12th Annual
Best of West Hartford 2026
BEST
West Hartford of
2026
2026 Winners Presented by
PeoplesBank
We’d like to thank Best of West Hartford
Presenting Sponsor
Thank you to Dancing with WeHa Stars
Sponsor
NORTHSTAR WEALTH PARTNERS
Brought to you by
Thank you to our
Event Sponsors! NORTHSTAR WEALTH PARTNERS
We s t Fa r m s
Congratulations to the Best of West Hartford winners! We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate the winners of our 12th Annual Best of West Hartford contest. Every year, more and more of you cast your votes, and this year we had more votes than ever! Everyone recognized in this book plays a role in what makes West Hartford such a special place. Thank you for being a part of this incredible community. We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate you! Tom Hickey President, 2020 Media
And the winners are...
Best Auto Maintenance Center Winner Modern Tire WH First Runner Up Lyons Service Station Second Runner Up Steben Motors
Best Bakery Winner Elmwood Pastry Shop First Runner Up Hartford Baking Co. Second Runner Up Taste by Spellbound
Best Bank or Financial Institution Winner PeoplesBank First Runner Up NBT Bank Second Runners Up (a tie!) Westfield Bank & TD Bank
Best Barber Shop Winner Bristle & Blade Barbieria First Runner Up Garrett’s Barber Shop Second Runner Up Fifth State Barber
Best Breakfast Winner Sally and Bob’s First Runner Up Effie’s Place Family Restaurant Second Runner Up Blue Plate Kitchen
Best Brunch Winner The Pond House Cafe First Runner Up The Friendly Toast Second Runners Up (a tie!) Avert & Sally and Bob’s
Best Burger Winner Max Burger First Runner Up Rockledge Grille Second Runner Up Sparrow
Best Business Lunch Winner Bricco First Runner Up Max’s Oyster Bar Second Runner Up Beachland Tavern
Best Cakes Winner Elmwood Pastry Shop First Runner Up Taste by Spellbound Second Runner Up Nothing Bundt Cakes
Best Cleaner Winner The French Cleaner First Runner Up Park Road Cleaners Second Runner Up Best Cleaners
Best Coffee Winner DORO Marketplace First Runner Up J. Renee Coffee Roasters Second Runner Up Perkatory Coffee Roasters
Best Dentist Winner West Hartford Dental Group First Runner Up Blue Back Dental Second Runner Up Dr. Tori Saferin
Best Doctor Winner Dr. Ukti Phadnis First Runner Up Dr. Thomas Fromson Second Runner’s Up (a tie!) Dr. Jon Lis & Dr. Murray Wellner
Best Ethnic Restaurant Winner Zohara First Runner Up Black Bamboo Second Runner Up Le Mazet
Best Event Venue Winner Mandell JCC First Runner Up University of Saint Joseph Second Runner Up The Pond House Cafe
Best Exercise or Fitness Center Winner Mandell JCC First Runner Up Jazzercise Second Runner Up Pilates Defined
Best Eyewear Shop Winner Harvey & Lewis Opticians First Runner Up West End Eye Care Second Runner Up Central Optica
Best Family Restaurant Winner Effie’s Place Family Restaurant First Runner Up A.C. Petersen Farms Restaurant Second Runner Up Sally and Bob’s
Best Fine Dining Winner
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
First Runner Up Treva Second Runner Up Artisan
Best Fine Jewelry Shop Winner
Lux Bond & Green
First Runner Up Becker's Diamonds & Fine Jewelry Second Runner Up Sevan Jewelers
Best Florist Winner Moscarillo's of West Hartford First Runner Up House of Flora Second Runner Up Lane & Lenge
Best Food Truck Winner GastroPark First Runner Up Fuego Picante Second Runner Up CRAFTBIRD
Best Grocery Store Winner Hall’s Market First Runner Up Big Y Second Runner Up The Crown Market
Best Hair Salon Winner Salons by JC First Runner Up Matthew Phillips Second Runner Up Off Center Hair Salon & Spa
Best Happy Hour Winner Barcelona First Runner Up Ocho Cafe Second Runner Up Coracora
Best Home Cleaning Services Winner West Hartford Cleaning Services First Runner Up Tag Team Cleaning Second Runner Up Two Maids
Best Home Decor Winner John Boyle Decorating Centers First Runner Up Good Cause Gifts Second Runner Up Kaoud Rugs
Best Home Health Care Company Winner Hartford Healthcare at Home First Runner Up Juniper Homecare Second Runner Up Care at home by JFS
Best Home Improvement Contractor
Winner Bartlett Brainard Products Co. First Runner Up Chamberland Professional Painting Second Runner’s Up (a tie!)
JP Carroll Roofing & Liljedahl Brothers Inc.
Best Ice Cream Winner A.C. Petersen Farms Restaurant First Runner Up Frisbie’s Dairy Barn Second Runner Up Milkcraft
Best Late Night Spot Winner The Bunker First Runner Up World of Beer Second Runner Up Butterfly Chinese Restaurant
Best Law Firm Winner Goff Law Group First Runner Up Franklin & Frankel LLC Second Runner Up Eagan & Donohue, LLC
Best Lawn or Landscaping Contractor
Winner
Jeff Hodges Landscape Contractor First Runner Up Stone & Scappes Second Runner Up Envision Landscape & Design LLC
Best Men’s Clothing Winner
Bards Clothing First Runner Up Daswani Clothiers Second Runner Up JT Ghamo, The Suit Store
Best Non-Profit Winner Ron Foley Foundation First Runner Up Visions & Voices, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford Second Runner Up Friends of Feeney
Best Outdoor Dining Winner
Effie's Place Family Restaurant First Runner Up DORO Marketplace Second Runner Up
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Best Performing Arts Center Winner
Playhouse on Park First Runner Up
Roberts Theater at Kingswood Oxford School
Second Runner Up Capital Classics Theatre Company
Best Pet Services Winner
Pet Supplies Plus First Runner Up Uberdog Second Runner Up Woof Gang
Best Physical Therapist Winner
Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers First Runner Up Select Physical Therapy Second Runner Up FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers
Best Pilates Studio Winner
Pilates Defined First Runner Up btone Fitness Second Runner Up Jane Krantz, Afterglow Yoga Studio
Best Pizza Winner
Zephyr's Street Pizza First Runner Up Harry’s Bishops Corner Second Runner Up Elmwood Pizza
Best Power Lunch Winner Zohara
First Runner Up Rockledge Grille Second Runner Up Artisan
Best Preschool or Daycare Winner
Beatrice Fox Auerbach Early Childhood Center, Mandell JCC First Runner Up School for Young Children University of Saint Joseph Second Runner Up
Quaker Lane Cooperative Nursery School
Best Real Estate Agent Commercial Winner
Udolf Properties First Runner Up Mark Zweifler Second Runner Up Adam Cannon
Best Real Estate Agent Residential Winner
Robin Gebrian,William Raveis First Runner Up Kevin Eagan, Berkshire Hathaway Second Runner Up Evan Berman, William Raveis
Best Real Estate Company Commercial Winner
Udolf Properties First Runner Up RLM Co Second Runner Up Figure Eight Properties
Best Real Estate Company Residential Winner
Berkshire Hathaway First Runner Up William Raveis Second Runner Up Coldwell Banker
Best Senior Living Community Winner
The McAuley First Runner Up Duncaster Second Runner Up AVIVA West Hartford
Best Spa Winner
Victorian Day Spa First Runner Up Float 41 Second Runners Up (a tie!) Massage Envy & The Fix
Best Specialty Retail Shop Winner
Jerry’s Art-a-Rama First Runner Up Park Road Shoe Repair Second Runner Up CT Custom Clothiers
Best Sports Retail Shop Winner
Fleet Feet First Runner Up Play It Again Sports Second Runner Up REI
Best Summer Camp Winner
Camp Shalom First Runner Up Camp KO Second Runner Up
Renbrook School Summer Adventure Camp
Best Tea Winner
Cafe Sofia First Runner Up Tea Break Second Runner Up Gong Cha
Best Veterinarian Winner
VCA Veterinary Specialists of CT First Runner Up Connecticut Veterinary Center Second Runner Up Petcare Veterinary Services
Best Walk-In Medical Clinic Winner
GoHealth Urgent Care First Runner Up PM Pediatric Urgent Care Second Runner Up PhysicianOne Urgent Care
Best Wealth Management or Financial Planning Firm Winner
Northstar Wealth Partners First Runner Up Fuchs Financial Second Runner Up Charles Schwab
Best Wealth Manager or Financial Planner Winner
Robert Laraia, Northstar Wealth Partners First Runner Up Ben Fuchs, Fuchs Financial Second Runner Up Gerald Goldberg, Focus Partners Wealth
Best West Hartford Cheerleader Business Winner Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
First Runner Up Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home Second Runners Up (a tie!) French Cleaners & West Hartford Chamber of Commerce
Best West Hartford Cheerleader Individual Winner
Patti Albee First Runner Up Ronni Newton Second Runner Up Shari Cantor
Best Wine Shop Winner
The Wise Old Dog First Runner Up Total Wine Second Runner Up Maximum Beverage
Best Womens Clothing Winner
BK & Co First Runner Up Kimberly Boutique Second Runner Up Hope & Stetson
Best Yoga Studio Winner
Mandell JCC First Runner Up West Hartford Yoga Second Runner Up The Yoga Shop
Congratulations to the winners of the th 12 Annual Best of West Hartford contest!