[Updated Menu] Fleming’s to Present 2018 ‘Best of West Hartford’ Awards Night, Finalists Announced

Guests fill the lobby at the 2017 Best of West Hartford awards show, Cinépolis theater. We-Ha.com file Photo credit: Cheyney Barrieau

Thanks for voting, and the winners of the 2018 Best of West Hartford are … please come to the Fourth Annual Awards event to find out!

By Joy Taylor

Updated, Nov. 1, 2018

The menu has been announced:

Partial menu, according to the presenting sponsor, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse-W. Hartford: 
-Prime rib station
-Lamb chop lollipops
-Prime meatballs
-Bacon wrapped scallops
-Crab puffs
-Sweet & sour eggplant crostinis
-Apple & blue cheese flatbread

With #bestofweha Crudite by The Crown Market

#bestofweha dessert by Hartford Baking Co. – New Park Ave and Potbelly Sandwich Shop cookies.

Original Story, Oct. 26, 2018

After overwhelming response to the voting for best pizza, coffee, hair salon, home improvement, and much more, the 2018 winners of The Best of West Hartford will be revealed on Nov. 5, 2018 at Flemings in Blue Back Square.

This wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community. “An unprecedented almost 400 percent increase in voting is something we never expected,” stated Tom Hickey of WHMedia, an organizer of the Best of West Hartford (BOWH) event.

“We assume it is because our fellow publishing companies worked along side us on a media blitz unlike anything West Hartford has ever seen. Along with West Hartford Magazine, We-Ha.com, and Experience We-Ha, we also had the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, West Hartford Life, and West Hartford Press (the latter two both Turley Publications) which all boosted the vote by including the fourth annual BOWH in all their traditional, digital, and social media products,” Hickey said.

The businesses were also very engaged via social media this year helping generate interest. Only 20 percent of the total vote was repeat. This was the first year that votes could be cast more then once (awaiting a next day requirement) and you did not have to vote for all 44 categories. Many of the races were very close and we even have a few ties.

Hillary Pasternak (Connecticut Jewish Ledger) and Jeff Lovanio (Experience We-Ha) were the masterminds behind the scenes who simplified the entire voting process via Google, which was new this year.

Awards Show is on November 5, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Flemings, and is part of the #wehaevents, produced by WHMedia

Fleming’s is the 2018 presenting sponsor for the fourth annual Best of West Hartford awards night. Liz Kiyak and Bentley Torres from Fleming’s promise to make it a night to remember. All food and beverages will be prepared by Flemings, according to Kiyak. Torres said that the Fleming’s bar will be a cash bar but with a happy hour theme.

Wait until you see how the restaurant is transformed with a dazzling ice sculpture sponsored by Uber Dog, setting the mood for the awards to be handed out. Cheese board and vegetables are being provided by Crown Market and dessert is from Hartford Baking Company.

Parking is free for the night of the event via the Blue Back Square valet parking at 51 Isham Rd., (across from Barnes & Noble).

Event tickets should be purchased in advance as space is limited. Use this Eventbrite link. Ticket purchasing and the registration process has been streamlined by sponsor Andrew Moran, Merchant Solutions. There is also an option to buy raffle tickets in advance.

Experience We-Ha, KAOUD and Keating Insurance are introducing an innovative photo booth concept – “Mirror Mirror” –  to the area.

As always, the BOWH event committee is keeping the winners a secret until the night of November 5th. (A complete list of finalists is included at the end of this article). Another big draw promises to be the raffle (to date valued at more than $3,000), with special thanks to committee chairs Charles Hilborn from Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home and Karen Fillian from EDENS. Some of the items already announced are:

  • Home Design District, Various Home Improvement items, valued at $500 .
  • Harvey and Lewis, Ray Ban Sunglasses, valued at $250.
  • Jerry’s Artarama, $250 gift certificate.
  • Artisan at Delamar, dinner for two, $100 value.
  • Fifth Annual Best of West Hartford, 2019, Two (2) Tickets, $96.
  • French Cleaners, $50 gift certificate.
  • WeHaHA! Comedy Night,  two (2) tickets, $40, Tuesday, Dec. 18, “Ugly Sweater” theme. At WOB, Blue Back Square.
  • Taste of Bishops Corner, 2019: two (2) tickets, $50 value.
  • Taste of Elmwood, two (2) tickets, $50 value.
  • Taste of Blue Back Square & The Center 2019: two (2) tickets, $50.
  • and much more…

A big surprise raffle item, courtesy of Elmwood Community Center, will be announced at the event. Beneficiaries of the raffle include all of the local business and neighborhood associations, including Bishops Corner Neighborhood Association, Elmwood Business Association, Park Road Association, Home Design District, West Hartford Center Business Association, and Blue Back Square.

The Fourth Annual BOWH host sponsors have many surprises for the guests. Thank you to Direct Line Media Productions and EDENS for the video presentation.

The Fourth Annual BOWH committee members include Matt Banever, Cheyney Barrieau, David Chmielewski, Amy Cholawa, Donna Edelstein, Todd Fairchild, Karen Fillian, Mark Hatch, Tom Hickey, Charles Hilborn, Leslie Iarusso, Ryan Keating, Liz Kiyak, Barbara Lerner, Jeff Lovanio, Renee McCue, Andrew Moran, Ronni Newton, Lisa Oster, Robyn Rifkin, Joy Taylor, and Bentley Torres.

#wehaevents sponsors are Blue Back Square, CCSU, Eagan Donohue Van Dyke & Falsey, French Cleaners, Robin Gebrian (Wm Raveis Real Estate),  Marcum (formerly Filomeno CPA), Lux Bond & Green, Mercy Community Health and Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home. Other partners include: Jewish Ledger, Direct Line Media, Eat in CT, FLOW, Merchant Solutions, Roy Web Design, SnapSeat Photo Booths, T&T Sound, Taylor Rental Party Plus, Todd Fairchild/Shutter Bug CT, West Hartford Chamber of Commerce, West Hartford Press, West Hartford LIFE, West Hartford Magazine, Town of West Hartford, and Experience We-Ha.

Without further ado, here are the finalists in alphabetical order, for the 2018 Best of West Hartford. Winners will be revealed on Nov. 5!

Preschool/Daycare Lollipop Tree Nursery School
Preschool/Daycare Mandell JCC, Beatrice Fox Auerbach Early Childhood Center
Preschool/Daycare Saint Joseph School for Young Children
Camp Camp KO
Camp Camp Shalom
Camp Renbrook School Summer Adventure
Bakery Classic Cakes
Bakery Elmwood Pastry Shop
Bakery Hartford Baking Co.
Breakfast Restaurant Blue Plate Kitchen
Breakfast Restaurant Effie’s Place Family Restaurant
Breakfast Restaurant Quaker Diner
Tea Café Sofia
Tea Green Teahouse
Tea Tea Break
Coffee Café Sofia
Coffee J. René Coffee Roasters
Coffee SPoT
Brunch Artisan
Brunch Grants
Brunch Pond House
Family Restaurant A.C. Petersen Farms
Family Restaurant Corner Pug
Family Restaurant Effie’s Place
Fine Dining Fleming’s Prime
Fine Dining Max’s Oyster Bar
Fine Dining Treva
Grocery Store A Dong
Grocery Store Crown Market
Grocery Store Hall’s Market
Ice Cream A.C. Petersen Farms
Ice Cream Abby Dabby TIED Milkcraft
Ice Cream Ben & Jerry’s
Pizza Harry’s Bishops Corner
Pizza Jimmie’s Pizza
Pizza Savoy
Business Lunch Max Oyster Bar
Business Lunch Park & Oak Restaurant
Business Lunch Restaurant Bricco
Wine Shop Harvest Wine & Spirits
Wine Shop Harvey’s Wine & Liquors
Wine Shop The Wise Old Dog
Burger Restaurant Corner Pug
Burger Restaurant Max Burger
Burger Restaurant Plan B
Ethnic Restaurant Black Bamboo Chinese
Ethnic Restaurant Bombay Olive
Ethnic Restaurant Zohara
Exercise/Fitness Mandell JCC Greater Hartford
Exercise/Fitness Orange Theory Fitness
Exercise/Fitness WIP
Hair Salon Matthew Phillips
Hair Salon Off Center Salon
Hair Salon Salon Medusa
Barber Shop Bristle & Blade
Barber Shop Degra’s
Barber Shop Final Cuts Sports Barber
Spas Body and Sole
Spas FaceRX Medspa
Spas Touch of Bliss
Yoga Mandell JCC
Yoga West Hartford Yoga
Yoga Yoga Shop
Home Health Care Companions for Living
Home Health Care Jewish Family Services (JFS Care at Home)
Home Health Care Juniper Homecare
Best Assisted Living Court of St. James
Best Assisted Living Hoffman Summerwood TIED Chatfield
Best Assisted Living The McAuley
Lawn/Landscaping Contractor Chenail Lawn Care
Lawn/Landscaping Contractor Eco Turf
Lawn/Landscaping Contractor Trout Brook Landscaping
Pet Services Pet Supplies Plus
Pet Services UberDog
Pet Services Woof Gang TIED Dogology
Pet Vets CT Veterinary Center
Pet Vets Petcare Vet Specialists
Pet Vets Vet Specialists of CT
Real Estate Company Coldwell Banker
Real Estate Company HART Real Estate
Real Estate Company William Raveis Real Estate
Wealth Management/Financial Planning Charles Schwab
Wealth Management/Financial Planning Northstar Wealth Management
Wealth Management/Financial Planning Valerie Thomas TIED GYL Financial Synergies
Home Improvement Contractor Bartlett Brainard
Home Improvement Contractor Magee Companies
Home Improvement Contractor McNally Home Improvement
Bank/Financial Institution Farmington Bank
Bank/Financial Institution KEY Bank
Bank/Financial Institution Simsbury Bank
Garden/Florist Butler Florist
Garden/Florist Lane & Lenge Florist
Garden/Florist Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe
Law Firm Eagan, Donohue, Van Dyke & Falsey
Law Firm Stanger Stanfield
Law Firm Weinstein & Wisser
Entertainment Cinépolis
Entertainment Playhouse on Park
Entertainment West Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Happy Hour Ocho Café
Happy Hour Treva
Happy Hour World of Beer
Late Night Spot Barcelona West Hartford
Late Night Spot Grants
Late Night Spot Vinted Wine Bar & Kitchen
Eye Wear Dr. Neil W. Kemp
Eye Wear Harvey & Lewis TIED Central Optica
Eye Wear Sight
Specialty Retail Cookshop Plus
Specialty Retail Penzeys Spices
Specialty Retail Toy Chest
Gala (local event) Children’s Charity Ball
Gala (local event) Ron Foley Ron’s Run TIED Visions/Voice
Gala (local event) The Children’s Museum “A Child’s World”
Fine Jewelry Becker’s
Fine Jewelry DeRobertis
Fine Jewelry Lux Bond & Green
Sports Retail Fleet Feet
Sports Retail GOLFTEC
Sports Retail Play it Again Sports
Men’s Local Retail CT Custom Clothing
Men’s Local Retail Daswani Clothiers
Men’s Local Retail Jos A. Bank Clothiers
Women’s Local Retail BK&Co.
Women’s Local Retail Kimberly Boutique
Women’s Local Retail Ooh La La Boutique
Home Décor John Boyle Home Décor
Home Décor Kaoud Oriental Rugs
Home Décor Larsen ACE Hardware
Write In Black Diamond Body Piercing/Tattoo
Write In The Children’s Museum
Write In White Rabbit

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