Watauga County Best of the Best 2023

Watauga’s Best in 2023

Approximately 300 guests gathered in Appalachian State University’s Grandview Ballroom for a ceremony to celebrate the winners of the 13th annual Watauga Democrat Best of the Best awards.

The event was hosted by Mountain Times Publications and sponsored by Blue Ridge Energy, Compassionate Care, New River Building Supply and Boone Chrysler Jeep on Tuesday, April 25. It was

the first in-person ceremony for the yearly awards since 2019.

Mountain Times Publications Publisher Gene Fowler, Jr. and Advertising Director Tim Walker recognized each recipient before directing them to the professional photo station to show off their accomplishments.

Businesses, agencies and individuals were honored at the event.

Award winners in all of the more than 150 cate -

gories were determined by Watauga Democrat readers who voted for their favorite businesses. The efforts of local businesses do not go unnoticed in Watauga County, which was demonstrated by the enthusiasm of voters.

“Our 13th annual Best of the Best awards dinner far exceeded any of our previous events by any measure,” Walker said.

“We hoped moving the event to a larger space within the Grandview

Ballroom would help boost attendance, but the turnout surpassed even our most lofty expectations. All the feedback I received from attendees was highly positive.”

The evening began with North Carolina Bankers Association Professor of Banking, App State Faculty Member and Regional Economist Dr. Harry Davis delivering his Economic Forecast. He predicted a recession to come at the end of 2023 or early 2024

but added that North Carolina’s strong economic position would likely lessen the effects of the recession compared to other states nationwide and that Watauga County will fare better than most other counties in the state.

“The strong businesses will only get stronger,” Fowler said when discussing the predicted recession and the economic trends he has seen as a publisher.

After eating a meal catered by App State

Catering and listening to the smooth sounds of jazz played by the Todd Wright Trio, recipients and their guests enjoyed the impressive views of the App State Football stadium and the surrounding mountainous landscape.

The Watauga Democrat applauds each of the winners and remains thankful for the tireless work they continue to give to the community and their support of Mountain Times Publications.

Best of Best Winners List

BEST FOOD & DRINK

• Bakery: Stick Boy Bread Company

• Barbecue Restaurant: The Pedalin’ Pig

• Biscuit: Vicious Biscuit Boone

• Breakfast Restaurant: Melanie’s

• Brewery: Booneshine Brewing Company

• Burrito: Black Cat Burrito

• Chicken Tenders: Come Back Shack

• Chinese Restaurant: Taste Grill

• Coffee Shop: Espresso News

• Deli/Sub: Jersey Mike’s Subs

• Donut: Hole Lotta Doughnuts

• Fast Food Restaurant: Come Back Shack

• Fine Dining: Vidalia

• French Fries: Come Back Shack

• Gluten-Free Restaurant: Bocca Bistro

• Gluten-Free Restaurant: Coyote Kitchen & Lost Cantina

CO MP AS SI ON AT EC AR E

Iwould like to give credit for this awardtomyamazingstaffwho truly exemplify compassionate care. Ihave been in Boone for 17 years and am not leaving! Ilove this town and especially my patients. We offer academic quality careinacountry doctor-type practice. We spend time getting to know you and look forwardtoseeing you!

BEST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

• Gluten-Free Restaurant: Wild Craft Eatery

• Greek Restaurant: The High Country Greek

• Hamburger: The Cardinal

• Home Cooking Restaurant: Dan’l Boone Inn

• Hot Dog: The Cardinal

• Ice Cream/Yogurt: Blue Deer on King

• Indian Restaurant: Mint Indian Cuisine

• Italian Restaurant: Bocca Bistro

• Japanese Restaurant: Makoto’s Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar

BEST OF THE BEST

• Locally Produced Beer: Appalachian Mountain Brewery

• Locally Produced Wine: Grandfather Vineyard & Winery

• Mexican Restaurant: Los Arcoiris

• Pizza Restaurant: Bocca Bistro

• Restaurant Service: Bocca Bistro

• Seafood Restaurant: Mike’s Inland Seafood

• Sports Bar: The Town Tavern

• Steakhouse: Peddler Steak House

• Sushi Restaurant: CoBo Sushi Bistro & Bar

• Taco Place: Taqueria El Paso

• Vegetarian Restaurant: Wild Craft Eatery

• Vietnamese Restaurant: Sabeing Boone King

• Winery: Grandfather Vineyard & Winery

BEST MISCELLANEOUS

• Church: Alliance Bible Fellowship

• Coach: Adam Smith — Deer Valley Athletic Club

• Government Agency: Appalachian State Police

• Non-Profit: AMOREM

• Teacher: Dacia Trethewey — Watauga High School

forPropane and Fuels Th e Showr oom

Whether

We provide exceptional delivery servicefor propane,fuel oil and kerosene.Our worry-free autofill delivery servicewill ensureyou always have the fuel youneed.

Youcan even manage your account from your mobile device with the Blue Ridge Energy propane and fuels app Contact

BEST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

BEST RETAIL

• Antique Shop: Antiques on Howard

• Aquarium Supplies & Service: Reef Magic

• Art Gallery: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts

• Attraction: Mystery Hill

• Auto Parts Store: NAPA Auto Parts — Flowers

BEST OF THE BEST

Auto Parts

• Auto Repair Service: Local’s Garage

• Bank: First Community Bank

• Beer/Wine Store: Peabody’s Wine & Beer

Merchants

• Bicycle Store: Boone Bike & Touring

• Body Shop: Hampton’s Body Shop Inc

• Cable Company: SkyLine SkyBest

• Car Dealer (NEW): Boone Chrysler Dodge Jeep

Ram

• Car Dealer (USED): Friendship Honda Boone

• Car Wash: Autobell Car Wash

• Carpet Cleaner: Bush’s Carpet Cleaning

• Carpet Cleaner: Dolbier Disaster Restoration

• Caterer: Reid’s Cafe & Catering Co.

• Cell Phone Service: Carolina West Wireless

• Children’s Store: Bluebird Exchange

• Christmas Tree Farm: Frosty’s Choose and Cut

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

• Coffee Roaster: Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co

• Computer Repair/Service: Dougnet Computer Consulting

• Credit Union: State Employees’ Credit Union

• Dance Studio: Sole Impact Studios

• Disc Golf Course: Chetola Resort

• Drug Store: Boone Drug at Deerfield

• Dry Cleaner: A Cleaner World

• Eyewear Store: Blue Ridge Vision

• Fencing Company: VPC Builders, LLC

• Fireplace Shop: Blue Ridge Energy Propane & Fuels

• Flooring Store: Abbey Carpet & Floor

• Florist/Flower: Shop Log House Florist

• Fly Fishing Guide: RiverGirl Fishing Co.

• Fuel Oil Dealer: Blue Ridge Energy Propane & Fuels

• Furniture Store: Appalachian Furniture

• General Store: Mast General Store Boone

• Gift Shop: Mustard Seed Market

• Glass Replacement: Appalachian Auto Glass

• Glass Replacement: Miller Industries

• Golf Course: Boone Golf Club

• Gym/Fitness Center: Deer Valley Athletic Club

• Heating & Air Conditioning: Mountaineer

Heating & Cooling

• Home Décor Store: The Mustard Seed Market

• Home Security: SkyLine SkyBest

• Hotel: The Horton Hotel

• Internet Provider: SkyLine SkyBest

• Investment Company: Edward Jones —

Financial Advisor: Billy C Chick, CFP®|AAMS™

• Jacuzzi Dealer: Superior Spas

• Jewelry Store: Village Jewelers, Ltd

• Landscape Company: The Mustard Seed Market

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

Store: Badcock Home Furniture & More

• Local Craft Store: Hands Craft Gallery

• Local Farm Supply

Store: David G Miller Farm Supply

• Local Hardware

Store: New River Building Supply

• Local Men’s Clothier: Mast General Store Boone

• Local Window/Door

Store: Miller Industries

• Local Window/Door

Store: New River Building Supply

• Lumber Store: New River Building Supply

• Mattress Store: Blackberry Creek Mattress

BEST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

• Motorcycle/ATV Shop: Motorcycle Medic

• Music Store: Kudzu Music

• Nail Salon: City Nails

• Natural Food Store: Be Natural Market

• Night Spot: Lily’s Snack Bar

• Office Outfitters: W J Office

• Oil Change: Boone Oil Exchange

• Pest Control Company: Terminix Triad

BEST OF THE BEST

• Pet Store: The Pet Place

• Photography Studio: BCM Photography

• Pickleball Courts: Deer Valley Athletic Club

• Power Equipment Shop: Farmers Rental and Power Equipment

• Printing Shop: Go Postal In Boone

• Propane Company: Wallace Propane-Welding Supply

• Running Store: Mountain Running Company — Boone

• Secondhand Store: Anna Banana’s Fine Consignment

• Shoe/Boot Store: Mo’s Boots & Outdoor Gear

• Shoe/Boot Store: Watsonatta Western World

• Ski Shop: Ski Country Sports

• Ski Slope: Appalachian Ski Mtn.

• Spa: 180 Float Spa

• Sporting Goods Store: Footsloggers

• Storage Facility: Blue Skies Storage

• Storage Facility: Boone Self-Storage

• Tire Store: Alray Tire & Auto

• Travel Agency: Magic Bound Travel

The owners and our staff would like to sincerely thank our lo yal customers for voting Vidalia Restaurant &Wine Bar Best Fine Dining Restaurant in WataugaCounty for 2023. Your support means so much and inspires us to continue to al ways strive to be The Best !

Dinner: Tuesday thru Saturday 5pm until 9pm

Brunch: Saturday 11:30am until 2:30pm Sunday 10:30am until 2pm 831 West King Street |828.263.9175 www.vidaliaofboonenc.com |vidaliaofboone@hotmail.com

• Wedding Dress Store: South’s Specialty Clothiers

• Wedding Rentals: The Festive Elk

• Wedding Store: Juniper James Bridal

• Wedding Venue: Firerock Station

• Whitewater Rafting: High Mountain Expeditions

• Windshield Repair: Appalachian Auto Glass

• Women’s Boutique: Boone Belles

• Yoga Studio: Neighborhood Yoga

• Yoga Teacher: Briana Kidd — High Country Yoga

• Yoga Teacher: Kathie Billing — Neighborhood Yoga

• Zipline Company: Sky Valley Zip Tours

BEST SERVICES

• Acupuncture Clinic: Blue Ridge Acupuncture & Integrative Health

• Animal Clinic: Animal Hospital of Boone

• Appliance Repair: Joe’s Appliance, Boone

Tha nk yo uWatau ga Co unt yf or vo ting Oi lE xc ha nge the Best Cha nge in the High Co untr y.

We ap pr ec iat ey our supp or ta nd will co ntin ue striving to be The Be st .

MAKE SURE YO UR NEXT OIL CHANGE IS A FULLSERVICE OIL CHANGE

WHICH IS WHATYOU 'L L ALWAYS GET AT OIL EXCHANGE .

No ap po in tment ne ce ssa ry,j ust ca ll or co me by to da ya nd se e for yo urself wh yw e'r e the Be st of the Be st .

Oi lE xc hange 14 74 N C-105, Bo one ,N C2 8607 828-262-5823

BEST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

• Assisted Living: Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living

• Attorney: Stacy Eggers IV — Eggers, Eggers, Eggers, & Eggers

• Auto Salesperson: John Cook — Friendship

Honda

• Bartender: Christy Thayer — Beacon Butcher Bar

• Bartender: Kermit and Laura — The Local

• Beauty Salon: Mane Habit Salon

• Bed & Breakfast: Taylor House Inn, Historic Valle Crucis NC

• Cell Phone Repair: AppleJuice iRepairs | Apple Specialist Repair & Sales!

• Chiropractor: Dr. Mark Torrie — EPIC Family

Chiropractic

• Cosmetologist: Jezabel LeBatard — Mane Habit

• CPA: Luke Copeland — Luke Copeland CPA PC

• Dentist: Dr. Kelly Whiteley — Mountaineer

Dental & Sleep Center

• Electrical Contractor: Jared Munday — Jared

Munday Electric, Inc

• Family Doctor: Dr. Leslie Smith — Compassionate Care

• Funeral Home: Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory

• Gynecologist: Dr. Beverly Womack — Harmony Center for Women

BEST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50

• Hearing Aid Service: Blue Ridge Ear, Nose, and Throat, Inc.

• Home Builder: Matt Vincent — VPC Builders

• Hospice: AMOREM

• Insurance Agency (Life, Home, Auto): NC

Farm Bureau Insurance

• Insurance Agent: Joey Lucas — NC Farm Bureau Insurance

• Mailing & Shipping Store: Go Postal In Boone

• Martial Arts Instructor: Trapper Taylor —

Common Ground Martial Arts

• Massage Therapist: Liz Martin — Restoration

Massage

• Nurse: Eric Fidler — Appalachian Regional

Healthcare

• Nurse Practitioner: Amanda Herring — Blowing Rock Medical Park

• Oncologist: Dr. Anna Sobol — Seby B. Jones

Cancer Center

• Optometrist: Dr. Daniel Sullivan — Blue Ridge

Vision

• Orthodontist: Dr. Adam Whiteley — OP Smiles

• Orthopedist: Dr. Benjamin Parker — AppOrtho

• Pediatrician: Dr. John Lonas — Blue Ridge

Pediatrics

• Pet Boarding: Woof Pack Pet Services

• Pharmacist: Tara Quinn — Boone Drug, New Market

• Pharmacy Technician: Rosie Arita — Boone

Drug, New Market

• Photographer: Brooke Miller — BCM Photography

• Physical Rehabilitation: Boone Physical Therapy

• Plumbing Contractor: Raymond LaBonte — LaBonte Plumbing

• Pre-School Child Care: Bizi Bees

• Psychiatrist: Dr. Alycia Brown — Self

• Psychologist: Sue Vannoy — Sue Vannoy Counseling

• Public Servant: Craig Sullivan — Watauga

Medics

• Real Estate Agency: Blowing Rock Properties Inc

• Real Estate Agent: Chad Vincent — BHHS Vincent Properties

• Religious Leader: Billy Norris, Chaplain —

AMOREM

• Retirement Community: Appalachian Brian

Estates

• Student Housing: Winkler Organization

• Surgeon: Dr. Tim Edmisten — Watauga Surgical Group

• Veterinarian: Dr. Keith Chestnutt — Animal Hospital of Boone

We Are JeepCountryUSA!