MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019 EDMONTON JOURNAL B1 SPECIAL ADVERTISING PUBLICATION 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards EDMONTON’S Best THIS SECTION WAS CREATED BY CONTENT WORKS, POSTMEDIA’S COMMERCIAL CONTENT STUDIO. B2 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019 EDMONTON JOURNAL ReadeR’S CHOICE 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards HOW READERS’ CHOICE WORKS ince 2014 the Edmonton Once the polling is complete, Journal has asked readers to the results are tabulated and Svote for their favourites in a a list of the year’s winners is range of categories. compiled. Readers are invited to go We consider the Readers’ online and fill out a form with Choice Awards one of the year’s their choices, or they can fill out most important projects, and we a paper ballot and mail it in. hope our advertisers and readers The results are tabulated, do, too. and the businesses that win in each category are published in the special Readers’ Choice newspaper section you are now reading. The winning businesses that choose to advertise are also featured in this special publication. We are committed to fairness in the Readers’ Choice voting process. Attempts by one person to submit multiple forms are restricted and all votes are reviewed multiple times to ensure accuracy. THIS SECTION WAS CREATED BY CONTENT WORKS, POSTMEDIA’S COMMERCIAL CONTENT STUDIO. [email protected] Thank You for Voting Us 2019 as The #1 Bowling Centre Join us for our New Years Eve Party! •Seniors Leagues •Monday-Thursday 1pm for 3games $14.75 •Thursday mornings 10am for 3games $14.75 THANK YOUEDMONTON •Seniors Leagues ALL FREE TO JOIN •Singles, couples or Teams of 5 forvoting us GOLD for •Noexperience Necessary BEST FISH &CHIPS •Dropinleague Thurs: Tues 1pm-3 games $14.75 and SILVER for BEST BRITISH RESTAURANT Bonnie Doon Bowling Lanes 8330 –82Ave (lower level BonnieDoon Shopping Centre) Southside Central (780) 466-9047 6940-77 St. 11603-104 Ave email: [email protected] www.bonniedoonbowling.com 780-485-1797 780-452-7000 Edmonton, We Love You! Thank youfor voting us the Best Auto GlassShop in 2019. CELEBRATING EST. 1959 SAFETY TRAINING COURSES YEARS SERVING60ALBERTANS For career advancement, asafer home, or training requirements –Learnthe skills you need to save alife. Grazie mille. THANK YOU for voting us as your Athousand thank yous forwelcoming us favourite Safety Training School into your community,homesand hearts. First Aid, H2S, WHMIS, Let’sEat! Fall Protection, Ground Disturbance, Confined Space, Grocery. Bakery. Deli. Café. Italiancentre.ca Mental Health, CSO EDMONTON Little Italy |Southside |West End CALGARY Willow Park 780.429.6757 www.FirstAidSafetyTraining.ca ReadeR’S CHOICE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019 EDMONTON JOURNAL B3 YEG restaurant seen more diverse – and exciting – than ever GETTY L. HARRISON KELLY (a perennial Readers’ Choice a family-run food truck in beloved. But they didn’t find ing strong, like The Lignan, POSTMEDIA CONTENT WORKS favourite), which was 2008 and opened a sit-down it viable anymore, which It’s Dadeo’s, and The Marc. Bail- founded in 1959 by Italian restaurant downtown this says a lot about where din- ey is particularly effusive “I think the direction we’re immigrant Frank Spinelli, May. Filistix offers a diverse ing is going. become about Biera, the combina- moving in is terrific,” says to newer eateries offering menu of Filipino and South- “It was a big restaurant tion brewery and restaurant Mary Bailey, editor-in-chief food from elsewhere. These east Asian cuisine, along with lots of people in the a little bit in Ritchie. of The Tomato, which has include Ethiopian restau- with Japanese highballs. kitchen and lots of people “Christine Sanford, the cataloged and commentated rants like Langano Skies Filistix is also emblem- on the floor. Going forward, rock and roll chef there, is amazing,” Bail- on food in Edmonton for 23 and Zambaba, and Brazilian atic of Edmonton’s restau- restaurants aren’t going to ey says. “Biera has complete- years. places like Pampa’s Steak- rant scene in another way, look like that—running that to work in a ly changed the landscape of “It’s become a little bit house. according to Bailey: it seats payroll, needing that num- its neighbourhood.” rock and roll to work in a The most recent wave fewer diners than some ber of customers to show restaurant. There’s also a special restaurant. It’s a different of ethnic cuisine to arrive older restaurants and uses up. It’s just not going to hap- They’re finding their tribes, place in her heart for the cultural vibe—it’s no longer in Edmonton is Filipino, self-serve dining for its pen.” in a sense.” downtown trio of Italian déclassé—which I think is with places like Jollibee and lunch service (dinner still But the future of the city Examples include Smoky restaurants founded by Dan- very positive.” Palabok House winning the runs full service). Both of overall is far from dim. In Bear, which opened in late iel Costa: Bar Bricco, Uccel- One of the local restau- affection of many custom- these are signs of things to the wake of the Hardware’s November and cooks sea- lino, and Corso 32, which is rant trends most notable ers, joining Readers’ Choice come, she thinks. closure, Bailey enthuses sonal ingredients over an the oldest of the three. to Bailey is the ongoing ex- favourite Manila Grill Ex- For proof, she points to about a profusion of restau- open flame, and Wilfred’s, “Daniel Costa really put plosion of ethnic cuisines, press. the closure of the Hardware rants that opened this year. which sits on the edge of the downtown back on the map which reflects Edmonton’s Bailey is particularly ex- Grill, which closed this year “Lots of the newer places Brewery District in a beauti- when he opened Corso 32,” demographic diversity. cited by one Filipino eatery after its 23 years in business. are smaller, with lots of per- ful heritage building. Bailey says. “It’s still the There’s a through-line that just opened its doors: “It’s very sad,” Bailey says. sonality,” she says. “They Many of the city’s favour- best pasta you can find in here from the Italian Centre Filistix, which started as “That place was absolutely say: this is who we are. ite eateries are also still go- the city.” Thankyou, Edmonton forchoosing TrailAppliances! WHY BUY PROFESSIONAL LARGE 30-DAY PRICE APPLIANCE NEED IT TODAY? CLEARANCE FROM TRAIL GUARANTEE SERVICE& GET IT TODAY! CENTRE APPLIANCES? INSTALL #1 CHOICE FORAPPLIANCES EdmontonSouth EdmontonNorth 9880 -47Avenue 12404 -149 Street 780.434.9414 780.452.8888 trail-appliances.com FAF MILYOWNED&OPERATED FOR45YEARS! B4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019 EDMONTON JOURNAL ReadeR’S CHOICE SPONSORED BY HOMES BY AVI HOME BUILDER Edmonton Journal Readers’ Choice Award GOLD WINNER Homes by Avi Customer satisfaction a hallmark for over 40 years S.W. ADAMS POSTMEDIA CONTENT WORKS While a sixth Gold award in a row is a notable achievement, Homes by Avi’s success is even more impressive when you consider that voters in the Home Builder category change every year. Thus, year after year, Homes by Avi has had to “earn” that recognition with an entirely new group of cus- tomers to win their Edmon- “The nucleus of our organization is exemplary customer service,” says Micah Dueck, Edmonton and Region Sales Manager for Homes by Avi. SUPPLIED ton Journal Readers’ Choice Award. experience for the customer,” want to learn why they’re “But what we really do is that ability stems from our to think about helping our Focusing on the customer Dueck says. “Some customers moving, what they need in help customers decide what’s long-term relationships with customers at all stages of is the key to a company that prefer walkability to nearby a community, what factors best for them — our goal is to the trade experts we engage. their lives,” says Dueck. “As moved 270 families into new schools and amenities, while and events are important create homes, not just build They understand our con- a family grows, we’ll see Edmonton homes last year. others want to be near na- to them — all before we pro- houses.” struction practices and are them return to our sales “The nucleus of our organiz- ture or recreation areas and ceed to styles and layouts and Once the design is final- able to execute while hon- centres, and now, having ation is exemplary customer we look for developers, who what livability means to their ized, construction begins and oring the fact that excellence been in the business for so service,” says Micah Dueck, focus on creating attractive family.” the customer is kept abreast in construction is a corner- long, we’re also finding re- Edmonton and Region Sales and enjoyable environments.” An accredited design of the progress throughout. stone of the service we pro- turn customers who are in- Manager for Homes by Avi. The proverbial “location, team and a full drafting de- Complete documentation vide. Our sales people need terested ‘right-sizing.’ ” “We treat fellow employees location, location” is an in- partment work with the cus- and information sheets are to know that they’re helping Thus, Homes by Avi con- as customers, as we do the tegral part of determining tomer to develop the design, standard, and Homes by Avi people purchase the best tinues to investigate new tradespeople we hire, and where they want to offer their supported by the estimating also has a “Home Owner Por- product available.” community opportun- that approach naturally con- homes, but that’s only one team that ensures accurate tal” on their website where To that end, they have a ities as customers prog- tinues to our home purchas- aspect of what Homes by Avi figures and the best value.