Need a roofer or a new fence? Looking to join a gym? In search of a chiropractor?
The Best of Anne Arundel County Readers’ Choice Contest can help. More than 9,500 votes were cast in this year’s readers’ poll, culling a list of the 119 top people to know, places to go and things to do.
Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to nominate and vote online in February and March.
Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park, Skipjack Wilma Lee
Country Club: Annapolis Yacht Club
Chartwell Golf & Country Club
The Golf Club at South River
Dance lessons: Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Arnold
Dance Center of Severna Park
Day trip: Town of St. Michaels
Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
From left, Milissa Rhodes, Capt. Jake Iverson, Reid “Squire Curtis” Bowman, and Jamie Foster, director of land operations stand next to the tour ship Harbor Queen which picks up more passengers at the Annapolis city dock at Watermark Tours Wednesday., May 11, 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff) (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun)
Cruises depart from Annapolis City Dock.
Annapolis walking tours begin at various places. 410-268-7601. watermarkjourney.com
It began in 1972 with one man, a boat and a wish to give sightseeing cruises on the Chesapeake Bay. Fifty years later, Watermark is a bustling business, boasting 12 charter vessels ripe for weddings, proms and corporate parties. It’s a surf and turf venture, offering land-based tours of Annapolis as well, from enlightening jaunts through the historic district to spooky ghost walks at night, led by guides (“squires” and “mistresses”) dressed in colonial garb and sharing engrossing tales.
One popular tour, dubbed “Scandalous Annapolis,” offers a lighthearted look at the town’s seamy side and is restricted to those 21-and-over. Other walks, most lasting two hours, tout the town’s African American Heritage, Women of Achievement and ArchiTrex, an architectural glimpse of the town’s older buildings.
“We love it when people leave saying, ‘I had a good time, and I learned something,’ " said Jake Iversen. With his wife, Laura, Iversen bought Watermark in January. Having grown up nearby, he had taken the boat tours as a kid and captained one of the company’s vessels in the past.
Boats have been chartered for everything from marriage proposals to company crab feasts for 250 guests and catered solely by local establishments.
Annapolis Ghost Tours & Crawls
William Paca House & Garden
Naturalization Ceremony and Fourth of July at William Paca House
Golf course: The Golf Club at South River
Interactive/Entertainment: Ecoadventures LLC (tie) and Mission Escape Rooms (tie)
Live music venue: Rams Head On Stage
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts
Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland
Museum: Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
William Paca House & Garden
Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
Special event venue: Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
William Paca House & Garden
Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
Theater company: The Colonial Players
Ballet Theatre of Maryland (tie)
Carlson’s Donuts & Thai Kitchen
Evelyn “Evie” Loftus Turner, vice president of Main & Market, with brunch inspired catering. (Kim Hairston/The Baltimore Sun )
914 Bay Ridge Road, Annapolis. 410-626-0388. mainandmarket.com
It hosts parties in stadiums, on yachts and in cornfields; caters events with as many as 1,200 guests and as few as two; and dishes up everything from paella to vegetarian fare.
“We take pride in being flexible,” said Evie Turner, vice-president of Main & Market Catering. “That, and the trust people have in us coming into their homes at special times in their lives.”
A go-to in Annapolis for nearly 30 years, Main & Market catered the 2004 wedding reception of Governor Larry Hogan (then Maryland Secretary of Appointments) and his wife, Yumi, at the William Paca House. It handles 1,500 events annually, from corporate crab feasts to college reunions to first communions.
Popular entrees include a traditional tenderloin and crab cake, salmon Wellington and grilled lime shrimp kabobs. Signature items are the pumpkin muffins and dried cranberry chicken salad. The in-house bakery cranks out a killer chocolate mousse pie and nine types of wedding cakes. The favorite? An almond pound cake with raspberry filling and sweet buttercream icing.
No challenge is too great, Turner said:
“We’ve catered a marriage proposal for two that was held at the end of a very long dock, and we’ve dressed as leprechauns for a St. Patrick’s Day event. Last month we catered a sunrise wedding.”
Highs Dairy Store Car Wash
Farmers market/stand: Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer’s Market
Anne Arundel County Farmers Market
Grocery store: Graul’s Market
Liquor store: Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits
Place to buy seafood: Annapolis Seafood Markets
DeMaio Family Chiropractic & Physical Therapy
Arnold Chiropractic Center, David M. Sortisio
Cosmetic surgeon: Annapolis Plastic Surgery
The Sandel Duggal Center for Plastic Surgery
Maryland Plastic Surgery, Dr. Adam Summers
Day spa: Even Keel Wellness Spa
Stacie’s Natural Touch LLC
Dental care: McCarl Dental Group at Shipley’s Choice
Dr. John D. Ritter & Dr. James S. Cleary
Family doctor/general practice: Maryland Primary Care Physicians
MedStar Health: Primary Care at Annapolis
Amy Ricker, Annapolis Family Medicine
Fitness/health club: Excel Pilates Annapolis Inc.
Pip Moyer Recreation Center (Annapolis Recreation and Parks)
Gastroenterologist: Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates
Home health care: Response Senior Care
MedStar Health Home Care - Central Maryland
Luminis Health Gilchrist Lifecare Institute
Griswold Home Care of Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s Counties
Hospital: Anne Arundel Medical Center
UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center
Katie Shook of Glen Burnie treats her feet to a pedicure by nail technician Jacqui Shreve, at Nails by Jacqui at 139 Professional Center Wednesday., May 11, 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff) (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun)
By appointment only at 139 Old Solomons Island Road, Annapolis. Prices range from $65 for a standard pedicure to $215 per toenail for reconstructive work. 443-949-9542. facebook.com/nailsbyjacquiatfeet1st/
Jacqui Shreve quite literally helps her clients put their best feet forward.
Shreve, who is in her mid-40s, specializes in reconstructing and reshaping toenails for customers that have been severely deformed by injury, disease or illness. She uses a flexible, durable composite resin product that restores the appearance of the toenails while allowing the remaining natural nail to grow.
Because many clients have compromised immune systems, she ensures that her office and equipment meet the cleanliness standards set by hospitals and clinics. Many of her tools are used one time and then discarded, while others are sanitized between visits.
“This is a place where people with damaged toenails can get safe pedicures,” Shreve said
“There’s always an emotional moment when my clients see their reconstructed nails for the first time. The number of people who cry after getting one of my pedicures — I never expected that.”
Bella Lifestyle Nail Salon & Spa
Stacie’s Natural Touch LLC
Martial arts: Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
A.J. Bartlinski’s Karate Supercenter
OB/GYN: Chesapeake Women’s Care
MedStar Harbor Women’s Care (tie)
Ophthalmologist: Chesapeake Eye Care and Laser Center
The Retina Group of Washington
Optometrist: Chesapeake Eye Care and Laser Center
Peepers Eyecare Center - Gambrills Eye Doctor
Mairead M. O’Reilly, DDS, MS, PA & Associates
Specialists in Orthodontics Maryland (tie)
Podiatrist: Podiatry Group of Annapolis
Therapist/counselor: Congruent Counseling Services
Anchored Hope Therapy LLC (tie)
Shoreline Counseling Services LLC (tie)
Urgent care: ExpressCare Urgent Care Center
MedStar Health: Urgent Care at Annapolis
The Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins
Vein center: O’Donnell Vein & Laser
Center For Vein Restoration, Dr. Khanh Nguyen
Veterinary care: Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital
Yoga Factory Annapolis & Crofton
Clergyperson: Patrick Woods, St. Mary’s Parish
Elected official: Gavin Buckley, Mayor of Annapolis
Personal trainer: Brian Graham, Movement Matters
Mark Fleming, Three-2 Health & Fitness
Karen Soneira, Germantown Elementary School principal. May 6, 2022. (Kim Hairston/The Baltimore Sun )
200 Windell Ave., Annapolis. 410-222-1615
Under Karen Soneira’s leadership, Germantown Elementary School doesn’t embrace only the 550 pupils enrolled in pre-kindergarten through the fifth grade. It embraces entire families.
More than three-quarters of Germantown Elementary’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and for two-thirds, English is their second language.
During the past eight years, Soneira (who is retiring in June) has established after-school programs for kids, weekend field trips for families and an in-school dental program. Shoes that Fit provides free sneakers through a California organization while Backpack Buddies sends home bags of food including snacks, easy dinner meals and fresh fruit.
All school clubs, from cooking to soccer to dance, are free for pupils, as is transportation. In addition to the standard curriculum of science and math, Germantown students are taught such social skills as expressing empathy.
“Germantown is working to close the gap,” Soneira said, “so all of our kids can grow towards success.”
Erin White, Assistant Principal, Chesapeake High School
Appliances: ABC Appliance Sales And Service Inc.
Architecture firm: Purple Cherry Architects
Attorney: Hillman Brown & Darrow
Deborah L. Potter, Potter Burnett Law
Koons Ford Lincoln of Annapolis
Bayside Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Annapolis
Bank/credit union: Navy Federal Credit Union
Til Next Time Hair Salon
Del’s Barber & Styling Shop
Car repair: Accurate Auto Service
Edelen’s Auto Repair & Towing
Charity/non profit: Light House Bistro
Friends Of The Light House
SPAN - Serving People Across Neighborhoods
Day care center: Creative Gardens Learning Center
Bright Beginning Children’s Learning Center
Doggie day care: Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat
Dry cleaner: ZIPS Dry Cleaners
Financial advisor: Brian M. Conrad, Edward Jones
Craig & Treff Financial Services
Michael G Hilliard, Ameriprise Financial Services LLC (tie)
Funeral home: Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory
Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care
John M. Taylor Funeral Home
Singleton Funeral & Cremation Services, P.A.
Hair salon: Hudson & Fouquet Salon
The Park Salon And Barber
Home improvement: Clarksville Construction Services Inc.
Homebuilder: K. Hovnanian Companies LLC
Housecleaner: Ivania’s Cleaning Service
HVAC: Clarksville Heating and Air LLC
W.L. Staton Plumbing, Heating & Cooling
Coastal Heating & Air Conditioning Co. Inc. (tie)
Grove Heating & Cooling (tie)
Insurance company: USAA Financial Center
Interior design: Anna Graham Interiors
Jams Lawn & Gardening Inc
Mortgage lender: Tara Dean, Primary Residential Mortgage Inc.
The Lamborne Lending Team, Powered by First County Mortgage
John Rivers is vice president and owner of Mosquito-Man, which was named best pest control company in Anne Arundel County. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)
1230 Cronson Blvd, Unit A, Crofton. 410-403-0102. mosquito-man.com
It sounds like a Marvel movie hero. Instead, Mosquito-Man is a popular Crofton firm bent on ridding the world — or at least a shore-lined slice of it — of the flying, biting insects that menace backyard barbecues.
Each summer, Mosquito-Man serves nearly 2,000 clients, from homeowners to businesses to private schools, with synthetic or organic sprays to shoo the pests so prevalent in water’s-edge locales. A mom-and-pop enterprise with a staff of five, it thrives on personal service and customers who know their technicians by name.
“We send [techs] on the same routes to spray, so they know which homeowners own dogs, raise bees and have koi ponds,” general manager Cora Sunagoowie said. “People appreciate that.”
Ticks have also been on the hit list since owner John Rivers contracted Lyme disease “and made it part of his mission to try and prevent it in our area,” Sunagoowie said.
On the desk of her office sits a mosquito figurine made of old auto parts, a kitschy Christmas gift from her colleagues.
“It’s very, very unique,” she said. “I guess I’m the Mosquito-Man woman.”
Bugout Termite & Pest Control Inc.
Pet grooming: U Dirty Dog
Carrie’s K-9 Clips (tie)
W.L. Staton Plumbing, Heating & Cooling
D K Miller Plumbing Inc.
Sunrise Premiere Pool Builders LLC
Real estate agent: Sofia Jones, Northrop Realty, A Long & Foster Company
Starr Hood with Keller Williams Flagship
Chip Macgill, eXp Realty LLC
Long & Foster Eastport Annapolis
Spring Arbor of Severna Park
Nu Look Home Design Inc.(tie)
Shoe store: Charm City Run LLC
Stone & tile: The Stone Store
Compass Stone & Tile Studio
Tanning salon: Palm Beach Tan
Antiques: Evergreen Antiques and True Vintage
Annapolis Antique & Consignment Shop
Apartment/condo: Crosswinds at Annapolis Town Center
Owners Donna DeGarcia, left, and Sofia Garcia, right the mother-daughter team owning Blanca Flor Silver Jewelry in Annapolis. (Greg Russell / HANDOUT)
Prices range from $10 to $1,500. 34 Market Space, Annapolis. 410-268-7666. blancaflorsilverjewelry.com
The mother and daughter team of Donna De Garcia, 68, and Sofia Garcia, 32, have created a boutique showcasing fine silver jewelry that is midway between a chain store and an art gallery.
De Garcia established Blanca Flor in 1993 when she was a bride living in Mexico and became enamored of the extraordinary silver pieces created there. Though Blanca Flor still has a heavily south-of-the-border influence, mother and daughter now import sterling silver jewelry worldwide from Poland to Indonesia.
And here’s a news flash for customers with a common skin allergy — Blanca Flor’s creations are nickel-free.
“We work with families of artisans that we have built relationships with,” Garcia said. “Mom worked with the grandparents, and now I’m meeting the grandchildren. It’s important to keep buying from these people so we preserve their designs and pass them down through the generations.”
Bicycle shop: Arnold Bike Doctor
Bookstore: Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse
Bridal shop: Annapolis Bridal & Tuxedo
Love & Lace Bridal Boutique
Mary’s Designer Bridal Boutique
Fence & deck: Fence & Deck Connection Inc.
Fine jewelry: Zachary’s Jewelers
Flooring: National Carpet and Flooring
SaraYoung Weddings & Events LLC
Enchanted Art & Sole Comfort Footwear
Hardware store: Cape Ace Hardware
K&B True Value
Kitchen & bath: Costello’s Ace Hardware of Edgewater
Lower private school: Montessori International Children’s House
Annapolis Area Christian School, Annapolis Lower School Campus
Marina: Bert Jabin Yacht Yard
Tri-State Marine Tackle Shop (tie)
Mattress store: The Mattress Store
Montessori school: Montessori International Children’s House
Evergreen Gene’s Inc. Landscaping & Garden Center
Silver jewelry: Blanca Flor Silver Jewelry
Upper private school: Archbishop Spalding High School