Celebrate Your Best of St. Croix Valley 2024

Join us in congratulating the winners and finalists of our annual Readers’ Choice Poll.

Life brings us so many reasons to celebrate. Another trip around the sun, welcoming a new life, uniting two families—each of these moments is defined by the people who join us in witnessing it. And here we all are, together again, as we look to the businesses and service providers that have given us so much—our Best of St. Croix Valley 2024. Let’s revel in our community’s mutual successes this year and congratulate our neighbors for this significant achievement. Here’s to another beautiful year in the Valley! —Zoe Yates

Dining

Best Bakery

1. St. Croix Baking Company
2. Buddy’s Bakery
3. Sweet Beet Bakery

Best Bar, Brewery or Distillery

1. 45th Parallel Distillery
2. Pitchfork Brewing
3. Hop & Barrel Brewing Company

Best Breakfast or Brunch

1. Key’s Café & Bakery
2. San Pedro Café
3. Oasis Café

Best Burger

1. Barker’s Bar & Grill
2. Milwaukee Burger Company
3. Agave Kitchen

Best Desserts or Ice Cream

1. Knoke’s Chocolates and Nuts
2. Nelson’s Ice Cream
3. St. Croix Baking Company

Best International Cuisine

1. San Pedro Café
2. Miko Thai Kitchen
3. Sapporo Japanese Restaurant

Best Outdoor Dining Space

1. Pier 500
2. San Pedro Café
3. Junior’s Restaurant and Tap House

Best Pizza

1. Bricks Neapolitan Pizza
2. Melt Pizza Company
3. EJ’s Pizzeria

Best Plant-Based or Vegan Menu

1. Urban Olive & Vine
2. The Wild Hare
3. Protein House

Best Restaurant

1. San Pedro Café
2. LoLo American Kitchen and Craft Bar
3. Pier 500

Abode

Best Carpet and Flooring Store

1. Carpeting By Mike
2. H & F Home Furnishings
3. Larry’s Floor Covering

Best Custom Home Builder

1. Hartman Homes
2. Derrick Custom Homes
3. Wittstock Builders

Best Garden Center

1. Rose Floral
2. Farrill’s Sunrise Nursery and Garden Center
3. Black’s Greenhouse

Best Home Décor or Furniture Store

1. H & F Home Furnishings
2. The 715
3. Brick + Linen

Best Interior Design Firm

1. Kelli Kaufer Designs
2. Bobbie Peterson Interiors
3. Brick + Linen

Best Landscape Design Service

1. Willow River Company
2. Stone & Leaf Landscaping
3. Earthworks Landscaping

Best Remodeler

1. Petta Building & Design
2. Tie: Derrick Custom Homes; W3 construction

Best Senior Living Residence

1. Red Cedar Canyon
2. Boutwells Landing
3. Christian Community Homes

Self-Care

Best Barbershop

1. Prohibition Barbers
2. The Hudson Barber Shop
3. Creative Blendz

Best Boutique Fitness or Yoga Studio

1. Light House Yoga + Fitness
2. Fit PT
3. Solo Yoga + Bxng

Best Hair Salon

1. Tangled Salon & Spa
2. The Colour Lounge
3. 4 North Beauty Collective

Best Manicure and Pedicure

1. 21 Nails
2. INails & Spa
3. Turbo Nails Oak Park Heights

Best Massage

1. Just For Me “The Spa”
2. Lori’s Salon & Day Spa
3. The Calla Lily Day Spa

Best Med Spa (must have licensed physician on site)

1. St Croix Skincare
2. Northern Allure Aesthetics
3. Stillwater Skin MedSpa

Best Spa (for skin care and body and beauty treatments)

1. Just for Me “The Spa”
2. Lori’s Salon & Day Spa
3. Northern Allure Aesthetics

Wellness

Best Chiropractic Practice

1. Vitality Chiropractic
2. Croixview Family Chiropractic
3. McCabe Chiropractic & Wellness Center

Best Dental Practice

1. Park Dental
2. Oakwood Dental
3. Associated Dentists & Orthodontics

Best Dermatology Practice

1. Advanced Dermatology Care
2. Forefront Dermatology
3. Dermatology Consultants

Best Eye Care Practice

1. Associated Eye Care
2. Christensen Vision Care
3. Ritzinger Eye Clinic

Best Family Medicine Practice

1. Hudson Physicians
2. HealthPartners Clinic Stillwater
3. Western Wisconsin Health

Best Holistic Wellness Practice

1. Healing Waters Health Center
2. Fit PT
3. Autumn Enloe Nutrition

Best OB-GYN Practice

1. Hudson Physicians
2. Minnesota Women’s Care
3. Evensong Women’s Health and Midwifery

Best Orthodontic Practice

1. Orchin + Orchin
2. Brettin Orthodontics
3. Valley Orthodontics

Best Pediatric Practice

1. St. Croix Kidds Pediatric Dentistry
2. Hudson Physicians
3. Central + Priority Pediatrics

Learning

Best Dance Studio

1. The Dancing House
2. Helmer Dance Studio
3. The Phipps Center for the Arts

Best Preschool Program

1. Trinity Academy
2. Bethel Highland Preschool
3. Sunny Hill Preschool

Best Swim School or Lessons

1. River Falls Swim Club
2. Hudson YMCA
3. Foss Swim School – Vadnais Heights

Pet Care

Best Dog-Friendly Business (Dining or Retail venue)

1. Urban Olive & Vine
2. Angel’s Pet World
3. Hop & Barrel Brewing Company

Best Dog Park

1. Hudson Dog Park
2. River Falls Dog Park
3. Andy’s Bark Park

Best Pet Boarding or Daycare Service

1. Paws and Claws Pet Resort
2. K9-Playtime
3. Goldwood Kennels

Best Pet Grooming Service

1. Angel’s Pet World
2. Diggity Dawg Grooming
3. Paws and Claws Pet Resort

Best Veterinarian Practice

1. Croix Valley Veterinary Hospital
2. Kinnic Veterinary Service
3. Animal Care Center

Shops

Best Apparel Boutique

1. La Rue Marche
2. One:Nine Boutique
3. The Purple Tree

Best Florist

1. Hudson Flower Shop
2. Rose Floral & Greenhouse
3. Blooms for Happiness

Best Gift Shop

1. The Bee’s Knees
2. The Purple Tree
3. Somerscents Candles

Best Jewelry Store

1. Beth’s Jewelry Shop
2. Stokes Jewelry
3. Diamonds on Main

Best Specialty Food or Kitchen Store

1. Grand Fête
2. Knoke’s Chocolates and Nuts
3. Hudson Grocery Cooperative*

*Formerly known as Fresh and Natural Foods.

Leisure

Best Beach, Open Space or Park

1. Willow River State Park
2. Perch Lake
3. Lakefront Park

Best Date Night Spot

1. Lolo American Kitchen + Craft Bar
2. Pier 500
3. San Pedro Café

Best Outdoor Spot for Graduation Photos

1. Willow River State Park
2. Pioneer Park
3. Stillwater Lift Bridge

Best Place for Family Activities

1. Willow River State Park
2. Glen Park
3. Hudson GNG

Best Venue to Watch Fourth of July Fireworks

1. Lakefront Park
2. Downtown Hudson
3. Downtown Stillwater

Best of the East Metro

Best Alpine Hill or Nordic Ski Trail

1. Afton Alps
2. Trollhaugen Ski Area
3. Tie: Lake Elmo Park Reserve; Willow River State Park

Best Biking or Hiking Trail

1. Willow River State Park
2. Brown’s Creek State Trail
3. Tie: Kinnickinnic State Park; Whitetail Ridge

Best Bridal or Formal Wear Store

1. Tie: Our Shop Bridal; Raffiné Bridal
2. Bella Bridal Boutique

Best Family Photographer

1. Lisa Buth Photography
2. Markfortography
3. Isa Wines Photography

Best Financial Services (financial planners, wealth management, estate planning, etc.)

1. Leverty Financial Group
2. Edward Jones
3. RBC Wealth Management

Best Golf Course

1. White Eagle Golf Club
2. Troy Burne Golf Club
3. Kilkarney Hills Golf Club

Best Law Practice

1. Galowitz Olson Law Firm
2. Heywood, Cari, Anderson, S.C.
3. Mudge Porter Lundeen & Seguin, S.C.

Best Music School

1. Brickhouse Music
2. Tie: Donna B’s Creative Arts; Hovland Conservatory

Best Outdoor Skating Rink

1. Burton Field
2. M Health Fairview Sports Center
3. Perro Park

Best Private School

1. Trinity Academy
2. Saint Patrick Catholic School
3. St. Bridget Parish School

Best Professional Theatre

1. The Phipps Center for the Arts
2. Tie: Open Window Theatre; The Zephyr Theatre

Best Staycation Hotel

1. Hotel Crosby
2. Lora Hotel
3. Lowell Inn

Best Summer Camp

1. Tie: Hidden Pines Ranch; YMCA Camp St. Croix
2. YMCA Camp DayCroix

Best Wedding Photographer or Videographer

1. Markfortography
2. Dakota Layne Photography
3. Tie: Isa Wines Photography; Sophia Huber Photography

Best Wedding Venue

1. Tie: JX Venue; Larson Barn
2. Belle âme Vineyard

Best Winery

1. Rustic Roots
2. Cracked Barrel Winery
3. 7 Vines Vineyard and Winery