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Readers Choice
The race is over. Find out who our readers named tops in town

by Jeb Bing, Janet Pelletier and Emily West

With 39,124 confirmed votes from readers in many parts of the world, our readers have chosen their favorite parts of Pleasanton--from the best place to play golf (Callippe Preserve in Pleasanton, by a long shot!) to the best place to have a first date (Blue Agave, with Stacey's Cafe and Barone's just one and two votes apart). Besides local readers, votes came from other parts of California where the Pleasanton Weekly circulates or is read online, as well as from other states and several foreign countries where our readers were traveling or have moved and messages with their emails on how much they miss Pleasanton.

The enthusiasm, the number of categories and Readers Choice candidates far exceeded last year as interest in the annual contest continues to grow. Despite the record-high number of votes, there were only a few where votes were nearly extremely close, such as 59 for Blue Agave, 58 for Stacey's and 57 for Barone's. Noland's Cake Shop and Bibiane Bakery tied at 116 votes each with those craving the best in cakes and pastries also favoring Primrose Bakery and Rising Loafer Cafe & Bakery.

Cold Stone Creamery and Meadowlark Dairy also came in close, with 221 and 214 votes, respectively, with newcomer Yolotea gaining speed its first year in Pleasanton with 201 votes. For the best dance lessons, and we assume these are for the younger set, Jazz N Taps with 79 votes topped runner-up Spark Dance with 11 write-ins, including Belly Dance! In Walnut Creek (that's the full name). We'll have to go take a look.

In fact, write-ins packed every category with single votes for the best Realtors, best dry cleaner, best hair salon for men (including several for a cuttery named Wild Hair which some of our staffers wondered if that's the way you go in or come out), and many more for Best Hair Salon for Women and Best Manicure/Pedicure. Even Three Dog Bakery had a write-in vote in the Best Pet Store category, although it's closed. We were also baffled by the votes for the Best Independent Coffee House (note the emphasis on the word that doesn't mean chain) where Peet's won by a comfortable margin with 207 votes, followed by Starbucks, Tully's and McDonald's. Hmmm, seems we've seen these names in many other cities.

Of course, this is a city that likes to participate. There are probably more commissions, committees, task forces, ad hoc groups and active nonprofit and citizens' organizations here than in any other town this size, and our City Council has just added two more: on energy and another on the environment. A survey two years ago showed that 96 percent of the 67,000 people who live here think this is a great place to raise a family, the schools and sports programs are good and that, despite a slowdown in the economy and local home sales, this continues to be an exceptional city for quality of life and job stability.

Epicure

Pleasanton is home to a wide variety of choices when it comes to enjoying the finer side of food and drink (or less fine if that's more your taste). Maybe that's why this category has 29 winners. This probably hasn't made your decision for dinner tonight much easier, but everyone's a winner when it comes to these places.

Starting at home, almost, this year's Best Assemble Your Own Meal Store goes to GourMade Cookery, 7060 Koll Center Parkway, where readers can create several months' worth of gourmet meals in one visit which they can cook in their own kitchen at a later date. When the meal gets rave reviews you can take all the credit without any guilt because you did make it yourself!

If you decide instead to leave your house for a fancy meal, you'll probably run into other Pleasanton Weekly readers at one of the following places. This year, Eddie Papa's American Hangout, 4889 Hopyard Road, won big, taking the title of Best American Food Restaurant for its spacious seating and a wide variety of menu selections. Best Atmosphere, however, goes to Blue Agave Club, 625 Main St., truly an enchanting place, rain or shine and even for sitting outside under the heat lamps in cool weather. Best Bakery, as we wrote earlier, was a tie, going to Noland's Cake Shop, 205-B Main St., and Bibiane Bakery, 349 Main St., Ste. 140, both known for their very creative designs and tasty cakes for any occasion. Then, for something that's also tasty but more of a main meal, there's Kinder's BBQ in the Best Barbecue category, 4825-F Hopyard Road, a sandwich deli that offers a wide variety of casual meals the that quick-lunch folks at Hacienda Business Park truly like, followed Red Smoke Grill next to Sweet Tomatoes and Armadillo Willy's in Dublin. Again, Jim's Country Style Restaurant with its more than ample (some say huge) servings tops the list for Best Breakfast, located at 5400 Sunol Blvd, Ste. 1, with Vic's All-Star Kitchen close behind.

Although not an independently-owned eatery, In-n-Out Burger, 6015 Johnson Drive, led Bob's Giant Burgers on First Street as our voters' pick for Best Burger with downtown's branch of High Tech Burrito, 349 Main St., Ste. 120, dominating the vote in the Best Burrito category. Of all the Chinese restaurants in town, another chain PF Chang's, located at 1330 Stoneridge Mall Road in the Stoneridge Shopping Center, is our voters' favorite for Best Chinese Restaurant, although home-grown and operated Panda Restaurant in downtown Pleasanton finished a close second.

When it comes to French fries, we have varied tastes, although The Hop Yard Alehouse & Grill, 3015-H Hopyard Road, with its large, tasty and even garlic fries scoring big in the Best French Fries category. French fries from Bob's Giant Burgers and Eddie Papa's were also among Reader's Choices, but surprisingly McDonald's had only a write-in vote, probably from our editor who finds them cheap and tasty. Votes for the Best Ice Cream/Yogurt Shop were also close, as we mentioned above, with Cold Stone Creamery, 349 Main St., Ste. 130, the winner. We also talked about Peet's winning in the Best Independent Coffee House category, located at 5765 Valley Ave., so we'll spare you another commentary on what "independent" means.

When it comes to Best Italian Restaurant, however, Pleasanton has many of its own with La Vite Ristorante, 3037-G Hopyard Road, a clear winner in this category, but Girasole Grill, Fontina Ristorante, Strizzi's and De La Torre's Trattoria not far behind. Heading back downtown, Stacey's Cafe, 310-A Main St., topped the votes for Best Main Street Restaurant and Blue Agave Club won by a wide margin in the Best Margarita category. When we looked at the long list of available margaritas at Blue Agave, we guessed that if you try enough of them you wouldn't even need the heat lamps on the patio to keep you warm.

We also asked readers for their choices of the Best Meal Under $20 and they voted Eddie Papa's as their favorite with downtown's High Tech Burrito trailing by a few votes. To our voters' credit, the $1 specials at chains such as McDonald's and Jack-in-the Box didn't receive any votes.

Turning now to our Eastern tastes, readers chose Oasis Grille, 780 Main St., by a wide margin in the Best Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Restaurant category, where Afghanistan cuisine is the menu of choice. For Best Mexican Restaurant, voters chose Casa Orozco, with locations in Dublin and Livermore, over close runners-up Alberto's Cantina, Blue Agave and Emilio's El Portal. But Blue Agave topped the voting in the Best Outdoor Dining category by more than 200 votes (267 vs. 58 for the next runner-up). Another downtown eatery Gay Nineties Pizza & Pasta, 268 Main St., won in the, you guessed it, Best Pizza category, although Stacey's Cafe a few blocks north on Main Street was voted as the Best Place for a Business Lunch. (Do companies still have those?) For the Best Romantic Restaurant, Barone's, 475 St. John St., with its excellent cuisine and subdued lighting came in first.

More "bests" include Mahalo Grille, 425 Main St., for Best Seafood Restaurant; Hap's Original Steaks, 122 W. Neal St., for Best Steakhouse; and Sato Japanese Cuisine, 3015-K Hopyard Road, for Best Sushi/Japanese Restaurant. Others voters selected were In-n-Out Burger for Best Take-out Restaurant; Little Home Thai, 4000 Pimlico Drive, Ste. 106, for Best Thai Restaurant; and Sweet Tomatoes, 4501 Hopyard Road, as the Best Vegetarian Cuisine in Pleasanton. But Pleasanton's own Mitchell Katz Winery didn't win in the Best Winery category, losing out to longtime favorite Wente Vineyards.

At Home

Seeing the crowds at Workbench True Value Hardware, Richert Lumber, and Home Depot on the weekends, we're not sure if Pleasanton is a do-it-yourself town or not. But our readers say they like a number of vendors who help them with the work or do it for them. Starting with getting rid of those spots on the rug, they chose Glover's Steam Cleaning, 285 Kottinger Drive, in the Best Carpet Cleaners category, or, if the rugs are threadbare, they chose Diablo Flooring, 5600-D Sunol Blvd., either to buy new ones in the Best Carpet Store category or, to replace carpeting altogether, then as the Best Flooring Store. We already mentioned Workbench TrueValue Hardware, 1807-N Santa Rita Road, which voters chose over Richert's as the Best Hardware Store, although quite a few home fixer-uppers on our staff drive across the street from the Pleasanton Weekly offices to buy lumber, doors and even door knobs for those weekend chores.

For Best Home Consignment Shop, our readers like the Home Consignment Center, 1901-F Camino Ramon in Danville. Best Home Furnishings goes to Alexis Gass and her Clover Creek store at 670 Main St., always a special treat for browsing and buying. For those looking for the Best Kitchen/Bath Remodeler, voters like KDC Kitchens, 3732-A Stanley Blvd., by a wide margin. The Best Plumber vote went overwhelmingly to Valley Plumbing, 272 Rose Ave., with voters choosing Tri-City Roofing, (www.tri-cityroofing.com) in the Best Roofer category. Heading outside, voters chose Western Garden Nursery, 2756 Vineyard Ave. as Best Landscaper/Designer, and once the landscaping is done, they voted that you should go to Serenity Stoneworks, 252 Main St., which their ballots picked as the Best Outdoor Furniture Store.

Around Town

For another year in a row, Lexus of Pleasanton was voted Best Auto Dealership by readers over the competition. Part of the Hendrick Automotive Group, Lexus is located at 4345 Rosewood Drive. When you need to get your car polished and perfected on the outside and vacuumed and shampooed on the inside, you told us you turned to California Shine Company, 7090 Johnson Drive, for Best Auto Detail, which also won last year. For a basic car wash to keep your automobile looking new, readers said they visit Pleasanton Hand Car Wash on Santa Rita Road, voted Best Car Wash. Cracked bumper or those pesky dents? Precision Auto Repair at 164-A Wyoming St., was the first place readers said they thought of, winning Best Car Repair. When tires go bald, readers shop for replacements at Big O Tires, which is an annual favorite for Best Tire Store/Service Center, located at 3688-A Washington St.

Computers, as we know, are complicated and when they break down or receive a virus, can be a headache to deal with. But, readers said they trusted TriValley PC Medic as their go-to business for Best Computer Repair (www.trivalleypcmedic.com). The winner of Best Video/DVD Store wasn't a physical store but a very popular rental service--Netflix.com, which is based in Los Gatos and doesn't require residents to leave home to watch their favorite movies and TV series.

In these trying economic times, homeowners or potential owners put their faith in Hometown GMAC, 4725 First St., Ste. 150, winner of Best Real Estate Office, for advice and services. And what would be a home without a hefty mortgage? Readers told us they seek professional help from Residential Pacific Mortgage, voted the Best Mortgage Professional, located at 30 W. Neal St., Ste. 100.

Motorists know there's no shortage of thoroughfares in Pleasanton where they can get pulled over for speeding by Pleasanton's finest. And since they couldn't decide on one, readers chose Anywhere in Pleasanton as the Best Place to Get a Traffic Ticket, so it's probably best they keep an eye on their speedometer and their hands of their cell phones.

On a happier note, Pleasanton does offer an array of places to impress a new flame for a bite to eat. Upscale Mexican restaurant Blue Agave, 625 Main St., again garnered Best Place to Have a First Date. And it's no wonder with its picturesque setting in a restored Victorian located on Main Street complete with outdoor seating. And that dovetails with the winner of Best Place to People Watch, which readers simply said was Main Street in Pleasanton's popular downtown. Christina Gray over at Bella Luna Studios (www.bellalunastudios.com) knows a little thing or two about people watching. After all, that's what she does for a living, capturing those precious moments in people's lives. Readers said Bella Luna deserved the win for Best Photographer.

There are a number of beautiful golf courses in the Tri-Valley area, especially Pleasanton, which has four. Named to this year's Golfweek magazine Top 10 Best Municipal Golf Courses list, Callippe Preserve Golf Course, located at 780 Sycamore Road in southern Pleasanton, was also a favorite of our readers, who named it Best Golf Course.

As we all know, Pleasanton is a very pooch-friendly town. Putting that extra special touch on Fido is Shear Magic, located at 39 California Ave., Ste. 109, voted by readers as Best Pet Groomer for another year. Trusting a veterinarian with your family member can be difficult, but readers said they had no qualms about Pleasanton Veterinary Hospital, winner for Best Veterinarian and located at 3059-B Hopyard Road.

Best Tutoring School--and there are many in this family-friendly city--went to Steps Community Prep School for another year in a row. Located at 2340 Santa Rita Road, Ste. 10, Steps's staff includes Pleasanton Unified School District teachers, which makes its program uniquely efficient and effective for local students.

Last, but certainly not least in the Around Town category was Jazz N Taps, which won readers hearts and twinkly toes with Best Place for Dance Lessons. Located at 1270-A Quarry Lane, the dance studio, a previous winner we may add, offers classes in tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, tumbling, ballet and pilates.

Personal Care

With all the stresses that come along with daily life, we all need a little pampering every now and then. And these days, there are services to accommodate you from head to toe--literally.

Starting off our list of the "bests" in Personal Care is Eastern Medical Center, located at 3510 Old Santa Rita Road, and winner of Best Acupuncture. If you're not skittish about needles and recognize the calm, soothing effects of acupuncture, Eastern Medical Center offers natural, no- invasive healing techniques from ancient Chinese medicine. Another relaxing treatment readers prefer is a massage, and who can blame them? Healthy Necessity Massage, located at 610-E Main St., winner for Best Massage, allows clients to let their hair down and let go of stress, worries and fears.

Why let the pampering stop there? After you're done with that, head over to Euphoria Nail & Body Bar, located at 660 Main St., winner of Best Manicure/Pedicure. For those extra specific treatments and those looking to maintain their youthful appearance, readers said they turn to MD Spa, located at 531 Main St., winner of Best Medical Spa. Run by Dr. Robert Gray, the spa offers everything from laser surgery to cosmetic surgery and everything in between.

Getting ready for that all-important Friday night out with the girls? Women chose Gary Patrick Salon, located at 350-J Main St., as the Best Hair Salon for Women. Hair stylists there are hand-picked from top schools and salons nationally. A regular to our Readers Choice list is Cosmo's Barber Shop at 4274 First St., winner for too many years in a row to count for Best Hair Salon for Men. Readers say they like Cosmo's because they can get a basic haircut that won't set them back a 20-spot. When you're all done with the grooming, readers said they put the finishing touch with their outfits, which they take to VIP Cleaners, located at 3120 Santa Rita Road, and winner of Best Dry Cleaners.

Specialty Retail

Downtown Pleasanton's charm and variety of homespun mom and pop stores are what draw shoppers, so it's no surpise a number of the winners in our Specialty Retail category are located on or just off Main Street in the downtown core.

There is an abundance of talented local artists in the Tri-Valley area, and you can see many of their works as well as other pieces at Studio 7 Fine Arts, 400 Main St., voted by readers as the Best Art Gallery. The gallery features artists such as Pino, Aldo Luongo, Dr. Seuss, Rip Squeak, Nobu, Vicki Asp and Bill Sala. Another downtown favorite is Bicycles! Pleasanton, located in a historic building at 537 Main St. Whether it's a beach cruiser for tooling around or a mountain bike for some serious cycling, readers said Bicycles! Pleasanton was the Best Bicycle Shop. A little farther south along Main Street, 555 Main St. to be exact, lies readers' pick for Best Book Store, a repeat winner, Towne Center Books. Owned by Judy Wheeler, some of the store's most popular sections include fiction, personal growth and children's books.

In this current recession, many shoppers are finding that well-cared-for secondhand clothes are the way to go. And there's nowhere better to go to find those trendy, name-brand pieces than Savvy Seconds, located at 540 Main St., and winner of Best Consignment Store. Continuing the shopping on Main Street, readers said they love Passionate Athlete, located at 440 Main St., winner for Best Women's Clothing Store. Readers report their like of the store's mix of casual and athletic options. The consummate athlete doesn't just stop at Passionate Athlete. They also venture to Sport Chalet, located at 4555 Rosewood Drive, voted the Best Place to Buy Athletic Equipment, and it's no wonder considering their selection in everything camping, cycling, snowboarding, football, the list goes on.

With many readers staying home this summer to save money, they may have picked up a hobby or two to pass the time. Voted the Best Hobby/Craft Store was Michael's, located at 7980 Dublin Blvd. in Dublin, known for its vast variety of scrapbooking materials, synthetic flowers and brick-a-brac. Those in search of specialty foods chose Valley Health Mill, located at 3037-J Hopyard Road as Best Health Food Store.

Men who know "diamonds are a girl's best friend" seek out jewelry at Cardinal Jewelers, 3003-B Hopyard Road, voted Best Jewelry Store for another consecutive year. And what goes better with baubles than vino? Voted Best Wine Store for another year was the Wine Steward, located in the historic Roxy Theater at 641 Main St., offering a wide selection of wines from various countries and an upstairs tasting area. Another female-pleasing agent is, of course, flowers--no matter what they tell you. Alexandria's Flowers, 3037-F Hopyard Road, has gorgeous bouquets for every possible occasion and that's why it was voted Best Florist.

If none of the above was suitable for proper gift-giving, the ultimate place to shop, voted by readers as the Best Place to Buy a Gift, was Berry Patch, which recently relocated to 350-A Main St., across from Tully's Plaza. According to its operators, the Berry Patch has been a year-round place for crafters and artisans to show and sell their work since 1994. Those looking for a unique gift for their pet should look no further than Murphy's Paw, winner of Best Pet Store, and located at 410 Main St. And take one step in the door past the bronze labrador sculptures out front and you'll see why. Owners Mike and Melanie Sadek are very active in the community, hosting "yappy hour" and other dog-human social shindigs. The kiddos, parents and teachers alike take delight in visiting Golden Apple Learning Center, located at 4807 Hopyard Road, was voted Best Toy Store.

Let's Get Physical

Staying in shape is important to readers, especially when it means doing so in the fresh air. Again, the Pleasanton Ridge was named the Best Place for Biking and Walking Trails. Readers say they don't have to go far to find the Best Place to Walk a Dog or to go for a jog, as Any Pleasanton Park or Neighborhood will do.

For those looking to strengthen body and mind might consider Jue's Tae Kwon Do at 5460 Sunol Blvd., Ste. 8, which was named the Best Martial Arts Studio. Eastern philosophy may be the key when it comes to selecting a personal trainer as Zen Strength, 3950 Valley Ave., Ste. B, came out on top this year with Best Personal Trainer. The quest to holistic fitness continues at Downtown Yoga, located at 220B Division St., which was ranked No. 1 for Best Yoga/Pilates.

For those wanting a buffet of sorts when it comes to fitness options, consider checking out the repeat Best Health Club winner ClubSport, located at 7090 Johnson Drive.

Stepping Out

Whether it's rocking out in the park or meeting for coffee with friends, Pleasanton residents love to have a good time. This year, Friday Concerts in the Park took first place in two categories: Best Place For a Picnic and Best Place for Live Music. The concerts continue through Sept. 4, so make sure to reserve your spot with a blanket at Wayside Park, at the corner of First and Neal streets.

Downtown continues to be a hotspot for activity, since it was again voted the Best Place to Get Together With Friends. Readers report Farmers' Market, on West Angela Street between Main and First streets, as the Best Place to Meet New People. Year-round, the market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

When the workday comes to a close, you can likely find many of our readers at the Hop Yard Alehouse & Grill as it was named the Best Place to go For an After Work Drink. If that wasn't enough to put the workweek behind you, try cutting a rug at Redcoats British Pub & Restaurant, located at 336 St. Mary St. Voted the Best Place to Dance, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights the pub turns into a downtown dancing destination.

Congratulations to all the winners.