Dan’s Best of the Best 2023 Winners Celebrated

The Suffolk in Riverhead was brimming with greatness on Friday, April 12 — a night meant to celebrate the winners of the 2023 Dan’s Best of the Best contest.

The annual competition recognizes East End business owners who commit themselves to the highest standards of product, customer service and community involvement, and it culminates in a fun, festive event where winners are treated to cocktails and conversation, as they revel in their success among peers. This year, both the Best of the Best contest and winners party were generously sponsored by Wilmington Trust and M&T Bank.

“Sponsoring this event is a unique opportunity for Wilmington Trust and M&T Bank to do a couple things,” said Daniel Shaughnessy, head of Wilmington Trust’s Long Island division. “Firstly, we are thrilled to recognize and celebrate the successes of all the extraordinary Best of the Best winners — what a great and deserving roster of honorees! Secondly, this provides us a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the broader Long Island business community.”

Cocktail hour began with a complimentary wine tasting by Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 2023 winner of Dan’s Best South Fork Winery, followed by light bites and ample time for mingling. Midway through the festivities, Shaughnessy, Victoria Schneps, president of Dan’s Papers parent company Schneps Media, and Joshua Schneps, CEO of Schneps Media, took the stage to give a warm welcome and heartfelt congratulations to all the winners being honored.

The headline entertainment was New Life Crisis, aka the Best Local Band in the Dan’s Best of the Best Hall of Fame. Captained by lead singer Paul Mahos, they’ve been covering popular tunes across the island for over three decades. The dance floor broke open when Mahos serenaded the theater with his rendition of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love” — requested by none other than Victoria Schneps.

Dan’s Best of the Best award recipients expressed their deepest gratitude for the acknowledgement, as well as sincere appreciation for their loyal customers and the dedicated teams that work alongside them.

“It’s a nice, fuzzy feeling of validation and recognition,” remarked Crystal Photiou from CP Interiors, winner of Dan’s Best South Fork Interior Design. “Dan’s is a respected publication in an area where design is important and the homes warrant the use of a designer.”

Marc and Brittney Weiss’ Waterdrinker Family Farm took the title of Best South Fork Family Attraction. “We are thrilled to win Best of the Best. We are a family-run business, and it means a lot to us that we could achieve this for our amazing customers,” remarked Marc Weiss. “We couldn’t have done this without the help of our employees, who we consider a part of the family.”

Customer appreciation is a common thread with small business owners, as Ashley Rutkowski of Love Lane Sweet Shoppe & Gifts, winner of Dan’s Best North Fork Candy Store, can attest to. “Winning Best of the Best is a testament to our customers. We appreciate the loyalty throughout the year,” said Rutkowski. “I think it helps our business, because it inspires us to continue to provide our customers with great customer service and products for all seasons and holidays. We’ve been a Love Lane staple for over 30 years.”

The coveted title of Best North Fork Bagels went to Black Sheep Bagels, and owner Chris Conlan had this to say: “This is a place that brings people together, through good food and quality service. We are heavy in our community, providing scholarships for seniors and working together with tons of local charities and businesses. We work closely with a lot of other local business owners and help wherever and whoever we can.”

“Winning Dan’s Best of the Best year after year is an honor,” noted Carol Duffy of East End Awning, the Best Awning Company in the Dan’s Best of the Best Hall of Fame. “We continually hear from new and past customers that they see our ads in Dan’s Papers. Bill and I started East End Awning in June of 1995. As a family run business we were thrilled when our daughter Ryan joined our team, followed recently by our daughter Meaghan.”

At the event, Frederico Azevedo of Unlimited Earth Care was bursting with pride about his win in the Best South Fork Nursery/Garden Center category. “I believe Unlimited Earth Care has won Best of the Best Landscaper over 15 times now and has even been inducted into the Best of the Best Hall of Fame — we’re very proud of that,” he said. “It is an award that I really value because people trust it, and because it means that customers voted for us year after year. I am incredibly proud every time my business is acknowledged by customers and the local community through the Best of the Best awards, and it inspires myself and my team to go further and do more every year.”

“I am grateful to be recognized by the community for the continued efforts by my company to strive for excellent customer service and satisfaction,” shared Katherine Pierro of Katherine & Company Salon & Day Spa, which won Best South Fork Hair Colorist and Best South Fork Hair Salon. “Each year, striving to achieve a spot on the Best of the Best list keeps us focused and motivated to consistently improve and earn our community’s respect.”

“Wilmington Trust is committed to providing the Long Island business community with prudent and personalized solutions, expertise and resources,” Shaughnessy, professed. “Our size and commitment to our community means that all our clients can expect the personal touch our team delivers every day. Our fully integrated teams of wealth management and banking professionals are dedicated to educating and fostering collaboration throughout our business community … individuals, families, businesses and organizations. We live here, too, and want to see our home communities thrive!”

“If you live and work here long enough, you know that Long Island cares for its own! Our shared dedication to community is an integral part of why we come to work every day, and is something that really sets our Wilmington Trust team apart,” Shaughnessy continued. “Celebrations like Best of the Best … remind us of this unique place where we live and work. Any time that we can come together and celebrate our people and our shared accomplishments is something we should embrace. All of us at Wilmington Trust and M&T Bank are so grateful to be embraced by this community — and embrace it right back!”

To learn more about Dan’s Best of the Best, and to vote in the 2024 competition, visit DansBOTB.com.