Federal Way Mirror’s Best of 2012 award winners | PHOTOS

Check out a full list of winners along with photos from The Mirror's awards celebration.

Once again we asked residents of Federal Way who was the best at what they do.

This year, there were the usual categories of service, shopping, food, living and nightlife, and a total of 74 awards. Below is the entire list of your winners, handpicked by you. (SEE PHOTOS)

We received a staggering number of these submissions in both print and online. Some of you, as always, get creative in your picks and in your answers.

For instance, when asked the country you were from, some chimed in with King and Pierce rather than the U.S. Apparently these folks want to secede from the union. Perhaps they should move to Boulder, CO. One entry listed FW Automotive as the best adult care center. Apparently their car is really old. An entry for best auto dealership listed the pygmy goats as a selling point. Perhaps they will buy a truck to haul these goats. One can only hope they weren’t referring to any of the employees.

A number of folks listed the WA State Liquor Control Board as their favorite wine store. This occurred in a number of entries. This was not to be outdone by the folks that simply listed Federal Way as their favorite wine store. I suppose when you need a good bottle of wine, anywhere counts.

Humor aside, none of this would be possible without the support of you, the reader. Your commitment to filling out the ballots and submitting them is what makes this program a success. The businesses that place as finalists and win these awards take this seriously. They want to be the best and go to great strides to ensure that they are.

We hope you enjoy the results along with the messages from the businesses and groups for which you voted. Thanks for making Federal Way a great city.

BEST OF 2012 AWARD WINNERS (by category)

group best of 2012

SERVICE

Adult In-Home Care

Comfort Keepers – 1st

Home Instead Senior Care – 2nd

Just Like Home Adult Family Home, LLC. – 3rd

Auto Body / Collision

Bob Bjorneby’s CARSTAR Federal Way Collision – 1st

Precision Collision Auto Body – 2nd

Sparks Car Care – 3rd

Auto Repair Shop

Sparks Car Care – 1st

Walt’s Auto Care Centers – 2nd

Eagle Tire & Automotive – 3rd

Auto Technician / Location

Toby Gribble/ Sparks Car Care – 1st

Merle Pfeifer / Sparks Car Care – 2nd

Eagle Tire / Craig Richland – 3rd

Bank / Credit Union

BECU – 1st

Heritage Bank – 2nd

Red Canoe Credit Union – 3rd

Barber Shop

Gents Fine Grooming for Men – 1st

Big Jer’s Barber & Style – 2nd

SportClips – 3rd

Barista / Location

Maria Kuehlthau / Marista’s  – 1st

Emma Gremer / Starbucks on 320th – 2nd

Kelsey Pyper / Marista’s – 3rd

Bartender / Location

Bart Henning / Puerto Vallarta Twin Lakes – 1st

Scott Blanco / Time Out Ale House – 2nd

Pete Houillon / Billy McHale’s – 3rd

Chiropractorsummers

Summers Chiropractic & Massage  – 1st

Dupont Chiropractic Center – 2nd

Wolf Chiropractic  – 3rd

Day Care

KinderCare Learning Centers  – 1st

La Petite Academy – 2nd

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Preschool – 3rd

Day Spa

8th Day Spa – 1st

MeMe & Company – 2nd

Twin Lakes Hair Salon – 3rd

Dentist

Dr. Kenneth Brossel, DDS – 1st

Dr. Robin Reinke, DDS – 2nd

Dr. Stacy R. Kanda, DDS – 3rd

Fitness Facility / Location

LA Fitness – 1st

24 Hour Fitness – 2nd

Federal Way Community Center – 3rd

Hair Salon

Twin Lakes Hair Salon – 1st

MeMe & Company – 2nd

Gene Juarez Salons & Spas – 3rd

Healthcare Professionals

Jade River Acupuncture – 1st

Virginia Mason – 2nd

Group Health – 3rd

Insurance Agent / Company

Jeff & Kathy Burnett / Allstate – 1st

Carrie Kuhel / State Farm – 2nd

Karl Kuntz / American Family Insurance – 3rd (tie)

AAA Washington – 3rd (tie)

Massage Therapist

Rachel Valik, LMP / Summers Chiropractic & Massage – 1st

Dana Quade – 2nd

Phoenix M. Alexander, Licensed Massage Practitioner – 3rd (tie)

Dr. Jeanine Wolf / Wolf Chiropractic Center – 3rd (tie)

Nail Salon

Twin Lakes Hair Salon – 1st

Tip Top Nails – 2nd

8th Day Spa – 3rd

Pet Groomer

Simply Paws – 1st

Petsmart – 2nd

Biscuits Federal Way – 3rd

Portrait Studio / Photographerstreit

Ed Streit Images – 1st

Yuen Lui – 2nd

Picture Me Portrait Studios – 3rd

Real Estate Agent / Company

Jackie King / Better Properties – 1st

Debi Braulik / Keller Williams – 2nd

Lori DeVore / John L Scott – 3rd

Senior Living Facility

Village Green Retirement Campus – 1st (tie)

Foundation House of Federal Way – 1st (tie)

Just Like Home Adult Family Home, LLC. – 3rd

Travel Agency

AAA – Federal Way – 1st

Sea and Sand Travel – 2nd

Travelocity – 3rd

Tutor

Sylvan Learning of Federal Way – 1st

Treehouse – 2nd (tie)

Monique Basle / Spring Valley Montessori – 2nd (tie)

Mathnasium of Federal Way – 2nd (tie)

Veterinarian

Sacajawea Healthcare for Pets – 1st

Cascade Veterinary Hospital – 2nd

Twin Lakes Veterinary Hospital – 3rd

Waiter / Location

Dustin Vistante / Puerto Vallarta – 1st

Saif Shihab / Gyro House – 2nd

Sonny Roberts / Black Bear Diner – 3rd

Waitress / Location

Angie Diviney / Black Bear Diner – 1st

Nicole Masseth / Puerto Vallarta – 2nd

Sabrina Lehman / Time Out Ale House – 3rd

Yoga

Hot Yoga – 1st

Three Trees Yoga & Healing Arts Center – 2nd

Bamboo Asana Yoga – 3rd

 

SHOPPING

Auto Parts

O’Reilly Auto Parts – 1st

G&M Honest Performance – 2nd

AutoZone Auto Parts – 3rd

Beer Store

99 Bottles – 1st

Safeway / 320th – 2nd

Fred Meyer – 3rd

Car Dealership

Jet Chevrolet – 1st

Scarff Ford in Auburn – 2nd

Doxon Toyota of Auburn – 3rd

Clothing Store

Macy’s – 1st

Sears – 2nd

Ross Dress for Less – 3rd

Discount Store

Walmart – 1st

Costco – 2nd

Ross Dress for Less – 3rd

Grocery Store

Trader Joe’s – 1st

Fred Meyer – 2nd

WinCo Foods – 3rd

Hardware / Lumber Store

New Lumber & Hardware Co. – 1st

Home Depot – 2nd

Ace Hardware (Dash Point) – 3rd

Jewelry Store

Jeffrey’s Jewelers  – 1st

Federal Way Custom Jewelers – 2nd

Weisfield Jewelers – 3rd

Nursery & Garden Center

Branches Garden Center – 1st

Lowe’s – 2nd

Home Depot – 3rd

Pet Store

Petco – 1st (tie)

Petsmart – 1st (tie)

Simply Paws – 3rd

Second Hand Store

Goodwill – 1st

Deseret Industries – 2nd

Heaven Sent – 3rd

Shopping Center

The Commons at Federal Way – 1st

Federal Way Crossings – 2nd

Kent Station – 3rd

Tire Store

Les Schwab – 1st

Discount Tire – 2nd

Sparks Car Care – 3rd

Wine Store

Trader Joe’s – 1st

99 Bottles – 2nd

Costco – 3rd

 

FOODalilce

Asian

Indochine Seafood and Satay Bar – 1st

Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse – 2nd (tie)

Garden Korean Cuisine – 2nd (tie)

Bakery

Great Harvest Bread Co. – 1st

Panera Bread – 2nd

Wild Wheat Bakery Café & Restaurant – 3rd

Barbecue

Billy McHale’s – 1st

Jimmy Mac’s Roadhouse – 2nd

Pitmasters – 3rd

Brunch / Breakfast

Black Bear Diner – 1st

Salty’s – 2nd

Poverty Bay Coffee Company – 3rd

Buffet

Old Country Buffet – 1st

Mika Japanese Buffet – 2nd

East India Grill – 3rd

Caterer

Café Pacific – 1st

Caveman Kitchen – 2nd

3 Chicks Catering – 3rd

Coffee/Latte/Mocha

Poverty Bay Coffee Company – 1st

Starbucks / 320th – 2nd

Marista’s – 3rd

Deli / Sandwich

Subway – 1st

3 Dog Deli – 2nd

Poverty Bay Coffee Company – 3rd

Family

Red Robin – 1st

Black Bear Diner – 2nd

IHOP – 3rd

Hamburger

Fatburger – 1st

Red Robin – 2nd

Burger Express – 3rd

Ice Cream

SubZero – 1st

Cold Stone Creamery – 2nd

Baskin Robbins – 3rd

Indian

East India Grill – 1st

Indochine Seafood and Satay Bar – 2nd

5-way tie for 3rd

Italian

Vince’s – 1st

Olive Garden – 2nd

Gino’s Bistro – 3rd

Mexican

Azteca – 1st

Puerto Vallarta Family Mexican Restaurants – 2nd

Chipotle Mexican Grill – 3rd

Pizza

Round Table Pizza – 1st

The Rock – 2nd

Pizza Hut – 3rd

Seafood

Salty’s – 1st

McGrath’s – 2nd

Red Lobster – 3rd

Steakhouse

Black Angus Steakhouse – 1st

Outback Steakhouse – 2nd

Jimmy Mac’s Roadhouse – 3rd

 

LIVINGHwang

Best Cop

Andy Hwang – 1st

Brian Wilson – 2nd

Josh Matt – 3rd

Best Firefighter

Gordon Olson – 1st

Al Church – 2nd

Steve Hopf – 3rd

City Leader

Skip Priest – 1st

Jack Dovey – 2nd

Linda Kochmar – 3rd

Community Volunteer

Merle Pfeifer – 1st

Janice Siebenaler – 2nd

Cindy Ducich – 3rd

Educational Facility

Sylvan Learning of Federal Way – 1st

Highline Community College – 2nd

DeVry University – 3rd

Kids Activity

Wild Waves Theme Park – 1st

Federal Way Community Center – 2nd

King County Aquatic Center – 3rd

Local Charity / Non Profit

Multi-Service Center – 1st

FUSION – 2nd

Communities in Schools – 3rd

Place to Work

Federal Way Community Center – 1st

Home Instead – 2nd

Microsoft – 3rd

School

Federal Way High School – 1st

Decatur High School – 2nd

Todd Beamer High School – 3rd

Teacher / School

Cheryl Stark / Panther Lake Elementary – 1st (tie)

Kristin Norgard / Rainier View Elementary School – 1st (tie)

Luke Thompson / Decatur High School – 3rd

Tourist Attraction

Wild Waves Theme Park – 1st

Federal Way Farmer’s Market – 2nd

Dash Point State Park – 3rd

 

NIGHTLIFE

Bar / Night Club

Muckleshoot Casino – 1st

Scoreboard Pub – 2nd

Puerto Vallarta Family Mexican Restaurants – 3rd

Casino

Muckleshoot Casino – 1st

Iron Horse Casino – 2nd

Emerald Queen – 3rd

Local Arts Group

Centerstage Theatre – 1st

Federal Way Symphony – 2nd

Jet Cities Chorus – 3rd

Movie Theatre

Gateway Movies 8 – 1st

Century 16 Movie Theatre – 2nd

AMC Kent Station – 3rd