Over the past 6 weeks we openend up our fans on Facebook to choose their favorites places and things in Washtenaw County. Dubbing this the Awewsome Awards, the results are in. Feel free to log into Facebook below and comment away. To follow along with us on Facebook, like us!

Awesome Awards

Salon/Place to get a haircut: Eleven West

Music Store (Instrument): Dennis’s Music

Record Store: Encore Records

Bike Shop: Ypsilanti Cycle

Apartment Community: Peninsular Place

Party Store: Tom’s

Art Gallery: Ann Arbor Art Center

Burger: Sidetrack

Burrito: Big Ten Burrito

Vintage / Thrift Store: The Getup

Vegetarian Restaurant: Seva

Park: Riverside Park

Theater: Michigan Theater

Sports Bar/Place to Watch the Game: Buffalo Wild Wings

Tattoo Shop: Depot Town Tattoo

Coffee Shop: The Ugly Mug

Most Awesome Breakfast: Beezy’s Café

By Mary Simkins

Every time I walk into Beezy’s Café in downtown Ypsilanti, my mouth starts watering as a waft of delicious smells welcomes me inside.  Despite its recent expansion, the place always seems packed to the brim, yet the atmosphere is excited and friendly – never stressed or impatient.  Waiting in line, I’ll look over the menu, and by the time a staff member comes to get my order, I’ll have changed my mind at least three times.

At the counter at Beezy’s, the cashier asks your name, what you do and how your day is going. It’s things like these that make it so that Beezy’s more than earns its role as the neighborhood’s favorite breakfast spot.  Without the friendly atmosphere and bistro-chic interior, Beezy’s would still be holding its own in the Awesomeness Competition, with a menu that is beyond criticism.  As long as they have imaginative (and often vegan-friendly) soups made fresh daily, sandwiches on freshly baked bread and a breakfast chorizo burrito that will make your morning, Ypsilanti will keep lining up for that simple, honest food. But it’s the staff and atmosphere that makes it a community fixture.

Located at 20 N. Washington Street in Ypsilanti, Beezy’s is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with breakfast served until 2 p.m. every day.  Find out more about Beezy’s by visiting www.beezyscafe.com or by liking them on Facebook.

Most Awesome Venue: The Ark

By Ian Cruz

With 400 seats and live music nearly every night of the year, the Ark is hands down one of the most notable places to see a good show in Washtenaw. Known for its intimate environment and commitment to supporting great music, The Ark is a non-profit organization that is “dedicated to the presentation, preservation and encouragement of folk, roots and ethnic music and related arts,” according to the venue’s website. However, the fact that The Ark has been in existence since its beginnings in 1965 attests to the fact that the community has already voted The Ark as the most awesome venue – since to “stay afloat,” as they say, The Ark is solely supported by its current members and donations .

A variety of musicians have graced The Ark’s stage, including The Verve Pipe, Appleseed Collective and Johnny Winter – many of whom have grown to love it so much that they have returned time and time again, as do those who have had the opportunity to be in the audience for an Ark show. For more information on The Ark or to donate, visit www.theark.org

Most Awesome Non-Profit: SOS Community Services

By David Nassar

Originally founded by students and faculty of Eastern Michigan University in 1970 to provide crisis support for Washtenaw County residents struggling with addiction, SOS Community Services has since moved off campus and refocused its efforts on supporting families struggling with housing hardships that may result in homelessness.

SOS is dedicated to ending homelessness in Washtenaw County through partnerships with caring individuals, local businesses and organizations, service agencies and professionals.  While the impact that SOS has had in Washtenaw County for the past 41 years has been remarkable (helping more than 4,700 people annually move from homelessness to self-sufficiency and permanent housing), it has been made possible through the continued efforts and support of local community partnerships.  In addition to offering housing services, SOS’s Food Pantry distributes free food every Tuesday in an effort to ensure that parents never have to choose between feeding their children and keeping them housed.

SOS Community Services is located at 114 North River in Ypsilanti.  For more information on services, donations or volunteering, please visit SOSCS.org.

Staff Picks

Italian: Gratzi

Graffiti Spot: Graffiti Alley on Liberty

Dive Bar: Alley Bar

Townie Store: The Rocket

Late Night Food: NYPD

Wine Bar: Vinology

Summer Festival: Beer Fest

Place for a dance party: Necto

Street Performer: Werewolf Violinist

Place to see a mustache: Woodruff’s

Show to see in 2011: Fleet Foxes at Hill

Most Awesome Secret Venue:

By Bruno Postigo

Secret venues are quite abundant in the Ann Arbor / Ypsi area, but none has impressed me more than the Arbor Vitae, located on the third floor of Wazoo (thus the address 336 1/2 State Street). The Vitae is a loft that also functions as a venue (sometimes). I had the chance to cover a couple shows there, and they’re like nothing I’ve seen before. Strange plants, old wood, stairs, secret rooms and other artifacts are part of the decoration, and the audio and video installations that cover the walls give the place an ethereal atmosphere. Moon Duo performed on my last visit, and a spontaneous dance party exploded. Arbor Vitae shows are quite rare, so be sure that you catch one when they happen.

Most Awesome Local Artist: Chris Bathgate

By Paul Kitti

There is some sort of simple magic about Chris Bathgate’s music. The years leading up to his recent masterpiece, “Salt Year,” were long and dire, like the brutal refining process that all great artists must go through. The album is often devastating and full of pain, coming from a musician who spent two years scraping the bottom of the barrel to buy studio time. Yet, Bathgate finds hope in the moments in between microwave dinners and severed relationships, his voice always hinting at something beautiful waiting around the corner. Songs like “Fur Curled on the Sad Road” and “Levee” are musical weapons against hardship, inciting sadness simply to celebrate the feeling of emotion. A true Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti artist, Bathgate has the weathered skin of an overlooked street musician and the creative ability of someone whose inevitable destination is the very top. He’s the obvious choice for most awesome local artist, and we have a feeling this is still just the beginning for Chris Bathgate.

Most Awesome Food Cart: The Lunch Room

Mark’s Carts in Ann Arbor

By David Nassar

With the mission of providing “high-quality, delicious and nutritious vegan food that demonstrates the breadth and versatility of plant-based whole foods,” The Lunch Room offers dishes that are sure to satisfy even the heartiest carnivorous appetite.  Located in the Mark’s Carts courtyard on Washington between First and Ashley in downtown A2, they offer a rotating vegan menu that includes dishes like a Barbeque Tofu Platter and Aloo Yoop Stew.  The Lunch Room’s menu includes sweet treats and creatively delicious beverages, and most of their offerings are also gluten-free.  The Lunch Room offers many tasty and affordable options, with most dishes in the $5 – $6 range.

Most Awesome Local Brew: Sacred Cow (Arbor Brewing Co.)

By David Nassar

Bright cascade hops and rich pale malt make this brew one of the area’s finest.  If you’re a fan of IPAs (which, it seems, you are), then you really can’t go wrong with Sacred Cow, one of Arbor Brewing Company’s flagship beers.  A tap-mainstay at both Arbor and Corner, you can also pick it up in six-pack-form at your local grocer.  With citrusy-floral notes and a pronounced hop-bitterness, it may be one of the easiest-drinking IPAs around, but use caution; they’ve snuck up on me on more than one occasion in the past—but I’m certainly not complaining.