It’s time to meet the finalists for Best of St. Croix Valley 2023.
In January, we invited St. Croix Valley Magazine readers to reflect on their favorites in the Valley and cast their votes in our annual readers’ poll. Now, it’s time to announce the finalists for Best of St. Croix Valley 2023 (listed in alphabetical order). Stay tuned for our June/July Best of St. Croix Valley issue when we announce the winners.
Dining
Best Breakfast or Brunch
- Keys Café & Bakery
- Oasis Café
- San Pedro Café
Best Bakery
- Buddy’s Bakery
- St. Croix Baking Company
- Sweet Beet Bakery
Best Desserts or Ice Cream
- Knoke’s Chocolates and Nuts
- Nelson’s Ice Cream
- St. Croix Baking Company
Best Bar, Brewery or Distillery
- Lift Bridge Brewery
- Pitchfork Brewing
- Tattersall Distilling
Best International Cuisine
- Miko Thai Kitchen
- San Pedro Café
- Sapporo Japanese Restaurant
Best Locally-Owned Coffee Shop
- The Daily Grind Espresso Cafe
- Ember and Bean Roasting Co
- Joe to Go
Best Outdoor Dining Space
- The Dock Stillwater
- Pier 500
- San Pedro Café
Best Plant-Based or Vegan Menu
- Protein House
- Urban Olive & Vine
- The Wild Hare
Best Restaurant
- LoLo American Kitchen and Craft Bar
- Pier 500
- San Pedro Café
Best Restaurant for a Power Lunch
- LoLo American Kitchen and Craft Bar
- Protein House
- Urban Olive & Vine
Best Takeout or Curbside Service
- Agave Kitchen
- Dragon Pearl
- Miko Thai Kitchen
Best Burger
- Agave Kitchen
- Barker’s Bar & Grill
- Milwaukee Burger Company
Best Chicken Sandwich
- Agave Kitchen
- Barker’s Bar & Grill
- Pier 500
Best Pizza
- Bricks Neapolitan Pizza
- Carbone’s Pizzeria
- EJ’s Pizzeria
Abode
Best Builder
- Derrick Building Solutions
- Divine Custom Homes
- Hartman Builders
Best Carpet and Flooring Store
- Carpeting by Mike
- H&F Home Furnishings
- Larry’s Flooring
Best Home Cleaning Service
- Clean Beans LLC
- Cleaning with Meaning
- Dunn Right Cleaning Services
Best Home Decor and Furniture Store
- Brick + Linen
- Reclaiming Beautiful
- Smith + Trade Mercantile
- The 715
Best Interior Design Firm
- Bell Interiors
- Draper House Design Co.
- Kelli Kaufer Design
Best Landscape Design Service
- P&K Lawn Care
- Stone & Leaf Landscaping
- Willow River Company
Best Lawn Service
- Fitzgerald Lawn Care
- P&K Lawn Care
- Willow River Company
Best Locally-Owned Hardware Store
- Doyle’s Farm & Home Ace
- River Falls Ace Hardware
- Stillwater Ace Hardware
Best Garden Center
- Abrahamson Nurseries
- Farrill’s Sunrise Nursery and Garden Center
- Rose Floral and Greenhouse
Best Remodeler
- Leading Edge Contracting, LLC
- Petta Building & Design
- St. Croix Carpentry
- The Fortress Project
- W3 Construction
Best Senior Living Residence
- Boutwells Landing
- Croixdale
- The Deerfield
Self-Care
Best Barbershop
- Prohibition Barbers
- The Hair Tailor
- The Hudson Barber Shop
Best Boutique Fitness or Yoga Studio
- Inspiring Actions
- Light House Yoga + Fitness
- Solo Yoga + Bxng
Best Med Spa
- Northern Allure Aesthetics
- St Croix Skincare
- Willow MedSpa & Fitness
Best Place for a Manicure and Pedicure
- INails & Spa
- Turbo Nails Oak Park Heights
- 21 Nails
Best Salon Spa
- Just for Me “The Spa”
- Tangled Salon & Spa
- The Hair Tailor
Wellness
Best Allergy Practice
- Allergy and Asthma Center of Minnesota
- HeathPartners Clinic – Stillwater
- Midwest Ear Nose & Throat Specialists
- River Point Family Acupuncture
- Wellnessgal Nutrition Consulting
Best Chiropractic Practice
- Croixview Family Chiropractic
- MoveWell Chiropractic and Sports Therapy
- Vitality Chiropractic
Best Cosmetic Dentistry Practice
- Ashley Dental
- Carlson Dental Group
- Lift Dental
- Oakwood Dental
- Orchin + Orchin Specialists in Orthodontics
Best Dental Practice
- Oakwood Dental
- Smiles in Motion Pediatric Dentistry
- St. Croix Kidds Pediatric Dentistry
Best Dermatology Practice
- Advanced Dermatology Care
- Dermatology Consultants
- Forefront Dermatology
Best Eye Care Practice
- Associated Eye Care
- Christenson Vision Care
- Shopko Optical
Best Family Medicine Practice
- M Health Fairview Clinic – Stillwater
- HealthPartners Stillwater Medical Group
- Hudson Physicians
Best Holistic Wellness Practice
- Autumn Enloe Nutrition
- Fit PT
- River Point Family Acupuncture
Best OB-GYN Practice
- Evensong Women’s Health and Midwifery
- Hudson Physicians
- Minnesota Women’s Care
Best Orthopedic Practice
- Summit Orthopedics
- TRIA Orthopedics
- Twin Cities Orthopedics
- Westfields Hospital & Clinic
Best Orthodontic Practice
- Brettin Orthodontics
- Orchin & Orchin Specialists in Orthodontics
- Sletten Orthodontics
- Valley Orthodontics
Best Pediatric Practice
- Hudson Physicians
- Smiles in Motion Pediatric Dentistry
- St. Croix Kidds Pediatric Dentistry
Learning
Best Dance Studio
- Helmer Dance Studio
- Dance Explosion
- The Dancing House
Best Learning or Tutoring Center
- Huntington Learning Center
- Mathnasium
- Trinity Academy
Best Preschool Program
- Bethel Highlands Preschool
- Sunny Hill Preschool
- Trinity Academy
Best Swim School or Lessons
- Foss Swim School – Vadnais Heights
- Goldfish Swim School – Oakdale
- River Valley Athletic Club
Pet Care
Best Pet Boarding or Daycare Service
- Goldwood Kennels
- K9-Playtime
- Paws and Claws Pet Resort
Best Dog-Friendly Establishment
- Hop and Barrel Brewing
- Made Coffee
- River Siren Brewing
- Urban Olive & Vine
Best Dog Park
- Hudson Dog Park
- New Richmond Off Leash Dog Park
- River Falls Dog Park
Best Pet Grooming Service
- Angel’s Pet World
- Diggity Dawg Grooming
- Paws and Claws Pet Resort
Best Veterinarian Practice
- Animal Care Center
- Croix Valley Veterinary Hospital
- Hillcrest Animal Hospital
Services
Best Accounting
- Ahola, Mack & Associates, Ltd
- Forward Accounting
- Guinn, Vinopal & Zahradka, LLP
- MidAmerica Financial
Best Family Photographer
- Hello Dolly Photography
- Lisa Buth Photography
- Markfortography
- NP Design & Photography
Best Home Inspector
- Acer Home Inspections
- Block By Block Home Inspections, Inc.
- Brian Wert Inspection Agency
Best Law Practice
- Eckberg Lammers P.C.
- Galowitz Olson Law Firm
- Nicolet Law
Best Mortgage Company
- CrossCounty Mortgage
- Royal Credit Union
- WESTconsin Credit Union
Shops
Best Apparel Boutique
- La Rue Marche
- Mainstream Boutique
- Whatnot Boutique
Best Florist
- Bo Jons Flowers and Gifts
- Hudson Flower Shop
- Rose Floral & Greenhouse
Best Gift Shop
- Darn Knit Anyway
- The Bees Knees
- The Purple Tree
Best Jewelry Store
- Beth’s Jewelry Shop
- Stokes Jewelry Services
- The 715
Best Specialty Kitchen or Foods Store
- Alfresco Casual Living
- Candyland
- Grand Fête
- River Market Market Community Co-Op
Leisure
Best Park, Open Space or Beach
- Lakefront Park
- Perch Lake
- Pioneer Park
Best Place for a Date Night
- Lolo American Kitchen + Craft Bar
- MatchStick Restaurant & Spirits
- Pier 500
Best Place for Family Activities
- Hudson GNG
- Hudson YMCA
- Willow River State Park
Best Place for an Outdoor Adventure
- Kinnickinnic State Park
- St. Croix Boom Site
- William O’Brien State Park
- Willow River State Park
Best Place to Watch Fourth of July Fireworks
- Lakefront Park
- Lowell Park
- Pioneer Park
Best of the East Metro
Best Golf Course
- New Richmond Golf Club
- Troy Burne Golf Club
- White Eagle Golf Club
Best Speciality Athletic Store
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- Run N Fun
- St. Croix Shoes
Best Music School
- Brickhouse Music
- Hovland Conservatory
Best Summer Camp
- Hidden Pines Ranch
- The Dancing House
- YMCA Camp St. Croix
Best Staycation Hotel
- Hotel Crosby
- Lora
- Lowell Inn
Best Theater Program
- Stillwater Area High School Theatre
- The Phipps Center for Performing Arts
- The Zephyr Theater
Best Private School
- Hill-Murray School
- Trinity Academy
- Saint Patrick Catholic School
- St. Croix Catholic School
Best Outdoor Skating or Hockey Rink
- Burton Field
- Perro Park
- St. Croix Valley Recreation Center
Best Winery
- Belle Ame Vineyard & Events
- Rustic Roots
- 7 Vines Vineyard
Discover Minnesota + Wisconsin
Best Campground
- Lake Elmo Park Reserve
- William O’Brien State Park
- Willow River State Park
Best Hiking or Biking Trail
- Brown’s Creek State Trail
- Gateway State Trail
- Willow River State Park
Best Entertainment Venue
- JX Event Center
- Xcel Energy Center
- Ziggy’s
Best Live Theater
- Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
- The Phipps Center for Performing Arts
- The Zephyr Theater
Best Museum
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Octagon House Museum
- Science Museum of Minnesota
Best Music Venue
- First Avenue
- The Armory
- Ziggy’s
Best Nordic Ski Trail or Alpine Hill
- Afton Alps
- Lake Elmo Park Reserve
- Trollhaugen Outdoor Recreation Area
Best Resort or Lodge
- Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior
- Grand View Lodge
- The Outing Lodge
Best Wedding Photographer or Videographer
- Markfortography
- Rachel Ritter Photography
- Skyler Seviola
Best Wedding Venue
- JX Event Center
- The Loft at Studio J
- 7 Vines Vineyard
