Best Pizza PlaceBest Local BrewerBest Happy Hour and/or Weekly Drink SpecialsThe results are in!

(and much more)

monday, march 11, 2013

B2• Monday, March 11, 2013 dailybarometer.com/the-best-of • 541-737-6373

The Best of Food

Best Pizza Place1st American Dream Pizza2nd Woodstock’s Pizza3rd Pizza Pipeline4th Dominoes Pizza (Honorable mention)

Best Sandwich Place1st Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches2nd Togo’s 3rd Subway

Best Vegetarian/Vegan food in town1st Café Yumm!2nd Laughing Planet Cafe3rd Nearly Normals Gonzo Cuisine

Best Mexican Restaurant1st El Sol De Mexico2nd El Presidente Mexican Restaurant3rd La Rockita

Best International Cuisine1st Aomatsu Sushi & Grill2nd Thai Chili 3rd Tokyo Japanese Steak House

Best Burger1st Block 15 Brewing Co. 2nd Flat Tail Brewing3rd McMenamins

Best place to eaton Monroe Ave1st Local Boyz Hawaiian Cafe2nd Qdoba Mexican Grill3rd Chipotle Mexican Grill

Best Breakfast Spot1st Broken Yolk Cafe2nd Shari’s Restaurant3rd The Peacock Bar & Grill

We asked. You voted. Best of 2013

By Nathan Bauer

For the second year in a row, The Daily Barometer has asked students, staff, and Corvallis community members to vote on their favorite places around town. The winners of this year’s “Best of 2013” campaign have been named.

Who makes the best burger? How about the best pizza? Where is the best place for a date? Who brews the best beer? Where is the best place to experience live music? Read on to discover all the hot spots around Corvallis!

We developed a survey which we distribut-ed using social media. We received over 1,000 responses. Our advertising representatives — the ones who work directly with these clients — wrote feature articles on some of the winners. I would like to personally thank them for all of the great work they put forth to not only create this issue, but to keep The Barometer in business.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s survey and congratulations to all of the winners!

dailybarometer.com/the-best-of • 541-737-6373 Monday, March 11, 2013 • B3

Thank You OSU for choosing us as the

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for the second yearin a row!

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Experience international flavors at Aomatsu

By Sam Fama

If you are looking for some authen-tic Asian food, you should consider Aomatsu Sushi & Grill, located down-town on Third Street. Since its open-ing in 1996, Aomatsu has expanded their restaurant, refined their menu, and has recently been awarded “Best International Cuisine” in Corvallis.

What can you expect when you go to Aomatsu? A beautiful res-taurant with employees that are always wel-coming and do their best to provide a great Asian dining experience. Their goal is to offer the freshest, high-est quality fish, meat and vegetables. The owner, Gary Ahn, suggests trying their newly added Korean cuisine offer-ings. Some of Ahn’s favorites include the dolsot bibimbop (classic Korean food served in a heated stone pot) and the tofu stew. Aomatsu does their best to listen to what customers would like on the menu, so additions are made to the menu periodically.

While Korean food has been a hit with customers, Aomatsu is known

best for their sushi. More specifical-ly, OSU students have always favored the 8:30-10 p.m. happy hour offerings, namely the sushi, tempura, Sapporo and sake. Considering the upscale food and décor, customers find their regular prices to be reasonable as well.

When asked why he chose Corvallis to open a restaurant in, Ahn responded, “It is a great town full of all kinds of

people. We love to show people a new type of food they may have never tried before.” Ahn enjoys serv-ing his regular customers, and always looks for-

ward to having new faces come in and try Aomatsu.

Ahn is a busy man; not only does he own and manage Aomatsu, he owns Izumi’s Sushi & Grill located in Eugene. When asked how he feels about win-ning the “Best International Cuisine” he smiled, looked out the window and said, “Corvallis is a great town full of good people who know we are doing our best to bring them the best dining experience with some of the best Asian food around.”

B4• Monday, March 11, 2013 dailybarometer.com/the-best-of • 541-737-6373

for all

Corvallis

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Best Live Music Venue1st Bomb’s Away Café 2nd Cloud & Kelly’s Public House3rd The Peacock Bar & Grill

Best Place toWatch the Game1st Buffalo Wild Wings 2nd Flat Tail Brewing3rd Clodfelter’s Public House

Best Movie Theater1st Carmike 12 Cinemas2nd Regal 9th St. 4 Cin-emas 3rd Darkside Cinema

Best Beer Selection1st Suds & Suds2nd Brew Station 3rd Flat Tail Brewing

Best Over-allBar in Town1st The Peacock Bar & Grill2nd Clodfelter’s Public House3rd Block 15 Brewing Co.

Best Bar to be Single & Mingle 1st The Peacock Bar & Grill2nd Impulse Bar and Grill3rd Sancho’s Mexican Grill

Best Happy Hour & Weekly Drink Specials1st Bomb’s Away Café 2nd Buffalo Wild Wings 3rd McMenamins 4th Flat Tail Brewing

The Best of Entertainment

The Best of Nightlife

Beers & burgers? Make it a date! By Bradley Fallon

Nick Arzner was once a hobbyist home brewer with a dream of opening his own brewery. Five years ago, Arzner gave life to a restaurant and brewery named Block 15. In the five years since the first burgers and pints were served, Block 15 has bloomed into one of the most well-known Corvallis eateries and has set the bar high for other Oregon breweries. Arzner credits his staff, stu-dents from Oregon State University’s Fermentation Science program, his 18 years experience as a brew master, and his wife, Kirsten, to the success of his restaurant and brewery.

“A lot of people really enjoy what we’re doing,” Nick said proudly. He then explained that he brews a beer for every palate: solid classic Northwest brews, experimental brews, seasonal brews and barrel-matured beers. In addition to beer, Block 15 has become famous for their annual “Bourbon Month.” Throughout the year, Nick collects rare bourbons from around the globe and keeps them stored until Bourbon Month rolls around. This February marked the fourth annual Bourbon Month, and many customers

came to experience the rare whiskeys, beers aged in bourbon barrels for four months to three years and food pre-pared with bourbon.

Block 15’s most popular burger is the “regular burger with cheese”: six ounc-es of Painted Hills Natural Beef topped with Tillamook cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato, served on a toasted bun. Hungry yet? For those wanting some-thing a little heartier, try the Brewers Burger: two hand-spanked beef patties dressed with two slices of Tillamook cheddar cheese, thickly sliced bacon and fried jalapeños. Oh, and try a side of their renowned beer battered fries. Block 15 takes pride in serving food sourced from Oregon, which is why their burgers contain only local beef and cheese.

When the crew at Block 15 was informed of their “Best Place for a Date” victory, confusion and laughter was the first response. A gastro-pub is a great place for a date? While it is not the most romantic spot in town, it’s one of the best places to sit down, loosen up and share great conversation over the “Best Local Brewery’s” beer and the “Best Burger” in town. As voted by Barometer readers, of course.

dailybarometer.com/the-best-of • 541-737-6373 Monday, March 11, 2013 • B5

We are truly grateful and blessed to have devotedclients, friends, and fans.

After being voted The Best Salon this year, we are still humbled in knowing that without you, there would be no us.

Our sincere thanks,

O�er valid at time of purchase.No substitutions allowed. May not be

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O�er valid at time of purchase.No substitutions allowed. May not be

combined with any other coupons, discounts, or promotions. Not valid on buzz cuts, or w/ Steve or Christy. O�er expires April 11, 2013.

Three Locations! Campus • 541-753-2282 • Behind Dutch Bros. Coffee

2001 NW Monroe Ave. Suite 102 , Corvallis

North Corvallis • 541-754-3828 • Corvallis Crossing 922 NW Circle Blvd. Suite 140, Corvallis

Albany • 541-926-3134 • North Albany Village 609 Hickory St. NW Suite 120, Albany

Best Local Grocery Store1st WinCo Foods2nd Market of Choice 3rd Fred Meyer

Best Bookstore in Town1st OSU Beaver Store

(campus book store)

2nd Book Bin 3rd Grass Roots Books & Music

Best Local Brewer1st Block 15 Brewing Co. 2nd Flat Tail Brewing 3rd 2 Towns Ciderhouse

Best Barber1st The Barbers 2nd Diversity Cuts 3rd So Fly Hair Salon

Best Salon/Spa1st The Salon

2nd Epic Day Spa

3rd Retreat Day Spa & Salon

Best Tanning in Town1st Tan Republic

2nd Personal Summer Tanning Salon

3rd HBS Express

Best Local Bike Shop and / repair1st Dixon Recreation Center

2nd Peak Sports

3rd Bike ‘n Hike

The Best of Goods & ServicesSuds & Suds – Beer, beer & more beer

By David Bunker

The casual beer drinker might flock to a bar off campus or head downtown to grab a pint, but the seasoned aficionado heads to Suds & Suds. Located on the south end of Woodstock’s Pizza on Kings Blvd., Suds & Suds used to offer a place for customers to enjoy a beer while doing their laundry (get it, Suds and Suds?), but now sets focus on beer, and beer alone. With more than 30 beers on tap and 20 bottled selec-tions from breweries around the world, it is no surprise that our readers voted Suds & Suds’ beer selection as the best in town.

Speaking of around the world, Suds & Suds offers membership to one of the most exclusive clubs in the Willamette Valley ¬¬– the Around the World Club. To join, simply ask for a card from the bartender and start drinking. To get “around the world,” one must drink 50 different beers and turn in a completed card. Completion of this strenuous adventure earns you a place on the Suds & Suds wall of fame and a T-shirt com-memorating your great achieve-ment. Over 4,000 beer fanatics have completed the challenge to date. Each time you visit to earn stamps on your card, be sure to have a Woodstock’s Pizza deliv-ered to you in the bar.

Sunny days at Suds are best spent with a pitcher of beer and your friends outside on the patio. During the other 340 rainy days of the year, retreat inside to play

Golden Tee, Big Buck Hunter, and pinball while sports television plays in the background. Suds & Suds has captured the laid-back bar atmosphere that makes it an ideal place to grab a beer and relax anytime, no matter the weather. It gets busy enough on weekend nights to create a fun social environment, and just quiet enough during after-noon hours to relax, sip a beer not offered elsewhere in Corvallis and watch a game unencum-bered. Unless, of course, you are watching a Beaver game, in which case you may be shoulder-to-shoulder with fans decked out in orange, but would you really have it any other way?

For those on the cheaper beer and ramen diet, check out Suds’ Monday Madness spe-cials (which still count for the Around the World Club). Every other Thursday, Woodstock’s has a brewery tour special with dis-counted pints and giveaways from a featured brewery. The large selection of beer, friend-ly atmosphere, great pizza and entertainment make Suds & Suds one of the best Corvallis bars to visit as both a student and a resident.

Next time you are thirsty, head to Suds and pick one of their 30 beers on tap. Then ask for your Around the World card, feed Big Buck Hunter a couple quarters and experience what Suds & Suds is all about. Just don’t forget to bring cash.

B6• Monday, March 11, 2013 dailybarometer.com/the-best-of • 541-737-6373

1435 NW Ninth Street • Corvallis • 541-752-7255

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Join the Dutch VIP club for EXCLUSIVE deals! Text “DBCAMPUS” to 86677facebook.com/CorvallisDutchBros

The Best of Campus

Best Professor/Instructor1st Kathy Greaves2nd Dr. Daniel Myles 3rd Mike O’Malley

Best Campus Bathroom1st Memorial Union2nd Kelly Engineering 3rd Linus Pauling

Best Club/Group1st Beavers Helping Kids2nd Residence Hall Council 3rd Marketing Club

Best Place to Eat on Campus1st Bing’s Cafe2nd Pangea Cafe3rd Panda Express

Best Residence Hallor Housing Co-op1st Weatherford 2nd BlossTie Buxton

Best Fraternity1st Sigma Phi Epsilon2nd Theta Chi3rd Fiji

Best Sorority1st Alpha Gamma Delta2nd Chi Omega 3rd Kappa Delta

Bing’s brings a variety of flavors to campus

By Adrian Knorr

Once again, Bing’s Café has been voted the best place to eat on campus. Bing’s Café has everything your typical café should have: pastries, coffee, cal-zones, chicken wraps and much more. Freshman Donald Orr, a computer science major, mentioned that he frequents the café because it is a “healthier option [than other campus options] while still main-taining great taste.”

Bing’s Café is located in Weatherford Hall. Upon entering, a case full of pastries and order sheets for custom made sandwiches await. After ordering your food, you can move to the lounge, which offers cozy couches and tables for their guests.

Fisheries and wildlife science major Leo Fremonti comments, “[Bing’s] has a nice atmosphere, and I like the seating area. It’s a nice place to chill out and I like that it’s open late.” Many other students mentioned that they like the ambiance of Bing’s and the seating arrangements. Although it is small, many like that it is away from the dining halls and is one of the only cafés on the west side of campus.

Bing’s wide assortment of gourmet ingredients, made-to-order calzones and hand-scooped gelato make the café an on-campus retreat for lovers of fine food. Pair the food offerings with freshly brewed Starbucks coffee and it’s not hard to see why Bing’s is so popular among students and staff alike.

dailybarometer.com/the-best-of • 541-737-6373 Monday, March 11, 2013 • B7

The Best of The Rest

Just minutes from Corvallis Latest Movies • Beer on Tap • Calapooia Brew

P IX T HEATRE 321 2nd Ave SW • Albany • 541-926-PIXX

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Albany’s only movie theatre that serves

and

BIKE SHOP: OUTDOOR SHOP:135 NW 2nd St. 207 NW 2nd St.

Downtown Corvallis • 541-754-6444

•BICYCLES•BACKPACKING

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BarometerThe Daily

Newsroom • 541-737-2231 Business • 541-737-2233

Memorial Union East 106, Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-1617

Find Us Here…

NEWS TIPS • 541-737-2231FAX • 541-737-4999

COPY EDITORS KAITY PILKERTON

To place an ad call 541-737-2233BUSINESS MANAGER

NATHAN BAUER: 541-737-6373 baro.business@oregonstate.edu

AD SALES REPRESENTATIVES •737-2233 JACK DILLIN, ADRIAN KNORR, BRADLEY FALLON,

DAVID BUNKER, SAM FAMA, ALLIE WOODSONPRODUCTION • baro.production@oregonstate.edu

Best of Logo •Sara Schumacher

Contributing Writers JACK DILLIN, ADRIAN KNORR, BRADLEY FALLON,

DAVID BUNKER, SAM FAMA, ALLIE WOODSONPhotograPhers

emma-KaTe SchaaKe

The Barometer is published Monday through Friday except holidays and final exam week during the academic school year; weekly during summer term; one issue week prior to fall term in September by the Oregon State University Student Media Committee on behalf of the Associated Students of OSU, at Memorial Union East, OSU, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614.

The Daily Barometer, published for use by OSU students, faculty and staff, is private property. A single copy of The Barometer is free from newsstands. Unauthorized removal of multiple copies will be considered theft and is prosecutable.

Responsibility — The University Student Media Committee is charged with the general supervision of all student publications and broadcast media operated under its authority for the students and staff of Oregon State University on behalf of the Associated Students of OSU. Formal written complaints about The Daily Barometer may be referred to the committee for investigation and disposition. After hearing all elements involved in a complaint, the committee will report its decision to all parties concerned.

dailybarometer.com

Best Place to Get Your Caffeine Fix (coffee spot)

1st Dutch Bros. Coffee2nd Starbucks Coffee3rd Brew Station

Best Place for a Date1st Block 15 Brewing Co. 2nd Pastini Pastaria3rd McMenamins

Best Place to Hike 1st Marys Peak 2nd Bald Hill 3rd McDonald Forest

Thanks to these businesses for prize donations:

Congratulations to the prize winners!

Kayla Byers

Taylor Donovan

Liza Paustenbaugy

B8• Monday, March 11, 2013 dailybarometer.com/the-best-of • 541-737-6373

CAMPUS • 2525 NW Monroe Ave • 541-757-1713DOWNTOWN • 214 SW 2nd Street • 541-753-7373

Thank you Oregon Statefor voting us

“BEST PIZZA IN TOWN”(Again!)

MUSIC|ART|BEER|PIZZA

175 SW Twin Oaks Circle541-757-0776

www.corvallissportspark.com

SPRING SEASON: APRIL 12–JUNE 15Early Bird: March 22 • Final Deadline: April 3

APRIL SESSION: APRIL 8–MAY 3Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri • 8:30 a.m.

Live music and good eats at Bombs Away Café By Allie Woodson

Close proximity to campus, friendly service, live music, high-quality food, tasty drinks and reasonable prices sound like a winning combination. With little surprise, Bombs Away Café has utilized that formula for years and come out winner of two “Best of 2013” catego-ries this year: Best Happy Hour and Best Live Music Venue. A visit with the own-ers made it clear how the restaurant has sustained such success.

In 1991, Chef John Huyck moved to Corvallis and opened Bombs Away Café. Huyck’s passion for Cajun, Mexican and Southwestern dishes inspired a menu that stood out from other local restau-rants and left customers coming back for more. In addition to entrées, John also

made all of the desserts from scratch. Bombs Away Café began by sourcing as many of the freshest local and organic ingredients as possible, and today stays true to that mantra.

In 2010, Huyck sold the restaurant to Todd and Camille Palmer, two Oregon State faculty members from the depart-ment of nuclear engineering and radia-tion health physics. Both were loyal cus-tomers while students at Oregon State University and jumped at the opportu-nity to purchase ownership from Huyck. “[We] loved what John was doing with the place and wanted to make sure that Bombs remained a vibrant part of the Corvallis food and entertainment scene.” Both Camille and Todd remain close friends with the Huyck family, and Todd and John occasionally perform

together on stage at the café. The intimate performance space,

coupled with top quality audio and visual equipment, makes Bombs Away Café a sure candidate to win “Best Music Venue,” but the weekly perfor-mances from local and national art-ists are key to Bomb’s loyal custom-er base. Bombs also coordinates with Oregon State University’s KBVR radio station to co-sponsor performances and shows, ensuring that their brand name is always associated with live music around campus.

Bombs Away was also voted “Best Happy Hour and Drink Specials.” Free late-night chips and salsa, freshly made ranchero and verde salsas, and weekly margarita specials are likely reasons why readers flock to Bombs. A large variety of

microbrews, ciders and wines, as well as the largest tequila selection in Corvallis, certainly attracted a few votes as well. The menu also includes many gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options as well.

The strong support granted by Bombs Away Café to OSU and the City of Corvallis is also worth mentioning. The Palmers support the National Ocean Sciences Salmon Bowl Competition, OSU’s Cycling Club, the Chintimini Wildlife Preserve National Squirrel Day Auction, the Jefferson Elementary School Dine-Out, the CARDV Walk/Run, Doxology, Peers and Beers (an OSU post-doctoral social group), the OSU European Student Association and the OSU chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

20 years of food & family – El Sol de MexicoBy Jack Dillin

Bernardo Magana and Rafael De La Cruz, owners of El Sol de Mexico Restaurant, have served Corvallis with authentic Mexican dishes for more than two decades. Magana and De La Cruz first worked together at El Tapatio Restaurant on Circle Boulevard. De La Cruz was a co-owner of the restaurant since it opened in 1990, and Magana worked at El Tapatio alongside De La Cruz’s sister since the first day of business.

Magana worked as a busboy, a cook and eventually as a head chef with the dream of opening his own res-taurant. Magana ended up in a relationship with De La Cruz’s sister, Rafaela, and De La Cruz offered to help Bernardo open a restaurant, provided he continued to work as his chef for a few more years.

Three years into El Tapatio’s existence, De La Cruz’s business partner wanted to sell his share of the company, and De La Cruz assumed full ownership. Consequently, the name of the restaurant was changed to El Sol de Mexico.

Six years later, De La Cruz would partner with Magana, now his brother-in-law, to open a new res-taurant off Garfield Avenue and Ninth Street. The new location would bear the same name and serve the fresh Jalisco-style Mexican food patrons craved on the other side of town.

It has been 13 years since the second location opened in 1999, and both owners remain passionate and excit-ed about their business. With knowledge of the restau-

rants’ work atmosphere, it is easy to understand why.

Magana, De La Cruz, and Rafaela have worked in the two restaurants for 20 years. De La Cruz still works at the Circle location alongside Rafaela. Magana now assists in the Ninth Street kitchen most of the week. Magana’s brother, Gabriel, is a chef. Turnover of cooks and waiters has been close to zero since the restaurants opened. The crew has become family.

Every Sunday morning, El Sol de Mexico employees play soccer at Willamette Park or rent a field at Corvallis Sports Park. Magana notes one of his favorite things about living in Corvallis for 26 years is the abundance of “really good soccer fields.” Aligning with the employ-ees’ love of soccer, El Sol de Mexico serves “Wednesday Tacos” from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Upper Deck, in the Sports Pub at Corvallis Sports Park to feed hungry athletes each week.

When asked what drives the success of his restau-rants, Magana was quick to credit his workers. “Our food is really good, our customer service is good and the key is that we’ve had the same workers since we opened 20 years ago.” Magana then paused and tilted his head while recalling one last reason. “And good margaritas!”

After sampling a guacamole-smeared tamale with a side of tender rice and refried beans, I can confirm that Magana and De La Cruz have found a winning recipe. One bite was all it took to understand why readers voted El Sol de Mexico the best Mexican restaurant in town.

Hopefully, Bernardo and Rafaela’s children, 15-year-old Yulissa, and 9-year-old Jared, will keep the family tradition running for future generations of Beavers to enjoy.