For the past nine years, the Best of the North has celebrated all that Cincinnati’s northern suburbs have to offer. From doughnuts to bike shops, we love celebrating the businesses of this community. Thousands of people voted online in the 2021 Best of the North competition and others voted in person at this year’s event, held Oct. 20 at the Manor House.
The competition and event were sponsored by Heritage Bank, Taco Bell, Renewal by Andersen of Cincinnati and CMIT Solutions of Cincinnati. The community sponsors were the West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance and the Mason Deerfield Chamber.
Cincy Magazine readers voted for their favorites in 121 categories, and we are excited to bring you this year’s winners. We asked all of our winners why they thought they won their category, and we included a selection of their responses in the following pages.
Food
Bakery
Nothing Bundt Cakes
9540 Mason Montgomery Rd, Ste D, Mason. nothingbundtcakes.com
BBQ
City Barbeque and Catering
Multiple locations including Blue Ash and West Chester. citybbq.com
Breakfast/Brunch
First Watch
Multiple locations including Harper’s Point, Liberty Township and West Chester. firstwatch.com
Burger
FlipSide Liberty Center
7622 Blake St, Liberty Township. flipsideburger.com
Butcher
Dave’s Quality Meats Of West Chester
4883 Smith Rd, West Chester. deliwestchesterohio.com
Catering
Brick’s Catering Co.
bringbrickshome.com
Chef
Michael Shields, BrewRiver Creole Kitchen
4632 Eastern Ave, Cincinnati. brewrivercreolekitchen.com
Chinese Cuisine
Sichuan Bistro
7888 S Mason Montgomery Rd, Mason. sichuanbistro.com
Cupcakes
Gigi’s Cupcakes Cincinnati
7940 Hosbrook Rd, Cincinnati. gigiscupcakesusa.com
Dessert
Carrabba’s Italian Grill – Mason
5152 Merten Dr, Mason. carrabbas.com
Donuts
Holtman’s Donuts
Multiple locations including Loveland and West Chester. holtmansdonutshop.com
Family Dining
Silver Spring House
8322 E Kemper Rd, Cincinnati. thesilverspringhouse.com
Fast Casual
Blue Ash Chili
Multiple locations includings Blue Ash and Tri-County. blueashchili.com
Fine Dining
Jag’s Steak & Seafood
5980 West Chester Rd, West Chester. jags.com
Food Truck
Empanadas Aquí
empanadasaqui.com
Fried Chicken
Silver Spring House
8322 E Kemper Rd, Cincinnati. thesilverspringhouse.com
Frozen Yogurt
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Multiple locations including Harper’s Point, Fairfield and Mason. menchies.com
Ice Cream
The Cone
6855 Tylersville Rd, West Chester. thecone.com
Italian Cuisine
Vincenzo’s
11525 Chester Rd, Cincinnati. vincenzos.net
Mexican Cuisine
Mi Cozumel
Multiple locations including Tri-County. micozumel.com
Patio Dining
Back Porch Saloon
9626 Princeton Glendale Rd, West Chester. back-porch-saloon.net
Pizza
Marion’s Piazza
6176 Soundwave Blvd, Mason. marionspiazza.com
Restaurant
BrewRiver Creole Kitchen
4632 Eastern Ave, Cincinnati. brewrivercreolekitchen.com
Sandwich Shop
Luigi’s Olde World Market
9480 Cincinnati-Columbus Rd, Cincinnati. luigisoldeworldmarket.com
Soup/Salad
Northstar Cafe at Liberty Center
7610 Sloan Way, Liberty Township. thenorthstarcafe.com
Steak
Tony’s of Cincinnati
12110 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati. tonysofcincinnati.com
Subs
DiBella’s Subs
Multiple locations including Mason and Blue Ash. dibellas.com
Sushi
Soho Japanese Bistro
7655 Voice of America Dr, West Chester. sohojapanesedining.com
View from a Restaurant
Tano Bistro Hamilton
150 Riverfront Plaza, Hamilton. foodbytano.com
Wings
Lucky Dog Grille
729 Reading Rd, Mason. luckydoggrille.com
Drink
Bar
Bishop’s Quarter Bar
212 W Loveland Ave, Loveland. bishopsquarterbar.com
Bourbon Selection
Arrow Wine & Spirits
Multiple locations including Mason, Kettering and Centerville. arrowwineandspirits.com
Brewery
Third Eye Brewing Company
11276 Chester Rd, Sharonville. thirdeyebrewingco.com
“We have incredible award-winning brewers and an amazing chef. Our taproom has a cool vibe with lots of seating inside and out, including covered patios and an upper deck. Our staff is friendly and knowledgeable, taking their time with each customer to help guide them to choose the beer of their liking. Our motto at Third Eye Brewing Company is ‘Live Life, Do Good, Drink Beer,’ and we stand by it!” – Bonnie Collins, Event Director
Happy Hour
S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits
5948 Snider Rd, Mason. clybornes.com
Independent Coffeehouse
Adesso Coffee
125 E Main St, Mason. adessoisnow.com
“Honestly, we get out of the way. Adesso isn’t about us and how great we are. Our menu is about our many great and talented producers and letting their quality and artisanship shine. Adesso is about the amazing community that has already started to flourish and have rallied behind us to support and encourage us every step of the way.” – Chuck Pfahler, Owner
Sports Bar
Fricker’s
Multiple locations including Mason and West Chester. frickers.com
Wine Store/Tasting
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
Multiple locations including Liberty Township, Centerville and Cincinnati. chwinery.com
Auto
Auto New
Kings Toyota
4700 Fields Ertel Rd, Cincinnati. kingstoyota.com
Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts
4070 E Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati. advanceautoparts.com
Auto Repair
Evan’s Auto Care
9190 Plainfield Rd, Cincinnati. evansautocare.com
Auto Used
Lebanon Ford
770 Columbus Ave, Lebanon. lebanonford.com
Beauty
Hair Salon
Mitchell’s Salon & Day Spa
Multiple locations including Kenwood, Tri-County and West Chester. mitchellssalon.com
Manicure/Pedicure
Ambiance Nail Salon & Spa
Multiple locations including Mason, Landen and West Chester. ambiancenailsalon.com
MasterStylist
Karen Welch, SoZo Hair by Bajon Salon & Spa
9069 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, West Chester. sozohair.net
Place for a Spa Day
Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa
9861 Waterstone Blvd, Cincinnati. handandstone.com
Entertainment
Bowling Alley
Main Event West Chester
9477 Oxford Way, West Chester. mainevent.com
Festival
Holiday in Lights
Sharon Woods, 11450 Lebanon Rd, Route 42, Sharonville. holidayinlights.com
Golf Course
Four Bridges Country Club
8300 Four Bridges Dr, Liberty Township. fourbridges.com
Live Music
Fretboard Brewing Company
5800 Creek Rd, Cincinnati. fretboardbrewing.com
Museum
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum
1763 Hamilton Cleves Rd, Hamilton. pyramidhill.org
Family
Birthday Party Location
EnterTRAINment Junction
379 Squire Ct, West Chester. entertrainmentjunction.com
Dance/Theatre Instruction
Mason Dance Center
600 Reading, Ste B, Mason. masondance.com
Daycare Center
The Goddard School of Mason
754 Reading Rd, Mason. goddardschool.com
“The Goddard School in Mason is a Cognia-accredited school that is a step above other area daycares/preschools because the school has an onsite owner who is very hands on and knows all of the students, teachers and parents at the school. The school also has an education director, who is in charge of making sure the teachers create lesson plans that meet the needs of every child in the classroom and also prepares the children for school, career and life. In addition to the education director, the school has an executive director, who is in charge of the daily operations of the school.” – Kerra Spaeth, On-site Owner
Education
Royalmont Academy
200 Northcrest Dr, Mason. royalmontacademy.org
Family Fun Entertainment
Topgolf
9568 Water Front Dr, West Chester. topgolf.com
Gymnastics Center
Perfection Gymnastics School
5637 Union Centre Dr, West Chester. perfectiongymnastics.com
Music Instruction
Cincinnati School of Music
Multiple locations including Montgomery and Mason. cincinnatischoolofmusic.com
Photographer
Copper Daisy Studios
copperdaisystudios.smugmug.com
Place for a Family Day
Irons Fruit Farm
1640 Stubbs Mill Rd, Lebanon. ironsfruitfarm.com
Preschool
The Goddard School of Mason
754 Reading Rd, Mason. goddardschool.com
School Spirit (K-12)
Mason City Schools
211 N East St, Mason. masonohioschools.com
Summer Camp
Cincinnati Nature Center
4949 Tealtown Rd, Milford. cincynature.org
“CincyNature Camp offers the fun and excitement of outdoor summer camp. Fresh air, hands-on activities, close encounters with animals and plants, mud, streams, songs, games and friendships are all a part of a day at our camps. We are proud to build confidence, passion and knowledge about the environment in all our campers.”
– Anne Horne, Public Engagement Manager
Swim Lessons
Goldfish Swim School – West Chester
7058 Ridgetop Dr, West Chester. goldfishswimschool.com
Health
Charitable Race
Shamrock Shuffle
theshamrockshuffle.com
Chiro
TJ Lonergan, DC Impact Health And Spine
11126 Luschek Dr, Blue Ash. impacthealthcenters.com
Dentist
Vita Dental
5841 Snider Rd, Mason. vitadental.com
Eye Doctor
Combs Family EyeCare
4883 Princeton Rd, Liberty Township. combseye.com
Fitness Center
TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion
6200 Pfeiffer Rd, Cincinnati. trihealth.com
Massage Therapist
Aruna Ramamurthy, Therapeutic Medical Massage
facebook.com/arunarMedicalMassageTherapy/
Medical Facility
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital – Liberty Campus
7777 Yankee Rd, Liberty Township. cincinnatichildrens.org
Medical Spa
Your Wellness Center
7770 Cooper Rd, #8, Cincinnati. yourwellnesscenter.com
Orthodontist
Cassinelli, Shanker, & Baker Orthodontics
Multiple locations including Blue Ash and West Chester. westchesterorthodontics.com
Pediatric Dentist
Beckett Dental Care
8300 Princeton-Glendale Rd, Ste 203, West Chester. beckettdentalcare.com
Pediatrician
Cincinnati Children’s Primary Care
Multiple locations including Mason, Liberty Township and Springdale. cincinnatichildrens.org
Personal Trainer
Shan’s Fitness Lab
shansfitnesslab.com
Shan’s Fitness Lab meets people where they are and pushes them to where they want to be, says owner Shannon Chaney-Whitson. “Since we started training, I’ve hiked mountains and rafted rivers, which are things I never dreamed I’d do between self-consciousness and just a total lack of stamina,” adds M.H., a client of three years.
Pharmacy
Yost Pharmacy
120 W Main St, Mason. yost-pharmacy.com
Yoga Studio
Body Alive Mason
4700 Duke Dr, Mason. bodyalivefitness.com
Pets
Groomer
Kayla’s Posh Pets
7090 Cornell Rd, Blue Ash. facebook.com/KaylasPoshPetsGroomingBoutique/
Pet Store
Pet Wants – Hamilton
139 Main St, Hamilton. petwants.com/hamilton/
Vet
Mason Animal Hospital
771 Reading Rd, Mason. masonanimalhospital.com
Places
Event Space
Cooper Creek Event Center
4040 Cooper Rd, Blue Ash. coopercreekblueash.com
Fitness Trail
Loveland Bike Trail
lovelandbiketrail.com
Hotel/Motel
Great Wolf Lodge
2501 Great Wolf Dr, Mason. greatwolf.com/mason
Park
Summit Park
4335 Glendale Milford Rd, Blue Ash. summitparkblueash.com
Place for a Picnic
Sharon Woods
11450 Lebanon Rd, Sharonville. greatparks.org
Place to have a Wedding
Manor House
7440 Mason Montgomery Rd, Mason. manorhouseohio.com
Services
Accounting/CPA
UGJ CPAs
7419 Kingsgate Way, West Chester. ugjcpa.com
Barber Shop
Gary’s Barber Shop
314 W Main St, Mason.
Car Wash
Mike’s Carwash
Multiple locations including Loveland, Milford and South Lebanon. mikescarwash.com
Computer Repair
Micro Center
11755 Mosteller Rd, Sharonville. microcenter.com
Dry Cleaner
Deluxe Cleaners
4974 Union Centre Pavilion, West Chester. deluxecleanersandalterations.com
“Deluxe Cleaners is the BON because we offer top-notch service! Every garment received is very important to our team and is handled with respect and care, delivering a high-end dry-cleaning experience. We take pride in establishing lasting relationships with our clients, which adds a personal touch.” – Lisa McLane, General Manager
Electric
Apollo Home
4538 Camberwell Rd, Cincinnati. apollohome.com
Exterminator
Extermital Termite & Pest Control
4700 State Route 42, Mason. extermital.com
Financial Planner
Stevens Investment Group, Inc.
8194 Liberty Way, West Chester. choosesig.com
Florist
Oberer’s Flowers
7675 Cox Ln, West Chester. oberers.com
Funeral Home
Spring Grove Funeral Homes – Tri-County
11285 Princeton Pike, Cincinnati. springgrove.org
Home Builder
Willow Creek Developers & Builders
willowcreekbuilds.com
Home Remodeler
Staley Transformations
staleytransformations.com
Insurance Agent
Andy McMahon, State Farm Insurance
5374A Cox Smith Rd, Mason. masonohinsurance.com
“Consistent commitment from our team to help our clients mange the risk of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams.” – Andy McMahon
Landscaper
Natorp’s Landscape Design
8601 Snider Rd, Cincinnati. natorp.com
Law
Tibbs Law Office
329 E Kemper Rd, #4230, Cincinnati. tibbslawoffice.com
“Our clients and our team make us the best. Our team is dedicated, professional and responsive and they put the best interests of our clients at the forefront. The relationships we have built with our clients are incredible and watching our clients transform from the beginning of a case to the end of the case is why we do what we do. We could not do what we do without our awesome clients.” -Daryle C. Tibbs, owner
Mortgage
Plum Tree Home Mortgage
6511 West Chester Rd, Ste B, West Chester. plumtreehomemortgage.com
Plumber
Pete The Plumber, Inc.
760 Columbus Ave, Lebanon. petetheplumberohio.com
Real Estate Agency
Rock n Roll Real Estate Team, RE/MAX Preferred Group
9032 Union Centre Blvd, Ste 100, West Chester. rockincincy.com
Retirement Community
Optimized Senior Living
150 Rough Way, Lebanon. optimizedseniorliving.com
Roofing
Overhead Roofing
3991 Hamitlon-Middletown Rd, Ste V, Fairfield. overheadroofing.com
Tire Center
Tire Discounters
Multiple locations including West Chester, Lebanon and Maineville. tirediscounters.com
Tree Care
The Davey Tree Expert Company
6065 Branch Hill Guinea Pike, Milford. davey.com
Shopping
Antiques
Ohio Valley Antique Mall
7285 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield. ohiovalleyantiques.com
Bike Shop
Montgomery Cyclery West Chester
8975 Cincinnati Columbus Rd, West Chester. montgomerycyclery.com
Bookstore
Half Price Books
Multiple locations including Kenwood and Mason. hpb.com
Consignment Shop
Clothes Mentor
Multiple locations including Fields Ertel and West Chester. clothesmentor.com
Farmer’s Market
West Chester Farmers Market
facebook.com/WestChesterMarket/
Garden Center
Natorp’s Nursery Outlet
8601 Snider Rd, Cincinnati. natorp.com
Grocery Store
Jungle Jim’s International Market
5440 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield. junglejims.com
Hardware
McCabe Do it Center
Multiple locations including Montgomery, Madeira and Delhi. mccabedoitcenter.com
Jeweler
Yelton Fine Jewelers
9263 Schulze Dr, West Chester. yeltons.com
“At Yelton’s our goal isn’t just to make a sale, it’s to develop a lifelong relationship with you, the customer. It’s earning your trust and creating exceptional experiences to truly becoming your personal family jeweler. Our community has certainly grown over the years and we continue to grow with it, but our promise to treat customers as friends and exceeding expectations remains the same. At the end of the day, we simply want our clients to feel like part of the family.” – Tina Yelton
Place for Home Accessories
Made to Love
6 S Second St, #102, Hamilton. made-to-love.org
Shopping Center
Liberty Center
7100 Foundry Row, Liberty Township. liberty-center.com
Special Gift Shop
Mim’s Off Main
623 Reading Rd, Mason. mimsoffmain.com
Thrift Shop
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Multiple locations including Mason and Milford. svdpcincinnati.org
