Best of Roanoke 2012 – Shop Til You Drop

The Best of Roanoke 2012

From doggie daycare to retirement homes, from biggest brain to biggest clown, from worst moment of 2011 to best new idea for 2012, our readers have picked the best – and a few not-so-bests – of the valley. Our thanks to those readers for more than 30,000 individual votes cast in 153 categories, resulting in the following 465 Platinum, Gold and Silver awards.

• Pop Out People
• On the Web / TV & Radio
• Live & Learn
• What Happened What’s Happenin’
• Where to Go, What to Do
• Wheels
• Shop Til You Drop
• Home, Sweet Home
• Best in Services

Shop Til You Drop

Best Shoestore for Everyday Kicks

• PLATINUM: The Cobbler’s Wife
• GOLD: Fleet Feet Sports
• SILVER: Bush-Flora Shoes

Best Shoestore for Everyday Kicks (Chain)

• PLATINUM: Rack Room Shoes
• GOLD: Super Shoes
• SILVER: Macy’s

Best Beachwear

• PLATINUM:  Dance Etc.
• GOLD: Target
• SILVER (tie): Gantner; Pac Sun; T.J. Maxx; Victoria’s Secret.

Best Sporting Goods

• PLATINUM: Fleet Feet Sports
• GOLD: Walkabout Outfitters
• SILVER: Play it Again Sports

Best Sporting Goods (Chain)

• PLATINUM: Dick’s Sporting Goods
• GOLD: Gander Mountain

Best for Movies, Games and Tunes     

• PLATINUM: F.Y.E. (inside Valley View Mall)
• GOLD: Best Buy
• SILVER (tie): GameStop; RePlay Games

Bookstore That Makes You Put Down That E-Reader

• PLATINUM: Too Many Books
• Chain Winner: Barnes & Noble
• Chain Winner: Books-A-Million

Best Place to Buy a Camera

• PLATINUM: Best Buy
• GOLD: Photo USA
• SILVER: Lee Hartman and Son’s

Best Everyday Groceries

• PLATINUM: Kroger
• GOLD: Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op
• SILVER: Food Lion

Best Gourmet Groceries

• PLATINUM: Tinnell’s Finer Foods
• GOLD: Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op
• Chain Winner: The Fresh Market

Freshest Local Produce

• PLATINUM: Roanoke Farmers’ Market
• GOLD: Salem Farmers’ Market

Best Mall or Shopping Center

• PLATINUM: Valley View
• GOLD: Towers Shopping Center
• SILVER: Tanglewood Mall

Best Women’s Dress Shoes

• PLATINUM: The Cobbler’s Wife
• GOLD: Yarid’s
• SILVER: La De Da

Best Women’s Dress Shoes (Chain)

• PLATINUM: Macy’s
• GOLD: Belk
• SILVER: Rack Room Shoes

Best Men’s Dress Shoes

• PLATINUM: Davidsons
• CHAIN WINNERs: Belk; Macy’s

Freshest Flowers

• PLATINUM: George’s Flowers
• GOLD: Creative Occasions Inc.
• SILVER: Stritesky’s Flower Shop

Freshest Flowers (Chain)

• PLATINUM: Fresh Market
• GOLD: Kroger

Best Wedding Floral Designer

• PLATINUM: Creative Occasions Inc.
• GOLD: George’s Flowers
• SILVER: Corsair Floral & Decor

Best Bridal Shop

• PLATINUM: Bride’s House & Formals
• GOLD: AmRhein’s
• SILVER: Patina
• CHAIN WINNER: David’s Bridal

Best Men’s Formals

• PLATINUM: Brides House & Formals
• GOLD: Davidsons
• SILVER: AmRhein’s

Best Men’s Formals (Chain)

• PLATINUM: David’s Bridal
• GOLD: Men’s Warehouse
• SILVER: JoS. A. Bank

Best Local Wedding Venue

• PLATINUM: Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
• GOLD: Silver Hearth Lodge
• SILVER: The Woodland Place

Best Catering

• PLATINUM: Schaal’s Catering & Events
• GOLD: Montano’s International
• SILVER (tie): Blue Ridge Catering; Linda Chapman at Holiday Inn Tanglewood

Best Women’s Clothing

• PLATINUM: Urban Gypsy
• GOLD: Punch Boutique
• SILVER: La De Da

Best Women’s Clothing (Chain)

• PLATINUM: Talbots
• GOLD: Stein Mart
• SILVER: Kohl’s

Best Men’s Clothing

• PLATINUM: Davidsons
• CHAIN WINNERs: Belk; JoS. A. Bank; Macy’s

Best Kids’ Clothes

• PLATINUM: Toad’ly Kids
• GOLD: Our Little Cherubs

Best Kids’ Clothes (Chain)

• PLATINUM: Once Upon a Child
• GOLD: Old Navy
• SILVER: Kmart

Best Consignment Shop

• PLATINUM: Euro Fashions and Exclusives
• GOLD: Hidden Treasures Consignment
• SILVER: New to Me Consignment Boutique

Best For Fine Antiques

• PLATINUM: Black Dog Architectural Salvage
• GOLD: Roanoke Antique Mall
• SILVER: Buy the Season

Wine Shop That Carries Your Favorites

• PLATINUM: Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar
• GOLD: Wine Gourmet
• SILVER: Tinnell’s Finer Foods

Wine Shop That Carries Your Favorites (Chain)

• PLATINUM: Kroger
• GOLD: Fresh Market

Pharmacy You Trust Most

• PLATINUM: Cundiff Drug Store
• GOLD (tie): DownHome Pharmacy; Brooks Byrd Pharmacy

Pharmacy You Trust Most (Chain)

• PLATINUM: CVS
• GOLD: Kroger
• SILVER: Walgreens

Best For Fantastic Fabrics

• PLATINUM: The Second Yard
• GOLD: The French Thistle
• CHAIN WINNER: Jo Anne Fabrics