The Best of the Best

Congratulations to all the winners! You are all now certifiably the best in the Valley. We must say that we are both pleased and intrigued by the results. Thank you to all who voted. Thank you for helping us celebrate the pride we have for our community and all the unforgettable people in it. We must admit that we were a little fearful about voter participation during the flood, but you still made time for our humble contest. You’re the best, Fargo-Moorhead. There were a lot of categories this year, and a lot of winners. Here’s a little info on some of our favorites:

Addictions

Best Tattoo Parlor

Competition is tight in the tattoo world. Such a fine art, and so many fine artists. Addictions has maintained a well-established name for themselves for quite some time now. That being said, when their vote came out on top it wasn’t entirely unanticipated. Congratulations, guys. Keep up the good work. See their work for yourselves online in their tattoo gallery (http://www.addictionstat2.com).

a.k.a.

Best Men’s Clothing Store

a.k.a. will celebrate its fifth anniversary this coming October. Holly Freiborg, the assistant manager, says the store is popular because of its unique selection of clothing and an excellent sales staff.
“We carry a wide variety of premium, contemporary brands,” Freiborg said. “It’s not too high end, though, where people come in and think they shouldn’t come in.” a.k.a. makes regular appearances at area fashion shows where people can learn about new trends. Located conveniently on the corner of 4th ave and Roberts downtown , a.k.a. has made the voter’s grade. Check it out.

Andrea Baumgardner—Green Market

Best Chef

Anyone who attended the Plains Art Museum’s Spring Gala won’t be surprised by Baumgardner’s popularity among HPR’s readers. At the Green Market, Andrea combines the three elements that are essential to every great dish: 1) quality ingredients, 2) creativity, and 3) a passion for the edible arts. Good food only requires the first two, but that third one is what elevates a meal from enjoyable sustenance to sensational experience. Baumgardner brings that passion to everything she makes, and the proof is on the plate every time.

“It was such a surprise to be honest,” she said. “I appreciate it. I thank the people who voted. I’m humbled, and it was a really nice thing to find out about.”

The Aquarium

Live Music Bar

Once every few weeks a band comes to The Aquarium that makes one stop and think: “They’re playing in an intimate venue? In Fargo?” The music industry is changing, and gone are the days when all the nationally known-acts lived off massive record deals and stadium only tours. Fortunately, The Aquarium’s Chris Hennen knows how to take advantage of this shift as he continually draws bands that may be playing at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom one week and here the next. And we can’t forget to mention that The Aquarium also features the best up and coming local artists as well.

“It’s an awesome thing that he does bringing shows in,” said owner Bert Meyers. “Hopefully people realize that.” Despite the success and praise, Hennen remains grounded and focused on his goal. “I’m really thankful for all the people that support us and voted for us,” he said. “I hope to continue to bring great shows.”

Brenda Weiler

Best Musician

Speaking of nationally-known musicians, Brenda Weiler takes home this year’s award after coming home from years of wanderin’. Her return not only adds to the local music scene but also says something about it. When Weiler set off from Fargo after high school, she left behind a much different city (in terms of culture, food and enthusiasm for that which cannot be found at the mall) than the one we live in today. Fargo used to be the type of place young artists felt trapped in; now those chains have turned into roots, spreading deep into the rich soil of the Red River Valley.

The Empire Bar

Best Female Bartender: Heather Hans, Best Bar, Best Hangout, Best Happy Hour

Taking home four awards this year! The Empire Bar is an institution of downtown Fargo since 1932, right after Prohibition ended. A rambunctious atmosphere and cheap, strong drinks keep the place jumping all weekend long. “We got a good crew here,” said Jeremy Tjon, the Empire’s general manager. “I’m glad for Heather. She deserves it.” Unfortunately, Heather was unavailable for interview, but on the bright side… she’s having a baby! Congrats, Heather. In almost every bar category, these guys have taken the cake. Those of you who frequent it know exactly why they won, and to those who don’t, you’d better find out.

The Fillers

Best Original Band

HPR Publisher John Strand said it best in his editorial this week: “The Fillers were a surprise hit at Thursday’s awards party. The four-member band played a handful of songs to an entirely receptive audience before going out to do a real gig, warming up for none other than Heatbox, who played later that night in Fargo. The Fillers lived up to the expectation of being the best original band. They are off to a good start this year, no doubt about it. Welcome them to the winners circle of best bands in Fargo-Moorhead.”

Jeff Fonder - Dempsey’s & Jacob Johnson - Usher’s

Best Male Bartender (tie)

Friendly, outgoing, and engaging, Fonder is not only a manager at Dempsey’s, but a bartender, cook, and bouncer. It’s no surprise one of Fargo’s most popular bars employs such a friendly guy. Fonder has worked at Dempsey’s since it opened three years ago. According to Mike Enfield, an employee at Dempsey’s, “Jeff Fonder is awesome.” His position as best bartender is well deserved. His response to being a winner was, “I feel humbled. I’d like to thank the voters, obviously I couldn’t have done it without them. And I also wanted to thank Bert and Klaus for everything they do.”

Jacob is no slouch behind the bar either. This is not the first time his cocktail prowess has merited the Reader’s recognition. In our first annual Cocktail Showdown, Jacob’s invention, the “bacon bloody” tied for best drink in the F-M area. Not too shabby, eh? “I couldn’t have done it,” Jacob said, “without my love of Jamison and bacon.”

Usher’s House is a fine dining restaurant and bar. Only about a year old, the menu features filet mignon, walleye, and other high-end cuisine. The pub serves Phillies and Reuben sandwiches. The restaurant features live music and a special cookout menu on their patio on Thursday’s. According to Melissa, a server at Usher’s, Jacob is her favorite bartender at the restaurant as well. “If you ask him to make up a shot, he’ll make something up for you, and it’s always good,” she said. “He’s creative with his drinks, and he’s funny.” Congratulations, guys.

Juano’s

Best Mexican Dining

Amidst all that’s new downtown, it may be possible to look past an old favorite: Juano’s. Do so at your appetite’s peril, and don’t say that’s the readers didn’t try to warn you. Year after year Juano’s main location on Broadway offers up great food, excellent service and a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Or if you are pressed for time, the satellite locations make burritos at fast food speed but also at level of quality that should make the old standbys consider a permanent run for the border.

Justin Nudell - Below Radar

Best Tattoo Artist

Below Radar is yet another force to be reckoned with in the tattoo world. According to their mission statement, they are “a group of dedicated artists providing a relaxing atmosphere and quality custom designs, bring in your ideas or let us design your next tattoo and let your skin be our next canvas.” Artist Justin Nudell was very pleased to have won the title of Best Tattoo Artist. “I feel great about it,” he said with a chuckle. “I guess I didn’t expect that I was going to win it, but it’s awesome. I hope I can keep winning it.”

Just ‘N Tyme

Drag Performer, Best Local Celebrity

Fargo’s own queen of queens reigns victorious once again. Everywhere she goes, she exudes style, class, energy, humor and charisma. We’re proud to have her as our queen of queens, and she was so humbled by the voting results. In response to the voter results, she said, “I think the awards are such a great way to bring so many diverse people and businesses together. I am honored once again, by the readers of your great paper - one that gives us all a much needed and different perspective to all that is out there. And to think that this voting all happened during the worst of our horrendous flood, means so much more even - that people would give up thier time from sandbagging and protecting thier homes and that of thier neighbors, to vote. That is SPECIAL.”

Nichole’s

Best Pastery/bakery

If you’ve got a sweet tooth to satisfy, Nichole’s is the perfect place to indulge in a variety of baked goodies. The moment you walk in the door the aroma of delicious will overtake your senses as you approach the counter to place your order. Nichole’s is a great place to grab something to go or to sit down with friends and enjoy the bright and sunny vibe that gives the place the feeling of classic bakeries from days gone by. Add to that the ultra-friendly staff and you’ve got the recipe for the best bakery in town.

Silver Moon Supper Club

Best Fine Dining, Best Place to Take a Date

After opening only seven months ago, Monte Jones and Jerry Erbstoesser have turned a formerly abandoned building built in 1917 into one of downtown Fargo’s premier upscale dining restaurants. The Silver Moon features a wonderful art deco style, modernized for modern-day tastes. According to Jones, the four features he absolutely wanted in his nightclub-inspired restaurant were a water wall, a chandelier, banquette seating, and a private dining room called Salon Privé - a nod to Gertrude Stein’s famous loft from the 1940s. The club also features live music, mostly jazz and classical. Chef Josh Smith keeps the menu constantly rotating with a variety of contemporary American dishes. The Silver Moon Supper Club has a bold look and inspired design. As Jones put it, he “doesn’t want to be a flash in the pan.”

Thai Orchid

Best Vegetarian Menu, Best Asian Dining

The Thai Orchid was the first Thai restaurant in the area. A family-owned business, Keng and his partner, Dave Scheer, run the restaurant together. Since opening about three and a half years ago, the Thai Orchid has served consistently good food in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere. According to Keng, the vegetarian meals are popular with both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The most popular dish at the restaurant is the crying tiger: top sirloin marinated in the Thai Orchid’s special sauce and then grilled and sliced thin and served with a special spicy dipping sauce and fresh vegetables. And their spring rolls are in a league of their own. So much good food.

Theatre B

Best Performance Theatre

Theatre B is the avant garde of local theatre. Their productions are innovative, and they’ve got their minds towards the future of theatre. Their mission is to “engage regional audiences through cutting-edge theatrical productions that are culturally and artistically invigorating.” Theatre B’s Carrie Wintersteen was unaware that they had won at the time of interview. It’s always fun to be the bearer of good news. “I’m really pleased and I’m really proud of all the performers and artists who worked with us this year,” she said. “We did a couple of new kind of projects this year that required us to kind of stretch ourselves, and it’s nice to see that people appreciate that.” For more information, visit http://www.theatreb.org.

Toscana

Best Italian Dining

Toscana knows genuine Italian cuisine, and they know it well. They key is in the ingredients - nothing but freshness. You may have noticed the business with the cool black windows on Broadway. That’s Toscana. We suspect that they tint their windows in some sort of attempt to ward off recipe thieves. For more information, check out http://www.toscanadowntown.com.

Vlana Vlee

Best New Store

Vlana Vlee first opened its doors to eager customers in July 2006 in our capital city of Bismarck. A little over two years later, it made its way to downtown Fargo and won the High Plains Reader 2009 vote for best new store. Owner Julie Smith originally opened the retail store that emphasizes items for mind, body, and home. This trendy store sells a wide variety of items that fall into the above categories. The women’s clothing and accessories are stylish and unique; they include fashionable denim jeans, patterned jackets, party dresses, and funky wrist wrap watches. The furniture and home décor items are also trendy and funky with high backed patterned dinner chairs, framed mirrors, and sleek tables. Vlana Vlee is located on the corner of Broadway and 1st Avenue N. For more information, visit http://www.vlanavlee.com.