2014 Best of Ohio Readers' Ballot
We asked our readers and website visitors to vote for their favorites throughout the state in 50 categories.
Looking for our Best of Ohio 2014 Editors' Picks? You can see them here.
Food/Drink
Amish Food: Der Dutchman Restaurant & Bakery, 4967 Walnut St., Walnut Creek 44687, dhgroup.com
Cheesemaker: Heini’s Cheese Chalet, 6005 County Rd. 77, Millersburg 44654, heinis.com
Fine Dining: Chez Francois, 555 Main St., Vermilion 44089, chezfrancois.com
Casual Dining: Grinders Above & Beyond, various northeast Ohio locations, grinders.net
Ice Cream: Graeter’s, 2145 Reading Rd., Cincinnati 45202, graeters.com
Brewpub: Great Lakes Brewing Co., 2516 Market Ave., Cleveland 44113, greatlakesbrewing.com
Coffee Shop: Grounds for Thought, 174 S. Main St., Bowling Green 43402, groundsforthought.com
Burger: The Thurman Café, 183 Thurman Ave., Columbus 43206, thethurmancafe.com
Sunday Brunch: The Feve, 30 S. Main St., Oberlin 44074, thefeve.com
Farmers Market: 2nd Street Market, 600 E. 2nd St., Dayton 45402, metroparks.org/parks/secondstreetmarket
Celebrity Chef: Michael Symon, lolabistro.com
Winery: Gervasi Vineyard, 1700 55th St. N.E., Canton 44721, gervasivineyard.com
Ohio-made Candy: Esther Price Candies, 1709 Wayne Ave., Dayton 45410, estherprice.com
Arts & Culture
History Museum: Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., Cleveland 44106, cmnh.org
Children’s Museum: COSI, 333 W. Broad St., Columbus 43215, cosi.org
Art Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland 44106, clevelandart.org
Orchestra: Cleveland Orchestra, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 44106, clevelandorchestra.com
Theater: Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., Columbus 43215, capa.com
Bookstore: The Book Loft, 631 S. 3rd St., Columbus 43206, bookloft.com
Outdoor Concert Series: Blossom Music Festival, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls 44223, clevelandorchestra.com
***
Shopping
Local Boutique: Sadie Grace, 530 S. Broadway St., Greenville 45331, sadiegraceinc.com
Antique Shop: Jeffrey’s Antique Gallery, 11326 County Rd. 99, Findlay 45840, jeffreysantique.com
Shopping Center: Easton Town Center, 160 Easton Town Center, Columbus 43219, eastontowncenter.com
Flea Market: Hartville Flea Market, 1289 Edison St. N.W., Hartville 44632, hartvillemarketplace.com
Toy Store: Cairns Toys, 31 E. Main St., Tipp City 45371, cairnstoys.com
***
Lodging & Attractions
Attraction: Cedar Point, 1 Cedar Point Dr., Sandusky 44870, cedarpoint.com
College Town: Athens, athensohio.com
Romantic Getaway: Hocking Hills, explorehockinghills.com
Day Trip: Amish Country/Holmes County, visitamishcountry.com
In-State Long Weekend Destination: Hocking Hills, explorehockinghills.com
Ohio Casino: Hollywood Casino, 968 Miami St., Toledo 43605, hollywoodcasinotoledo.com
View from a Hotel Room: Hotel Lakeside at Lakeside Chautauqua, 150 Maple Ave., Lakeside Marblehead 43440, lakesideohio.com
Bed and Breakfast/Inn: The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls, 21190 St. Rte. 374, Logan 43138, innatcedarfalls.com
Historical Site: McKinley Monument, 800 McKinley Monument Dr. N.W., Canton 44708, mckinleymuseum.org
Spa: Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky 44870, kalahariresorts.com
State Park: Hocking Hills State Park, parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills
Zoo: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 Powell Rd., Powell 43065, colszoo.org
Botanical Garden: Cleveland Botanical Garden, 1030 East Blvd., Cleveland 44106, cbgarden.org
***
Recreation
Picnic Spot: Marblehead Lighthouse State Park, 110 Lighthouse Dr., Marblehead 43440, parks.ohiodnr.gov/marbleheadlighthouse
Water park (indoor): Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky 44870, kalahariresorts.com
Zipline: Hocking Hills Canopy Tours, 10714 Jackson St., Rockbridge 43149, hockinghillscanopytours.com
Bike Trail: Little Miami Scenic Trail, 75 miles between Newtown and Springfield, miamivalleytrails.org
Hiking Trail: Old Man’s Cave Trail, 19852 St. Rte. 664 S., Logan 43138, explorehockinghills.com
Bird-Watching Spot: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, 13229 West St. Rte. 2, Oak Harbor 43449, dnr.state.ohio.us
Place to Go Sledding: Virginia Kendall Hills, (Cuyahoga Valley National Park), Pine Hollow Trailhead, 5465 Quick Rd., Peninsula 44264, nps.gov/cuva
Fishing Spot: Caesar Creek Lake, 8570 E. St. Rte. 73, Waynesville 45068, parks.ohiodnr.gov/caesarcreek
Place to See Fall Leaves: Hocking Hills, explorehockinghills.com
***
Parade/Festival
Best Festival: Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival, 2121 George Halas Dr. N.W., Canton 44708, profootballhof.com
Art Fair: Black Swamp Arts Festival, Main Street, Bowling Green 43402, blackswamparts.org
Fourth of July Celebration: Red, White & Boom, Downtown Columbus, redwhiteandboom.org
Related Articles
How Ohio’s Canal Era Helped Shape the State’s History
A groundbreaking idea began to take shape in Ohio 200 years ago this summer, as the simultaneous creation of two major canals ultimately opened the state to trade and transformed the place we call home. READ MORE >>
Ohio Finds: Ohio State Fair Cup
This coin silver cup with floral and grapevine decoration was once awarded to first-place winners at the Ohio State Fair. READ MORE >>
How Lights Out Cleveland Is Helping Save Birds
Glowing city skylines are an alluring sight, especially if you're a migrating bird. But an epidemic of collisions with buildings has led groups across Ohio, including Lights Out Cleveland, to form rescue squads and help raise public awareness about the problem. READ MORE >>