Dining

In such a rapidly growing area, we Gwinnettians are never without a plethora of delectable eating options. From sumptuous sushi to mouth-watering Mexican, there’s something new, different, traditional or saucy just around the corner. But here is what’s even better – opportunities for exploring new restaurants are endless. Popping up all around us is a veritable smorgasbord of interesting alternatives to the same-old. But if what you want is the tried and true, you don’t have to go far to find it. You, your friends and your colleagues voted on your favs. These dining choices will have you salivating and ready to jump in the car and indulge your every craving. Venture out! Try something new this week!

Best Margarita/ Best Chips & Salsa
Frontera Mex-Mex Grill

What can we say about Frontera except “we love you!” Not only did Frontera win in the best margarita category, but this local favorite also won for the best chips and salsa. Their roasted pepper salsa is worth the trip alone.

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Most Romantic
Aqua Terra Bistro

Aqua Terra has it all - ambiance, romance and best of all great food. Step into this charming bistro and leave the worries of the world at the door. For the next occasion that calls for some bohemian charm, Aqua Terra should be tops on your list!

Best Ambiance
Aqua Terra Bistro

Best Asian Food
A Tie Between Chin Chin 7
& Orient Garden Restaurant

Best BBQ
Dillards Barbeque

Best Brunch
J. Christopher’s

Best Café/Deli
Panera Bread

Best Cajun
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

Best Caribbean
Bahama Breeze

Best Chips & Salsa
Frontera Mex-Mex Grill

Best Diner
Duluth Diner

Best Family Restaurant
The Soda Shop Deli & Dairy Bar

Best Indian Food
Poona

Best Italian
Ippolito’s Italian Restaurant

Best Japanese
Ninja Steakhouse & Sushi

Best Vietnamese
New Saigon Vietnamese Bistro

Best Thai
Thai Diner

Best Sushi
Mori House

Best Steak
LongHorn Steakhouse

Best Seafood
Red Lobster

Best Romantic
Aqua Terra Bistro

Best Pizza
Mellow Mushroom

Best Outdoor
Park Café

Best Mexican
Frontera Mex-Mex Grill

Best Mediterranean
Athens Pizza

Best Bakery
Magnolia Bakery & Café

Best Coffee House
Starbucks

Best Dessert
Café Stella

Best Ice Cream
Bruster's

Recreation

Biking, hiking, jogging… what’s your pleasure? Gwinnett packs a punch when it comes to finding things to do if you’re the active sort. Our temperate winters allow for plenty of opportunities to get in a round of golf or jog away the holiday jiggles. Be it indoor or outdoor, we have the scoop on where to go for your recreational fix. Grab your bike or your dog or your golf clubs and head on out for some sporting fun. It doesn’t get any better than right in our own awesome corner of the world and it keeps getting better all the time!

Best Place to Bike

Suwanee Creek Greenway. This multipurpose trail meanders through miles of wooded areas, wetlands and wildlife habitat. The greenway is not a trail leading to nowhere. It connects nearly 400 acres of parkland as well as residential and commercial areas.

Best Aquatic Center
Bogan Park

Best Golf Course
TPC Sugarloaf

Best Place to Bike
Suwanee Creek Greenway

Best Fitness Center
LA Fitness

Best Running
Suwanee Creek Greenway

Best Public Park
Suwanee Town Center

Shopping

Gwinnetts’ growing population thankfully brings with it a wide range of places to shop ‘til you drop and then some. No longer do we “OTP” (outside the perimeter) types necessarily have to drive “ITP” (inside the perimeter) to find great shopping. Every city in the county is growing, improving and offering the best shopping opportunities possible.

Our community has a distinct advantage over many. Right here we enjoy the flavors of the world with our rich and vast cultural diversity. Would you like to decorate your office in an African motif? Maybe do the dining room with an Asian flare? Maybe you’ve fallen in love with the fabrics of India or enjoy the beat of Latino rhythms. No problem! High-end shopping, mid-range and bargain deals abound with more popping up every day from all over the world. And it’s all right here at your door.

Best Interior Gifts
Parsons

A Duluth tradition since 1925, Parsons is a beautiful store with a wide variety of great gifts for the home or any occasion. Once you enter Parsons you may never want to leave!

Best Art Gallery
vboggs galleries

Honorable Mention:
Carisma Gallery

Best Antiques
Queen of Hearts

Honorable Mentions:
Scotland Yard
Sensibly Chic

Best Boutique
Uptown Girl

Honorable Mention:
Montage Boutique & Gifts

Best Outdoor Goods
Dick’s Sporting Goods

Honorable Mention:
Bass Pro Shop

Best Interior Gifts
Parsons

Honorable Mention:
Ambiance Interiors & Gifts

Best Jewelry
Tara’s Fine Jewelry

Honorable Mentions:
Guvens Fine Jewelry
Goldsmith Jewelry

Best Wine Collection
vboggs galleries

Honorable Mention:
Duluth Fine Wine
& Package Store

Pampering

The holidays are over and it’s back to the daily grind. Maybe it’s time to treat yourself to a little ‘you’ time and enjoy these top choices for best places to leave all of those worries and woes behind. Here’s an idea: schedule a massage at the best day spa in the county, followed by a nice new ‘do’ at the top salon. On the way home, swing by the nail salon for a manicure and pedicure and don’t forget the florist on the way home for a bunch of your favorite posies. Every now and then, it’s okay for it to be all about you for a few hours! You survived the holidays… you deserve a little pampering!

Best Florist
KaBloom

Any flowers you receive from KaBloom will be a work of art! These florists know a thing or two about creating unique and masterful arrangements for any occasion.

Best Day Spa
Spa Sydell

Best Florist
KaBloom

Best Hair Salon
Joanie Parker Hair Studio

Best Nail Salon
Classy Nails & Tan Spa

Entertainment

We are sitting on an out-and-out goldmine of great entertainment venues making it really tough to narrow this category down. We’re busting at the seams with great music and bars (open tap, martini, you name it) as well as a night scene that’s growing by the minute. When it comes to music, we southerners have this nailed. Blue Grass, Country, Blues, Southern Rock and good old Rock-n-Roll are all right here in Gwinnett. Big name bands blow through at a staggering rate as our own homegrown talent abounds, continually raising the entertainment bar.

We’re a spoiled lot here in this county. Concerts, ballet, live theater, oodles of movie theaters, art galleries, seasonal festivals and much more are available to us all year round. We’ve listed your top picks here but this only scratches the surface of entertainment possibilities. And it’s always changing; getting better and better for we Gwinnettians. So, go out there and live a little!

Best Local Theater
Aurora Theater

Now ensconced in their beautiful new Lawrenceville location. This professional theatre provides quality entertainment for adults and kids alike. Productions extend beyond their stage with the extremely popular Lawrenceville Ghost Tours.

Best Bar
Wild Wing Café

Best Night Scene
37 Main

Best Local Music
Suwanee Town Center

Best Local Theater
Aurora Theatre

All Things Kids

We are a kid friendly place for sure. Without a doubt, we have the best schools around with awesome learning opportunities through fun and play. While a trip into town to visit the new aquarium or the science museum is a great outing, leaving Gwinnett isn’t really necessary when it comes to kids entertainment, learning or plain out fun.

Gwinnett offers a number of great summer camps for kids of all types, plus there is no shortage of kid friendly restaurants and great places to host a birthday party. Youth is fleeting so let ‘em have fun!

Best Kids Summer Camp
Adrenaline Climbing

This high gear climbing gym won not only for the best summer camp, but also for best kids place and best kids birthday parties! Any level climber will find the adventure at Adrenaline top notch. Coaches encourage and train climbers of all ages and abilities promoting fun and physical fitness while maintaining a safe, clean environment in which to learn and play. It’s a place where kids are encouraged to climb the walls – literally!

Best Summer Camp
Adrenaline Climbing

Best Kids Places
Adrenaline Climbing

Best Kids Birthday Parties
Adrenaline Climbing

Best Kids Menus
The Soda Shop Deli & Dairy Bar

Services

When’s the last time you had to leave the area because a certain service didn’t exist in Gwinnett? Exactly! You don’t have to leave… it’s all right here! Whether you need your car or your back adjusted, your teeth cleaned or straightened, you’ll find out who our readers trust to get the job done right.

If you’re planning for that ‘special day’, Gwinnett offers plenty of beautiful venues that will set the perfect mood for matrimony. And once the wedding is over, find out who is tops at finding you the home of your dreams.

Best Wedding Reception
Payne-Corley House

This beautiful estate has been part of Duluth history since 1873 and has been the perfect site for a wedding or any special event since 1998. The staff of the Payne-Corley House is ready to help you create beautiful memories.

Best Auto Repair
Wolfgang’s Duluth Auto Repair

Best Car Wash
Carnett’s

Best Chiropractic
Dr. Marion Maloof

Best Dentist
Dr. Tina Heil, DDS

Best Dry Cleaning
Executive Clothing Care

Best Wedding Reception
Payne-Corley House

Business Affairs

We’re a community brimming with entrepreneurs and professionals from all walks of life. Opportunities for employment, new business and business growth are ample and venues are abundant. Not only do businesses flourish here, there are plenty of facilities to host the next conference, convention or business event.

Best Business Lunch
The 1818 Club

The 1818 Club honors tradition while providing an elegant yet casual environment for your next business lunch. They serve nothing but the finest cuisine while providing unparalleled service.

Best Business Event
Chamber Business After Hours

Best Business Lunch
The 1818 Club

Best Community Bank
Gwinnett Community Bank

All Things Pets

Our pets are part of our family. Taking care of them properly is important to us, so finding a veterinarian to keep our best pal fit is a must. A good vet isn’t hard to find here. In fact, trying to find a bad one might be the challenge.

If you have to go out of town but can’t take Precious with you, Gwinnett offers some of the finest in pet boarding. And don’t forget, your pets need exercise just as much as you do. So snap on the leash and enjoy a refreshing walk on any number of great walking trails throughout our many beautiful county parks.

Best Pet Boarding
Best Friends Pet Care

The staff at Best Friends Pet Care is passionate about one thing – the well-being of your Best Friend. Before your next vacation, drop off your pet at Best Friends and return home to a healthy, happy pet.

Best Dog Walk
Suwanee Creek Greenway

Best Veterinarians
Duluth Animal Hospital

Best Pet Boarding
Best Friends Pet Care

AG's Top Picks

Thank you Accent Gwinnett readers for your top picks in our Reader’s Choice Awards. We wanted to highlight a few Gwinnett businesses that we think are tops as well.

Publisher’s favorite sushi
Hanabi

Designer’s favorite lunch spot
Mickey’s Hot Dogs

Editor’s favorite coffeehouse
PJ’s

AG’s favorite BBQ
Old McDonald’s Real Pit BBQ

AG’s favorite snack

Editor’s favorite article
Citizen of the Year - Kyle Maynard [Nov/Dec ’05 issue]

AG’s Favorite Personal Trainer

Misc

Best Accent Gwinnett Issue
September/October 2006
“Gwinnett’s Best Doc’s”

Honorable Mention:
July/August 2007
All Eyes on Us – Gwinnett’s Public Education

Best Neighborhood
Rivermoore Park

Honorable Mention:
Sugarloaf Country Club

Best Historic Downtown
Downtown Duluth

Honorable Mention:
Downtown Lawrenceville

Best Charity
Foster Children’s Foundation

Honorable Mention:
American Cancer Society

Best Community Event
Duluth Fall Festival

Honorable Mention:
Suwanee Days