Winners of the Med City Beat's 2016 Rochester's Finest competition
Winners of the Med City Beat's 2016 Rochester's Finest were announced at a celebration party on Saturday, May 21. Winners were selected following two rounds of voting, in which we received more than 7,000 total votes.
Restaurants & Bars
Overall restaurant: Chester's*
Forager, Terza, ZZest
New Restaurant: Forager
Five West, Half Barrel, Terza
Fine Dining Restaurant: Pescara*
Chester's, Terza, Victoria's
Family Restaurant: Whistle Binkies on the Lake
Broadway Pizza, Canadian Honker, North Mr. Pizza
Ethnic Restaurant: Fiesta Mexicana
La Poblana, Mango Thai, Pho Chau
Place for Take-Out: Nupa (north)
China Star (downtown), Hunan Garden, Pho Chau
Overall Bar: Tap House*
Doggery, Half Barrel, Loop
Bar for Craft Cocktails: Doggery*
300 First, Half Barrel, La Vetta
Brewery or Brewpub: Forager
Grand Rounds, Kinney Creek, LTS
Place for Nightlife: Tap House
Dooley's, Kathy's, Loop
Place for a First Date: Redwood Room
Cafe Steam, Chester's, Loop
Place for Couples: 300 First
Forager, Redwood Room, Terza
Coffee Shop: Cafe Steam*
Bravo Espresso, Dunn Brothers (north), Kutzky Market
Community Favorites
Venue for Live Music: Wicked Moose*
Kathy's, North Star, Redwood Room
Entertainment Venue: Canvas and Chardonnay
Bowlocity, Goonie's, Rochester Civic Theatre
Wedding Venue: Mayowood Stone Barn
History Center of Olmsted County, Plummer House, Rochester Art Center
Grocery Store: Hy-Vee (West Circle Drive)
Hy-Vee (Barlow), People's Food Co-op, Trader Joes
Place for a Haircut: Hair Studio 52
r!ah Hair Studio, Salon Chic, Serenity Couture
Car Repair Shop: Virgil's*
Babcock, Rochester Service on 2nd, Tilson's
Specialty Retailer: Tangerine*
Dwell Local, Shades of Green, TerraLoco
Clothing Boutique: Posh
Hers, Mainstream Boutique, Primp
Park or Public Area: Quarry Hill*
Peace Plaza, Silver Lake Park, Soldiers Field
Community Event: Thursdays on First & 3rd*
Down by the Riverside, Farmers Market, Rochesterfest
Making an Impact
Musical Performer/Group: Incognito
Jeremy Jewell, JT & the Gunslingers, Suite
Bartender/Server: Mike Erickson (Doggery)
Brad Olson (Terza/La Vetta), Chris Fierst (Half Barrel), Lucy Lampland (Grand Rounds)
Community Leader: Mayor Ardell Brede
Jamie Sundsbak (BioAM), Lisa Clarke (Destination Medical Center), Michael Wojcik (City Council)
Volunteer: Kelly Corbin
Danielle Teal, Jen Murillo, Jeff Hansel
Business Person: Hunter & Traci Downs (Area 10 Labs)
Joe Powers (Powers Ventures), Nate Nordstrom (BrandHoot), Rob Gregory (Rochester Ford)
Educator: Amy Monson (Mayo High)
Jaime Smoody (Willow Creek Middle), Michael Olson (Folwell Elementary), Sandy Nieland (John Marshall High)
Impact Maker in Health Care: Dr. Amit Sood (Professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine)
Dr. Claudia Lucchinetti (Neurologist at Mayo Clinic), Dr. Fredric Meyer (Neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic), Dr. Victor Montori (Professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine)
Winners are in bold with other finalists in italics. *Indicates repeat winner.
Thank you
We want to extend our appreciation to everyone who came out for the first-ever Rochester's Finest celebration party at Studio324. The event would not have been possible without the following individuals and businesses:
- Studio324 (Shawn and Michelle Fagan)
- Claire Walling
- Adam Salmi
- Dave Beal
- Grand Rounds Brewpub
- Push & Turn
- Zach Ashton
Our Celebrity Jeopardy winner was Sheriff Kevin Torgerson, who came from behind in the final round to win a $250 donation to the Rochester/Olmsted County Law Enforcement Memorial Association.
Runner-ups Jenna Bowman, of the Rochester Downtown Alliance, and Nick Campion, of the Rochester City Council, won $50 and $25 donations to the Women's Shelter and Mission 21, respectively.
Feedback
What did you like about this year's competition? What improvements could we make for next year? At the Med City Beat, we take your feedback seriously.
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(Cover photo: Licensed / Getty)
