For the fourth year in a row, we asked readers of So Salem to pick The Best of Salem. The votes poured in; nearly two-thirds more than we got in 2010 and more than nine times the number we got our first year. So there’s a lot more competition. In some cases, we had new winners; in other we had repeat winners. Those who have won two years in a row are noted with a double asterisk (**), those who have won three years in a row get three, and those who have won all four years are identifed with four asterisks.
So without further ado, here’s who you picked as this year’s Best Of . . .

Best place to go trick-or-treating
1. Woodbridge**
2. Broad Street
3. Karen Hills

Best place to take relatives from out of town
1. Mac and Bob’s
2. Mill Mountain Star
3. Grandma’s Attic

Best place to meet new people
1. Church
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. Salem After Five

Best park
1. Longwood Park
2. Green Hill Park
3. Salem Dog Park

Best reason for living in Salem
1. The people****
2. Schools
3. Community

Best place to take the kids for the day
1. Longwood Park****
2. Green Hill Park
3. Thunder Valley

Best church outreach program
1. Fellowship Community Church****
2. Food Pantry
3. Christian Life International Outreach in Action

Best community event
1. Old Salem Days****
2. Salem After Five
3. Salem Fair

Best event at the Salem Civic Center
1. Roy Stanley Memorial Shootout basketball tournament
2. Salem Fair
3. Roanoke Valley Horse Show

Best local politician
1. Morgan Griffith, congressman
2. Greg Habeeb, state delegate
3. Lisa Garst, city council member

Best parks and rec. activity
1. Salem Star-B-Q
2. Salem After Five
3. Football

Best new thing in Salem in the past year
1. Mamma Maria’s Gelato
2. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet
3. Genesis Service at First United Methodist

Best teacher
1. Alisa Burns, Salem High School
2. Lisa Brown. Andrew Lewis Middle School
3. Mr Blankenship, ALMS, and Mrs. Sutherland, West Salem Elementary (tie)

Best school staff member
1. Lynn Shively – GW Carver Elementary
2. Trula Byington – West Salem
3. Mike Blankenship – Glenvar Middle School

Best bus driver
1. Cheryl Sweeney – bus 12 West Salem
2. Donna Stover, South Salem Elementary
3. Shirley Johnson, Bus 9, South Salem Elementary

Best coach (school sports)
1. Kevin Garst, Salem High boys basketball
2. Danny Wheeling, Salem High JV football and track
3. Stephen Magenbauer, Salem High football

Best school event – high school
1. Salem Football Games
2. Groovy Teens – Glenvar High School
3. Beauty and Beast play – Salem High School

Best school event – elementary and middle school
1. Giftpaper/candy sale-West Salem Elementary
2. Field Day
3. Beach Day South Salem

Best place for a family hike
1. Green Hill Park****
2. Appalachian trail – McAfee Knob
3. Dragon’s Tooth

Best place to go for a bike ride
1. Green Hill Park***
2. Greenway paths
3. Trail by the river

Best spot for a picnic
1. Green Hill Park***
2. Longwood Park
3. Duck Pond

Best fishing spot
1. Roanoke River***
2. Duck Pond
3. Green Hill Park

Best coach (non-school sports)
1. Missy Bowles
2. Billy Tennant, East Salem Rec. Basketball (Rebels & Skittles)
3. Tim Falke at Roanoke Valley Crossfit

Best sporting moment of the past year
1. Stagg Bowl
2. Roy Stanley Memorial Shootout
3. Salem High School’s comeback wins

Best place for breakfast:
1. Mac and Bob’s
2. Famous Anthony’s
3. Pancake House

Best coffee:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea****
2. Starbucks
3. Sheetz

Best place to access wi-fi:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea****
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. Salem Public Library

Best pizza:
1. Mamma’s Pizza
2. Frank’s Pizza
3. Pizza Hut

Best place for lunch:
1. Mac and Bob’s****
2. Mamma Maria’s
3. Famous Anthony’s

Best place for a fancy meal:
1. Mamma Maria’s****
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar

Best place to hear local music:
1. Allsports Cafe
2. Salem After Five
3. Awful Arthur’s

Best restaurant to take the kids:
1. Famous Anthony’s***
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. Frank’s Pizza

Best happy hour:
1. Macado’s****
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. Allsports Cafe

Best place to buy wine:
1. Kroger
2. Countryside Classics
3. Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar

Best place to go after a game:
1. Macado’s
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. Allsports Cafe

Best place for a first date:
1. Mamma Maria’s**
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. The Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar

Best place to buy fresh food:
1. Kroger
2. Salem Farmer’s Market
3. Capt’n Paul’s Seafood

Best pharmacy:
1. Brooks-Byrd**
2. Kroger
3. CVS

Best convenience store:
1. Sheetz***
2. Apple Market
3. Glenvar Mini Mart

Best hair salon:
1. Salon VeLuxe
2. Onyx Hair Studio
3. Hollywood Hair & Nails

Best nail salon:
1. Salon VeLuxe
2. Hollywood Hair & Nails
3. Tony’s Nails

Best place to get pampered:
1. Salon VeLuxe
2. Hollywood Hair & Nails
3. Pampered & Polished Salon & Day Spa

Best place to get a tattoo:
1. Blue Lotus Tattoo
2. Asylum Studios
3. Ancient Art Tattoo

Best place to shop for antiques:
1. Main Street Primitives
2. Charlotte’s Web
3. Buy the Season

Best place to buy unique gifts:
1. Countryside Classics***
2. Cornerstone Collectables
3. Buy the Season

Best place to buy women’s fashions:
1. Cato***
2. She’s International
3. TJ Maxx

Best jeweler:
1. RM Johnson & Sons****
2. Amrhein’s
3. Antiques by the Market

Best florist:
1. Jobe Florist****
2. Kroger
3. Flowers by Jane

Best frame shop:
1. The Frame Connection**
2. Olde Salem Framing with Steve Edwards
3. Graphics Etc.

Best place to buy Salem gear:
1. Walgreens
2. Spartan Silk Screen
3. Walmart

Best place to keep fit:
1. Salem Fitness and Wellness Center
2. Salem YMCA
3. Green Ridge Recreation Center

Best place to buy tailgating supplies:
1. Walmart***
2. Bojangles
3. Kroger

Best bargains:
1. KidStuff
2. Big Lots
3. Walmart

Best dentist:
1. Dr. Grant Sprinkle**
2. Dr. Nate Stephens
3. Dr. Caroline Wallace

Best family physician:
1. Dr. Gary O’Hagan
2. Dr. John Priddy
3. Dr. Mark Taylor

Best lawyer:
1. Charlie Phillips**
2. Skip Lautenschlager
3. Robyn Smith Ellis

Best place to go for financial advice:
1. Paul Curran of Edward Jones**
2. Hyer Financial
3. Ellis-Summers Group

Best insurance agent:
1. Larry Wills & Associates Insurance
2. Don Bishop Insurance Agency
3. Roger Rakes of Allstate

Best real estate agent:
1. Egon Hofmann of Barker Realty**
2.Doris Smith of Barker Realty
3. Scooter Darnall of RE/MAX

Best plumber/electrician/home repair service:
1. Family Plumbing
2. Cline Electrical
3. Hill’s Plumbing

Best lawn service or landscaping service:
1. Hunter Weikle Lawn Service
2. Lee Foley
3. Tru Green

Best dry cleaner:
1. Skyline Cleaners****
2. Peacock Salem
3. VA Cleaners

Best car wash:
1. $3 Car Wash****
2. Spartan Car Wash
3. Sheetz

Best place to buy a car:
1. Freedom Auto Sales
2. Hart Motors
3. Berglund

Best place to get your car fixed:
1. Mitchems Garage
2. Pillis Brothers
3. Hart Motor Collison Center

Best apartment community:
1. Stonegate Apartments**
2. Eagle’s Nest
3. Salem Wood Apartments

Best real estate firm/brokerage:
1. Barker Realty**
2. Young Realty
3. RE/MAX

Best place for music lessons:
1. Ridenhour**
2. Martin Music Services
3. The Piano School

Best preschool or day care:
1. The Wesleyan Preschool at First United Methodist
2. St. Anne’s Episcopal Day School
3. Fellowship Community Church

Best veterinarian:
1. DeRolf Animal Hospital****
2. Animal Care Center of Salem
3. Salem Animal Hospital

Best pet grooming/pet sitting/pet boarding service:
1. Classy Pets**
2. Biscuits & Bubbles
3. DeRolf Animal Hospital

Best builder: *New Category
1. Michael O. Garst, Garst Construction
2. MKP Construction – Kevin Poff
3. G&H Contracting

Best thing not on this list:
1. Lee Eubanks, formerly of The Ol Mule Hot Dog Co
2. Rena’s on Main Consignment Shop
3. Dr. Gary Nadolsky, optometrist at Drs. Newman Blackstock & Associates

Here’s who won in 2011 and 2010 and 2009. Got an idea for a category we should add next year? Leave a comment below and let us know!