PATIO/DECK
Winner: River Grille
Runner-up: Arena Bar & Grill
BEST FOOD TRUCK
Winner: What the Fork
Runner-up: Sweet Lush Cupcakery
BEST DELI LUNCH
Winner: Canteen 900
Runner-up: Circles on the Square
BEST ICE CREAM
Winner: Hillside Farms Dairy
Runner-up: Manning Farm Dairy
BEST BAKERY
Winner: Sanitary Bakery
Runner-up: Bakery Delite
BEST HOAGIES
Winner: Vino’s Deli
Runner-up: Primo Hoagies
BEST BURGERS
Winner: Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Runner-up: R Bar & Grill
BEST HOT DOGS
Winner: Abe’s, Barney St.
Runner-up: Ferris’s Hot Dogs
BEST FRIES
Winner: R Bar & Grill
Runner-up: Five Guys Burgers and Fries
BEST DINER
Winner: Eddie’s Place
Runner-up: Glider Diner
BEST DESSERTS
Winner: Something Special Bakery
Runner-up: Mohegan Sun Pocono
BEST VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT
Winner: Eden – A Vegan Café
Runner-up: Nucleus Raw Foods
BEST FINE DINING
Winner: Kevin’s Bar and Restaurant
Runner-up: Ruth’s Chris Steak House
BEST CHAIN RESTAURANT
Winner: TGI Fridays
Runner-up: Longhorn Steakhouse
BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Winner: Leggio’s Italian Ristorante
Runner-up: Cafe Italia
BEST JAPANESE/SUSHI RESTAURANT
Winner: Mirukuya
Runner-up: Mizu
BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Winner: La Tolteca
Runner-up: Margarita Azul
BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Winner: J. J. Banko’s Seafood
Runner-up: Cooper’s Seafood House
BEST PIZZA
Winner: Angelo’s
Runner-up: Maroni’s
BEST LOCAL BREWERY
Winner: Susquehanna Brewing Company
Runner-up: Breaker Brewing Company
BEST WINGS
Winner: R Bar & Grill
Runner-up: Whiskey Business
BEST LOCALLY MADE BEER
Winner: 3 Guys and a Beer’d
Runner-up: Susquehanna Brewing Company
BEST MARTINI SELECTION
Winner: Billy B’s Restaurant & Martini Bar
Runner-up: Pearl Sushi Bar
BEST WINE SELECTION
Winner: Le Manhattan Bistro
Runner-up: Ruth’s Chris Steak House
BEST BEER SELECTION (BAR/RESTAURANT)
Winner: Arena Bar and Grill
Runner-up: Beer Boys, Wilkes-Barre
BEST BEER SELECTION (NON-BAR/RESTAURANT)
Winner: Wegman’s
Runner-up: Georgetown Deli
BEST UNIQUE MENU
Winner: AuRaunts
Runner-up: Peculiar Culinary Company
BEST STRIP CLUB
Winner:
Runner-up: Diamond Club
BEST HAPPY HOUR
Winner: Beer Boys
Runner-up: Arena Bar & Grill
BEST DRINK SPECIALS
Winner: R Bar & Grill
Runner-up: Beer Boys
BEST COFFEE SHOP
Winner: Northern Light
Runner-up: Duffy’s Coffee House
BEST HOOKAH LOUNGE
Winner: Crimson Lion Hookah Lounge
Runner-up: Exhale Hookah Lounge & Kabob Grill
BEST ORIGINAL BAND
Winner: Esta Coda
Runner-up: Skip Monday
BEST COVER BAND
Winner: M80
Runner-up: The Chatter
BEST SOLO MUSICIAN/DUO
Winner: Asialena Bonitz
Runner-up: Melissa Krahnke and Jackson Vee
BEST RAPPER
Winner: DeeKey, Dylan Kiehart
Runner-up: Gino Lispi
BEST CLUB DJ
Winner: Chris Emanski, Heat Bar & Night Club
Runner-up: Hostile Hersh
BEST LARGE MUSIC VENUE
Winner: Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Runner-up: F. M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
BEST CLUB-SIZED MUSIC VENUE
Winner: The Otherside at Bart and Urby’s
Runner-up: Jazz Café
BEST OPEN-MIC NIGHT
Winner: Legends Saloon
Runner-up: River Street Jazz Cafe
BEST COMEDIAN
Winner: Sergio Marzitelli
Runner-up: Denny Corby
BEST COCKTAIL SELECTION
Winner: R Bar & Grill
Runner-up: Arena Bar & Grill
BEST RADIO STATION
Winner: 98.5 KRZ
Runner-up: Froggy 101
BEST RADIO PERSONALITY
Winners: Jeff Walker and Amanda, KRZ
Runner-up: Rocky and Lissa, KRZ
BEST COLLEGE RADIO STATION
Winner: WRKC, Kings College Radio
Runner-up: WKRC, Wilkes University
BEST COLUMNIST/WRITER
Winner: Samantha Stanich, Times Leader
Runner-up: Justin Adam Brown, Weekender
BEST FEMALE BARTENDER
Winner: Lauren Maga, R Bar & Grill
Runner-up: Shiobhan Zych, Beer Boys
BEST MALE BARTENDER
Winner: Jimmy Finn, Hun’s Café 99
Runner-up: Jacob Lesitsky, Le Manhattan Bistro/Blakselee Inn
BEST BOUNCER
Winner: Aireyal Purdy, Kildare’s Irish Pub
Runner-up: JK Krajewski, Kildare’s Irish Pub
BEST LOCAL BLOG
Winner: NEPA Scene
Runner-up: Connieville.com
BEST FESTIVAL/BAZAAR/ANNUAL EVENT
Winner: La Festa Italiana, Scranton
Runner-up: Tomato Fest
BEST MOVIE THEATER
Winner: Cinemark 20 and XD, Moosic
Runner-up: Movies 14
BEST VISUAL ARTIST
Winner: Chad Stanley
Runner-up: Amanda Dittmar
BEST VIDEO PRODUCTION
Winner: iMattie Films
Runner-up: JVW Inc.
BEST TATTOO ARTIST
Winner: Bruce Fairchild, Triple6tattoos
Runner-up: Ryan Ashley, Malarkey
BEST BARBER
Winner: Shane Butler, Loyalty Barber Shop & Shave Parlor
Runner-up: Anthony Ranella, Loyalty Barber Shop & Shave Parlor
BEST HAIR STYLIST
Winner: Erica Potsko, Pure Lavi Salon
Runner-up:Richard Collins, Rich Winston Salon
BEST LOCAL ATHLETE
Winner: Allie Barber, Pittston Area High School
BEST PIERCER
Winner: Pat Riot
Runner-up: Bruce Fairchild
BEST ART GALLERY
Winner: AFA Gallery
Runner-up: Forage Space
BEST THEATER GROUP
Winner: Little Theater of Wilkes-Barre
Runner-up: Kiss Theater
BEST BOOKSTORE
Winner: Barnes & Noble, Wilkes-Barre
Runner-up: Books-A-Million
BEST COLLEGE
Winner: Kings College
Runner-up: Wilkes University
BEST HOTEL
Winner: Hilton Scranton & Conference Center
Runner-up: Mohegan Sun Pocono
BEST WEDDING VENUE
Winner: Genetti’s, Wilkes-Barre
Runner-up: Woodlands Inn and Resort
BEST PLACE TO WORK
Winner: The Sapphire Salon and Destination Spa
Runner-up: Mohegan Sun Pocono
BEST SKI RESORT
Winner: Montage Mountain
Runner-up: Elk Mountain
BEST GOLF COURSE
Winner: Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club
Runner-up: Sands Springs Golf Course
BEST GYM
Winner: FabFitness
Runner-up: Leverage Fitness Studio
BEST TRAINER
Winner: Allan Souza, Studio LA
Runner-up: Tim Hlivia, Leverage
BEST BOWLING ALLEY
Winner: Chacko’s
Runner-up: Stanton Lanes
BEST EXOTIC DANCER
Winner: Payton, Pleasure Dome
BEST AUTO SALES, NEW
Winner: Wyoming Valley Motors
Runner-up: MotorWorld
BEST AUTO SALES, USED
Winner: MotorWorld
Runner-up: Bonner Chevrolet
BEST MOTORCYCLE SHOP
Winner: Cycle Playground
Runner-up: Rommel Harley-Davidson
BEST JEWELER
Winner: Rainbow Jewelers
Runner-up: Van Scoy Diamond Mine
BEST FLORIST
Winner: McCarthy Flowers
Runner-up: Mattern’s
BEST GARDEN CENTER
Winner: Dundee Gardens
Runner-up: Edwards Garden Center
BEST ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS
Winner: Cooks Pharmacy
Runner-up: The Post
BEST RECORD STORE
Winner: Joe Nardone’s Gallery of Sound
Runner-up: Music Energi
BEST GAMING/COMIC STORE
Winner: Comics on the Green
Runner-up: Game Stop
BEST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE
Winner: Northeast Music Center
Runner-up: Guitar Center
BEST PLACE TO BUY A PIPE
Winner: Headdies Pipe & Vape
Runner-up: Primal
BEST DAY SPA
Winner: The Sapphire Salon and Destination Spa
Runner-up: Woodhouse Day Spa
BEST HAIR SALON
Winner: Pure Lavi Salon
Runner-up: The Sapphire Salon and Destination Spa
BEST NAIL SALON
Winner: The Sapphire Salon and Destination Spa
Runner-up: Pure Lavi Salon
BEST TANNING SALON
Winner: Tanfastic
Runner-up: Sun Tan City
BEST TATTOO/PIERCING PARLOR
Winner: Marc’s Tattooing
Runner-up: Triple6tattoos
BEST CLOTHING BOUTIQUE
Winner: Ooh La La Boutique
Runner-up: Showroom 56
BEST VINTAGE STORE
Winner: C. Audrey & Daughters
Runner-up: My Sister’s Closet
BEST PLACE TO BUY ACCESSORIES
Winner: Charming Charlie
Runner-up: Ooh La La Clothing Boutique
BEST PET STORE
Winner: PetSmart
Runner-up: Pet Supplies Plus
BEST PLACE TO BUY LINGERIE
Winner: Victoria’s Secret
Runner-up: Mr. Fashions
BEST ADULT STORE
Winner: Adult Playtime Boutique
Runner-up: Mr. Fashions