Borderstan Businesses Win Numerous “Best of D.C.” Awards
Image: Washington City Paper Web site.
Borderstan winners in the Washington City Paper’s “Best of D.C.” competition. Top row, from left: Rice, Miss Pixies, Bang & Olufsen and 15th Street NW. Middle row, from left: DC JCC, Cork, HR-57 and Green Pets. Bottom row, from left: Halo, Flowers on Fourteenth, Vida Fitness and The Bike Rack. (Photo: Luis Gomez, One Photograph A Day.)
The Washington City Paper’s Best of D.C. awards were announced this past week and I decided to go through every category to see what Borderstan businesses and entities had won awards.
Before starting, I figured that since we are such a small mini-hood, an autonomous region of the Dupont Circle and Logan Circle neighborhoods, that I would have to include neighboring and nearby winners. After all, our commercial strips are the north side of the 1400-block of P Street NW and the west side of 14th Street NW from P to S Streets.
I was wrong. Businesses in our little enclave between 14th and 16th and P and S Streets NW did incredibly well in the City Paper competition: 10 businesses, one community-based organization, one locale and one individual (a bartender) made the list of favorites from the Readers’ Poll and City Paper Staff Picks. Several businesses were winners in more than one category.
Winners were Rice, Cork (and one of its bartenders), Halo, HR-57, The Bike Rack, Flowers on 14th, Vida Fitness (one of multiple locations), Miss Pixies Furnishings and Whatnot, Green Pets, D.C. Jewish Community Center, Bang & Olufsen (one of multiple locations) and 15th Street NW (yes, Borderstan’s Main Street).
Special mention to Halo, which won three awards from City Paper readers. Congrats to all the winners, which are listed below.
Note: City Paper Readers’ Poll awards are listed first (30,000 people voted online), followed by City Paper staff picks.
Readers’ Poll of Best Food & Drink
- Best Asian Restaurant: Rice, 1608 14th Street NW, 2nd Place
- Best Thai Restaurant: Rice, 1608 14th Street NW, 2nd Place
- Best Wine Bar: Cork, 1720 14th Street NW, 2nd Place
- Best Martini: Halo, 1435 P Street NW, 1st Place
Readers’ Poll of Best Arts & Entertainment
- Best Gay Bar/Club: Halo, 1435 P Street NW, 3rd Place
- Best Jazz/Blues Venue: HR-57 Center for the Preservation of Jazz and Blues, 1610 14th Street NW, 3rd Place
- Best Lounge: Halo, 1435 P Street NW, 3rd Place
Readers’ Poll of Best Goods & Services
- Best Bike Shop: The Bike Rack, 1412 Q Street NW, 1st Place
- Best Florist: Flowers on 14th, 1718 14th Street NW, 2nd Place
- Best Gym: Vida Fitness, (multiple locations, one at 1515 15th Street NW), 3rd Place
- Best Home Goods Shop: Miss Pixies, 1626 14th Street NW, 2nd Place
- Best Pet Shop: Green Pets, 1722 14th Street NW, 3rd Place
- Best Place to Buy Home Furnishings: Miss Pixies, 1626 14th Street NW, 2nd Place
WCP Staff Picks of Best Food & Drink
- Best Bartender: Tom Brown at Cork, 1720 14th Street NW, Second Best
- Best Wine Bar: Cork, 1720 14th Street NW, Best
WCP Staff Picks of Best Arts & Entertainment
- Best Place for Readings: D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th Street NW, Second Best
- Best Open Mic: HR-57 Center for the Preservation of Jazz and Blues, 1610 14th Street NW, Best
WCP Staff Picks of Best Goods & Services
- Best Place to Ignore the Recession: Bang & Olufsen, 1604 14th Street NW, Best
WCP Staff Picks of Best People & Places
- Best North-South Artery: 15th Street NW, Best (Editor’s Note: Best for who?)
