Readers vote for the best in San Benito County
We know a thing or two about Mexican food, we recognize
Pinnacles National Monument as the signature icon not only of this
newspaper, but of San Benito County itself, and we prefer to find
romance right at home.
Readers vote for the best in San Benito County
We know a thing or two about Mexican food, we recognize Pinnacles National Monument as the signature icon not only of this newspaper, but of San Benito County itself, and we prefer to find romance right at home.
That’s the essence of the first-ever Pinnacle Awards reader poll, a newspaper ballot covering more than 80 categories that appeared over three editions a few weeks ago.
We asked for your opinion, and you responded with verve. When we closed the window on balloting, we had a stack of returns about five inches high. Staff members – led by city editor Melissa Flores – tallied votes through a long weekend. And what you revealed about yourselves and the county we all love and call our home says as much about us as it does about San Benito.
As a rule, the votes show that we shun chains. There are notable exceptions, of course, but we show a distinct preference for putting our money in our neighbors’ pockets.
Like any election, there were some anomalies, of course. As far as we are from Chicago and Florida, some obvious examples of ballot stuffing emerged. While it did not occur to us to put a carpet cleaning business on the ballot, a write-in campaign cleared up our oversight.
But we decided before voting began to take a page from Florida’s secretary of state and to just count ’em as we got ’em. If your favorite sandwich shop did not get the nod, perhaps that’s because you and your friends did not vote, or because the other guys tried a little harder.
As in any democracy, the outcome is only as good as our involvement.
Because our ballot was open ended, voters were not prompted to just put a check next to a named business or individual. That means that the responses in some categories ran upwards of a dozen choices. Given that we cover more than 80 categories, and that you may want to finish reading this section in one sitting, we’ll limit our report to the winner and runner-up in each category. We would also invite you to save this section to refer to through the year. Find some new favorites and get ready to dispute others in next year’s balloting. Mostly, we hope you have fun.
We divided balloting into what we thought were logical categories: San Benito County, Local Dining, San Benito People and Local Services.
And now, the envelope please.
San Benito County
Best Landmark or Historical Site
Pinnacles National Monument, with a runner-up nod to Mission San Juan Bautista. Pinnacles scored the most votes in the most categories (see related story) in this year’s poll. The county’s only national park or monument, the remote collection of caves and crags appears on the county seal and in our hearts as the icon of our home.
Best Hike
Again, Pinnacles wins the game, with 39 votes to the Fremont Peak runner-up at just five votes. For first-timers with a few hours to spare, the best look at the park begins at the Bear Gulch parking area. Take a trip up Condor Gulch to the High Peaks Trail, then down to either the Moses Springs trail, past a verdant jungle of ferns sprouting at the base of a plume of water that leaks from solid rock or through the caves that draw most visitors to Pinnacles.
The caves are not lighted, and the meaning of full darkness will be dramatically brought home to any who try to venture there without flashlights. The caves are closed for part of the year when resident bats are caring for their young.
Best Drive
Got an hour and $5 for gas? A trip starting on San Benito Street, over the Union Bridge and left on Cienega Road, then back to town on Airline Highway through Paicines and Tres Pinos is the best 33 mile diversion on voters’ lists. Even the runner-up – Airline Hwy – hints at the same drive. The loop brings drivers along the trace of the San Andreas Fault, evidence of which is everywhere to the trained eye, past wineries and vineyards, through historic towns and past a few of the region’s golf courses. Plan to take an hour or more. If the kitchen is open, Paicines General Store offers some of the county’s best Mexican food at 1960s prices.
Best Bird Watching
This may be getting boring, but it’s Pinnacles again. The area is home to a renaturalization project for the California condor, and visitors routinely see the giant and oh-so-rare birds soaring overhead. The varied landscape offers great wildlife-viewing opportunities at any season. Runners-up, separated by just one vote, are “home” and Paicines Reservoir. You certainly know where home is for you, but Paicines Reservoir is often overlooked. Look for the large pullout on the right as you head south on Airline Highway just past Paicines General Store. The reservoir was low when we last checked on Sunday, but it often holds thousands of ducks and other waterfowl. Bald eagles are seen at the lake almost daily, perched in the oaks that ring it. The only public access is from the parking area, making binoculars or spotting scopes mandatory.
Best Pig Hunting or Guide Service
San Benito County’s population of feral pigs is an environmental problem in the eyes of some, and a big game hunting opportunity in the view of others. Todd Renz nosed out the competition as best pig guide, with Chopper Snyder and Jeff Bourdet tied for second place. Don’t look for these guides in the Yellow Pages. Call them directly or ask a friend
We don’t know what separates the great from the mediocre in this business, but we know that the winners are all people who have a deep knowledge of San Benito County, people who will share as much history and local lore as they will wild pork.
Place for a First Date
Drive down McCray Street almost any night and the answer is obvious. The clear winner is Premiere Cinemas. It’s not rocket science. A theater makes a great first date for all the right reasons. First, there’s just enough time for some light conversation, and before that first awkward pause, the lights go down and silence is required. And then, there’s the “lights go down” part. Seats are plush and comfy, and they’re close together. We’ve explained enough. You’ll have to do the rest.
Best Beach Within 60 Minutes
It’s Santa Cruz, followed closely by Capitola. Both beaches offer many of the same things. The Pacific Ocean almost takes a back seat to shore-based attractions. A wide swath of warm sand punctuated by a strolling pier starts off the menu. Santa Cruz presents the Beach Boardwalk, a historic amusement park and home to the Giant Dipper, the world’s best roller coaster. We’ll accept no rebuttals. Capitola offers a host of dining and shopping options and the whimsy of its unique Mediterranean-meets-California architecture.
Place to Make Out
Are we family-oriented or what? Combining votes for “home” and “my house” yields the top category, followed by Fremont Peak. The summit of the Gabilan Range has a lot to recommend it, but nine twisting miles of narrow asphalt is a long way to go for a smooch, in our opinion. Now go home and kiss your spouse.
Way to Get Dangerous
A co-worker once maintained that the only reason to jump out of an airplane happens after the flames are visible. But readers disagree. Skydiving, courtesy of Adventure Center – Skydive Hollister at the local airport is the best way voters can imagine to scare yourself silly. Coming in second is Hollister Hills State Park, our area’s leading off-road vehicle playground.
Best Day Trip
Here we go again: it’s Pinnacles. Monterey and Carmel score close seconds and thirds, but the one-hour drive to the monument offers the day trip of choice for local residents. The nearly 200,000 visitors a year the monument counts have to come from someplace, don’t they?
Best Local Band
The cheesy sign on Hiwy. 25 may proclaim this to be “Reagan Country,” (for the record, we voted no then and we vote no now) but the votes declare this to be cowboy country. Eight Second Ride, the venerable Western pop band, gets the nod from readers as San Benito County’s best, followed by Blues Remedy.
Best Golf Course
In a county with scarcely more than 50,000 people, we’re faced with an embarrassment of choices with four championship golf courses and a driving range. Ridgemark Golf and Country Club with two 18-hole courses named for the mountains surrounding it wins. The Diablo and Gabilan courses together took the lead in voting, followed by San Juan Oaks, the elegant links at the edge of San Juan Valley.
Best Doggie Playground
We thought there would be no contest, but this one ended in a tie between Dunne Park and Klauer Park. The two Hollister parks offer large fenced areas that were originally not specifically intended for dogs. Dunne Park is a quiet oasis in the downtown area. It features tennis courts, a playground, barbecue area, rose garden and an adobe meeting area for local clubs. It also features lots of lawn and trees to sniff. Klauer Park, located in the Sunnyslope Village development, includes a turfed detention basin surrounded by a fence. The area, several acres, has become a de facto dog park, thanks to local realtor Patrick Lampe. He installed dispensers for baggies so owners can clean up after their pets. Other pet owners provide water bowls. Canine Hollister gathers there almost every day after work. Humans socialize their way, and dogs socialize in their way.
Best Place to Shred
The city skate park at Veterans Memorial Park is the landslide winner. The bowls and ramps are a magnet and passersby on Memorial Drive are likely to see kids who might be more profitably spending time in school at almost any hour. After school, the place swarms with skaters, stunt bicyclists and groupies watching the action. We’re hoping to see the day when helmets are more common than not, but we don’t expect that will be soon. Runner up is Hollister High School, where the staff does all it can to discourage people from grinding up the landscape.
Best View
Fremont Peak is the place. The view stretches from San Jose to Santa Cruz, encompassing all of Monterey Bay and the whole of the Salinas Valley. A lucky few report seeing the Sierra from the hilltop state park. Second went to the more easily reached Park Hill.
Best Neighborhood
Ridgemark came in just one vote ahead of the 800 block of Versailles Drive and the Severinsen Tract.
Best Event
If you were there last weekend, you already know. The best event, readers say, is the Hollister Lights On Parade, followed by the Independence Day Motorcycle Rally.
Best Service Club
The Exchange Club topped Rotary among readers.
Best Bureaucracy
The county planning department, with a relatively new staff and an emphasis on user-friendly services, narrowly beat the county water district and LULAC as best bureaucracy.
Best Youth Program/Activity
The county’s relatively new YMCA program has already captured readers’ fancy, followed by the Pop Warner youth football program.
Best Local Web Site
Pinnaclenews.com. ‘Nuf said.
Fine Dining
Best Special Occasion Restaurant
The Inn at Tres Pinos gets the vote by a wide margin. The one-time roadhouse marked by the gnarled pepper trees out front is San Benito County’s answer to fine dining. The upstart Cedar House, located where Sugar Plum Farm was for a few generations, came in second.
Best Bar Food
Cheap Seats, the San Benito Street sports bar that opened earlier this year, is the winner, edging out Maverick’s barbecue emporium nearby at the end of Fifth Street. Cheap Seats’ combination of abundant television screens, cold adult beverages, comfortable seating and friendliness is the right condiment for a little snacking.
Best Mexican
The pedigree wins. Voters pick El Progresso Tamale Parlor as San Benito County’s best Mexican. The Third Street restaurant was founded by the Zuniga Family on the heels of the Great Depression. Its menu has changed, but the charming place is one where every local resident grew up learning how Mexican food done right tastes. The runner up is the newcomer to the scene, Villa de Jerez, located near the cannery in a space that has housed a variety of restaurants as long as memories go back. The owners are about to open a second location, on San Benito Street between Fifth and Sixth. Expect great things.
Best Pizza
No fewer than 70 voters named Round Table No. 1. The savory pies are a clear choice among local voters. The surprise runner-up was Papa Murphy’s take-and-bake franchise operation. An immaculate kitchen, short waits and consistent quality scored here.
Best Chinese
China Garden’s light hand and fresh vegetables attracted notice. The bright, airy restaurant in the Nob Hill-Target shopping center is filled almost every night, and for good reason, apparently. Coming in second is the oldest Chinese restaurant in the area, The Wok, hidden off the highway at the north edge of town.
Best Japanese/Sushi
Miyako’s, located near The Wok on San Felipe Road, is a quiet, elegant oasis for fine Asian Food, but it only edged out runner-up and relative newcomer A-J Sushi, located in a former brewpub on San Benito Street.
For those of us who remember San Benito County before there was pizza, the prospect of two excellent Japanese restaurants is enough to bring tears of joy.
Best Diner
Some voters clearly do not know what a diner is. A diner has chrome. A diner has a lunch counter. A diner has personality and attitude. Welcome to the Hard Times Cafe, followed closely by the Cozy Cup Cafe. Both downtown destinations offer all the prerequisites. Add to that great signature dishes and low prices and it’s meal time.
Best bakery
This one goes to a chain, Nob Hill. The bakery turns out loaf after loaf of artisan quality bread, along with cookies, pies and cakes worth the trip. Second place went to a place that’s not a bakery at all, but a great cafe for a downtown lunch. It must be the marvelous cookies and other desserts that win Elegant Touch its runner-up spot.
Best Donut
Come to Spudnuts in its anonymous location next to Round Table Pizza on Tres Pinos Road early any morning and you’ll see a roomful of regulars. The deep-fried pastries bring them in, and the camaraderie keeps them coming back. Second went to Donuts and Deli on San Felipe Road.
Best Breakfast
Country Rose Cafe on Fourth Street is the place. This friendly corner location attracts a regular clientele of county employees from the nearby courthouse. Service is friendly and food is as good as you would expect. Second goes to the Cozy Cup Cafe, just down the street.
Best Burger
Cheap Seats sports bar makes a return appearance as the readers’ choice for the ultimate American sandwich. Running Rooster’s charcoal grilled burgers get the runner-up spot.
Best Deli/Sandwich Shop
Mainstreet Bistro’s mix of sandwiches and salads, combined with fair-weather al fresco dining, won over voters, followed by nearby Elegant Touch.
Best Dessert
Do readers love Elegant Touch? It looks like it, with the San Benito Street cafe edging Maverick’s for best dessert.
Best Bar
It’s a dive. It’s a legend. It’s home to the most garish mural ever to smear a wall in Hollister. It’s Johnny’s and it’s one of a kind. Regulars have wooden plaques posted behind the bar. The grille offers memorable food. The atmosphere is wrapped up in its often boisterous, always friendly customers and staff. The runner-up is Maverick’s.
Best Winery
Frank Leal’s Leal Winery off Fairview Road is the clear choice, followed by Pietra Santa. A born marketer, Leal’s operation includes a wedding venue, a members’ club and a fledgling tequila operation.
Best Original Cocktail
The Hollister Ice at the Vault gets the nod (see story). We haven’t had the pleasure, so we’ll leave it up to voters. A generic vote for anything wet from Johnny’s Bar tied for the win.
Best Cup of Coffee
Kelly’s Cornerstone espresso bar on Sixth near San Benito is last on the scene and first among readers’ tastebuds, followed by the ubiquitous Starbuck’s.
Best Tri-tip Sandwich
Welcome back, Maverick’s. The Fifth Street restaurant specializes in barbecue, and it apparently shows, in readers’ opinion. Mansmith’s rolling feast of mobile barbecue pits and smokers gets the runner-up nod.
San Benito People and Services
Best Local Grower
B&R Farms, a family-run operation that’s moved into direct marketing of its top quality fruit products, ties for first with another family operation, Swank Farms. Both can be found at the Hollister Farmers Market. Swank’s also operates the enormous corn maze just north of Hollister Airport during the Halloween season each year.
Best Horse Trainer
It’s hard to even name the runner up. Paula Rodrigues so dominated balloting among those who know that she is the clear choice. Tied for second were Heidi Gaian and Walter Wright.
Best Politician
San Benito County Supervisor Don Marcus is the clear winner, followed by a person who is no longer a politician, former Supervisor Bob Cruz. Marcus tries to maintain the middle ground on the board, a location that apparently agrees with voters. There’s also the flair factor (see next category).
Hottest Politician
We’ll have to take your word for it, but it’s Don Marcus. He’ll never get a hug from us, but his tanned urban cowboy persona works for our readers. Runners up were District Attorney Candice Hooper and Supervisor Pat Loe. Now that’s more like it.
Best Employer
Sheila Stevens, the effusive, always smiling proprietor of She’s clothing boutique on San Benito Street is clearly loved by employees past and present. The county’s largest single employer, the Hollister School District, comes in second.
Best Attorney
Paul Balbas is the man, followed by Frank Borelli. Both share one trait in common. They are genuinely nice guys. Both know how to tell a story and how to milk a punch line for all it’s worth.
Best Youth Coach
Hollister High girls’ golf coach Chris Branon edges the field for his results as much as his positive, supportive attitude. He’s followed by Adam Breen and Randy Logue.
Best Nurse
Vicky Ecksteen at Peter Coelho’s office gets the vote, with Marion Ryan trailing by a single vote.
Best Peace Officer
Hollister Police Department veteran Ray Wood is the readers’ choice, followed by Patrick Gordillo.
Best Ranch and Farm Supplier
Ranchers Feed collected more than 10 times the votes of any other business. Think of it as Nordstrom’s for the Wrangler set and you’ve got it figured out. Tres Pinos Ranch Supply came in second.
Best Hair Stylist
Local product Tim Borges was the clear winner, followed by Julie Escobar at Tranquility Day Spa.
Best Plumber
Mario Canela edged David Marquez by a single vote in what might be called a statistical tie.
Best Dentist
Readers say “ahhhh” for Calvin Clarke, followed by Darick Nordstrom.
Best Doctor
Peter Coelho gets the vote, followed by Aslam Barra.
Best Optometrist
Gary Mayeda was named 20-20 by readers, followed by Richard Koleszar.
Best Chiropractor
Jeff McNown cracks backs in all the right places, readers agree, followed by William Brandon.
Best Veterinarian
When a dog wags his tail walking into the clinic, you know you’re someplace special. Alan Painter at Hollister Veterinary Clinic attracts just that kind of response, followed by Melvin White’s mobile veterinary practice.
Best Real Estate Agent
Linda Balbas and Marilyn Ferreira, both longtime leaders in the local scene, led balloting, followed by a knot of candidates – Andy Moore, De Brown and Nants Foley – in the second slot.
Best Music Teacher
After more than 40 years at it, he may also be the most patient man in San Benito County. Joe Ostenson has surely heard more bad music than the rest of us will hear in a dozen lifetimes, but he still has patience and passion for his life’s work. Noelle Sladon and Susan Chizek tie as runners-up.
Best Waiter/Waitress
The Vault’s Gabriel Carillo wins, followed by Susan Freitas.
Best Bartender
Kat Ballinger at Johnny’s Bar pours the best drink in San Benito County. Her co-workers at the San Benito Street institution have won other “best of” contests, so she’s in good company. Runner-up was Cole at Maverick’s, but with nobody answering the phone, Cole will have to go without a last name.
Best Volunteer
Mary Hubbell just edged Rick Shelton for the honor. Both work downtown, and the best way to find either of them is to look for the broad smile that goes with doing good works for others.
Best Activist
Follow the guitar music at the farmers market, or listen for the earnest, thoughtful remarks at a Hollister Planning Commission meeting, and you’ll find David Huboi. The local architect favors Hawaiian shirts and bears a passing resemblance to Neil Young. If that’s not proof enough that San Benito County is changing, Huboi’s selfless, progressive politics are. Runner up is Mickie Luna, a full-time activist whose love for local youth has changed many for the better.
Best Mural
The new artwork at Hollister Super on Third Street gets the nod, followed by the mural we already disparaged at Johnny’s Bar.
Best Hair Salon
Strandz Salon bested Tranquility in readers’ votes.
Best Day Spa
Again, it’s Tranquility. The spa in the Victorian on Sixth Street brought polish to the neighborhood with its bold renovation. Readers apparently like what is inside as much as the outside. Runner-up was Gold’s Gym. Go figure.
Best Health Club/Gym
Rovella’s, the immaculate fitness emporium on Industrial Drive and the only health club in the county with a pool is the runaway winner, followed by Gold’s Gym.
Best Auto Repair
Auto Works edged G&M as readers’ top choice.
Best Auto/Cycle Customizing
Corbin Industries’ custom cycle seat fabrication operation near Hollister Aiprort led the polling, followed by Muenzer’s Cyclery and Thunder Road.
Best Dry Cleaner
Colonial topped all, follwed by French Cleaners.
Best Clothing Store
She’s topped another San Benito Street store, Drapoel (think “leopard” spelled backwards) as the place for winning threads.
Best Sporting Goods
Fifty-four of you named Muenzer’s as the go-to place for sporting goods. Operated by members of the same family for three generations, the venerable Fifth Street store is a unique trove.
Best Flower Shop
Hollister Flowers easily topped others, with San Benito Flowers just across the main drag as the runner-up.
Best car salesperson
Steve Schipper came to cars via clothing sales, but he and co-winner John Sanchez have one thing in common, and that’s a genuine love for people. Both bring a low-key friendliness to work every day.
Best Pet Supply Store
Raven’s Pet on San Benito Street topped Pet World in readers’ votes.
Best Roadside Fruit Stand
Bertuccio’s, located in a cluster of packing sheds off Airline Hwy., is readers’ clear choice. Second went to the seasonal stand that Swank Farms operates just north of Hollister Airport.
Best Grocery Store/Supermarket
Nob Hill got more than three times as many votes as any other contender, but Safeway secured second place amng readers.
Best Corner Market
The votes went to Brothers Market at San Benito and South streets in downtown Hollister, followed by Hollister Super.
Best Store for Cheapskates
The Dollar Store is where to go when the wallet’s a bit light, readers say, followed by nearby Goodwill on Tres Pinos Road.
Best Free Wi-Fi
Drop into Starbuck’s or the Vault, where the Web surf is always up, readers agree. Tied for second are Cheap Seats and the Pinnacle, where it’s usually easy to hook up.
Best/Worst Speed Trap
Hwy. 25, the two-lane link to the outside world, is readers’ choice, followed by the preferred Hwy. 25 bypass of Frazer Lake Road. Commuters tend to approach these farm roads as a challenge, and the 55 mph speed limit as a mere suggestion. The Highway Patrol has noticed.
Biggest Pothole
Brace yourself for a trip down Thomas Road, a scenic ribbon of crumbling asphalt that leads past farms before ending at a place known as nowhere near the southern end of Southside Valley.
Best Organic Product
Paul and Leticia Hain operate a farm that’s been in the family for generations. They’ve adapted as changing times have demanded, and the one-time walnut orchard also is home to organic heirloom tomatoes and the best free-range poultry in the area, readers agree. Hain’s free range chicken ties with local tomatoes from anyone as the winner among readers, followed by dried apricots and the produce of Earthbound Farms.
That’s it. If you’ve read this far, you’ve been wined, dined and entertained. You’ve digested more than 4,000 words and you may know a little more about San Benito than you did before.
If you don’t like the way the vote turned out, take a page from history and be sure to vote early and vote often in next year’s Pinnacle Awards.
