NEW NIBBLES A dream came true in 2018 for all of the Tin City fans out there: A place to nosh between wine tastings—and it’s good, too. With a seasonal menu scrawled on butcher paper, wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, and more, the Tin Canteen won over the bellies of our readers as the Best New Restaurant of 2018.

JUST ADD SYRUP Readers believe that The Spoon Trade does fried chicken right. This Grover Beach hot spot serves organic fried chicken on a sourdough waffle with spiced honey, rosemary, and kimchi. Delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

CHAMPION SANDWICH MAKER High Street Deli just can’t lose with the sandos they serve up daily. For several years running now, this High Street sandwich shop has won Best Sandwich in SLO County.

MORE CHEESE PLEASE Grilled cheese master chef Mike McGourty puts his heart and soul into the gooey goodness he dishes out from The Grilled Cheese Incident food truck. And New Times’ readers like what he’s laying down.

MIX IT UP Mason Bar & Kitchen bartender James Howison shakes a cocktail as a restaurant patron snaps a cellphone pic. Yep, the cocktails are so cool that readers voted Arroyo Grande’s hippest adult beverage stop the Best South County Bar.

APPLES ON POINT Tin City Cider takes home the Best Cider award this year. Belly up to the bar for a glass of Bunny Lebowski (above, left), cider fermented with blonde ale wort and wild yeast, or grab a can of Polly Dolly (above, right), a blend of cider, rosé, and citra hops, off the shelf.

WINE TIME Luis Wine Bar owner Vanessa North is ready to serve you up a glass of wine or beer in the Best Wine Bar in SLO County. If you work downtown, it’s an easy stop for an after-work de-stressor.

DRINKING WITH DOGS Kona (left) and Duke (right) may be around if you stop by Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards at the right time. And if they’re not there, someone else’s dog probably is, or you can always bring your own pooch to the Best Dog-Friendly Winery around.

DOWNTOWN ART Hands Gallery owner Sara Vaskov has managed to steer
the art gallery on Higuera Street through a recession and rising downtown rents and still snag the award for Best Art Gallery. The community thanks you!

THAT POPCORN, THOUGH Delaiah Hastie and Davey Llamas hold onto the popcorn that puts The Palm Theatre above the rest! Plus, it’s doused in real butter with the option of sprinkling nutritional yeast over the top. Need I say more? Of course, the little theater on Palm Street offers movie goers more than that, with indie and documentary films that don’t screen anywhere else. That’s why it was voted Best Movie Theater.

NIFTY AND THRIFTY Claire Levine, Jennifer Stephenson, and Meagan Watts will help you find what you’re looking for at the Best Thrift Store in the county—Fred and Betty’s. Plus, proceeds benefit The SLO Classical Academy.

DARTH SIGHTING Charlotte Petit, 10, and Maddie Petit, 8, shake hands with the dark side at Tom’s Toys, aka the Best Toy Store ever.

GETTIN’ HORSEY WITH IT Need some tack? The Riding Warehouse in SLO has got your back—and so do Alisha Goto, Tony Camacho, and Christine Dietrich (left to right).

SERVICE AND A SMILE Swing into The Photo Shop for a tactile shopping experience (Get off the internet, people!) with Peggy Mesler (owner), Annie Wald, and Joseph Ardnt (left to right), who can answer your questions in person, can walk you through the ins and outs of camera equipment right then and there, and might even flash you a grin every now and then.

ON THE CORNER Call on the Farmhouse Corner Market for your next event, and they’ll be there. Will Torres, Kari Torres, and Leanne Harris (left to right) pocketed the Best Caterer and Best Wedding Caterer awards—could they be shooting for a Best New Restaurant award next year? Stay tuned.

MOVING IN OR OUT? No surprises here. Meathead Movers got Best Moving Company again! Student athlete movers Jeremy Simpson (left) and Cody Williams (right) will be there when you call for help with your next move.

BUTTERFLY VIEWS Avian Mettler, 8; his sister, Cielle Mettler,11; and dog-mascot Layla peer through some of their father’s handiwork. The Mettlers’ Monarch Window Cleaning specializes in getting that glass extra clear—clear enough for our readers to vote them Best Window Cleaning Service.

PEACE AND HAPPINESS Kelly Metcalf leads a class at Harmony House Yoga, the Best Yoga Studio in the county, according to our readers.

BOTTOMS UP SLO Swim owner Shelley Filip knows bottoms, tops, and tankinis inside and out. Maybe that’s why her shop’s a longtime Best Place to Get Swimwear award winner.

HITCH YOUR WAGON Want a barn for your wedding? A rustic setting? That old-fashioned yet modern vibe? Pretty grape vines as a backdrop? The Best Wedding Venue in the county, according to readers, is Greengate Ranch and Vineyard—and they’ve got all of that and more. 

FLOWER HOUR Wilder Floral Co. brightens lives daily with their floral arrangements, and they can also brighten the best day of your life! Voted the Best Place for Wedding Flowers, Wilder can bring power to your special day and a flattering pop of color, too.

ALL-ENCOMPASSING In her second term in office, SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon has had a little something for everyone. People either love her, hate her, or love/hate her. As a political figure, she’s been polarizing, but she sticks to her guns and makes sure everyone knows where those guns are pointed!