For the past 11 years, the Best of NKY has celebrated all that Northern Kentucky has to offer. From doughnuts to bike stores, we love celebrating the businesses of this community. Thousands of people voted in NKY Magazine’s 2022 Best of NKY competition. Readers could vote both online at bestofnky.com or in person at the Best of NKY event, held May 24 at The Madison Event Center in Covington. Attendees voted for their favorites in 145 categories. Read on to discover this year’s winners.
The competition and event were sponsored by meetNKY, Northern Kentucky’s convention and visitors bureau.
Food
Bakery
Sugarmill Sweets
15 Pete Neiser Dr, Alexandria.
BBQ
City Barbeque and Catering
Locations in Highland Heights and Florence.
Breakfast/Brunch
Greyhound Tavern
2500 Dixie Hwy, Ft Mitchell.
Burger
Bard’s Burgers & Chili
3620 Decoursey Ave, Covington.
Catering
Kealoha’s Kitchen
3428 Decoursey Ave, Covington
808-217-3070
Kealoha’s Kitchen presents authentic Hawaiian cuisine straight from the islands.
Valentino Abafo, the owner of Kealoha’s Kitchen, named the restaurant after his late brother, Rudy Kealoha Abafo, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 51 from a heart attack. The two shared a dream of opening up a restaurant, and Abafo dedicated the restaurant to his brother.
Abafo is originally from Hawaii, but his wife is from Delhi near Cincinnati, leading him to open the restaurant in Greater Cincinnati. With authentic food ranging from teriyaki short ribs to a spicy papaya salad, the restaurant has something for everyone.
The restaurant started out as a food truck for its first two years but moved to a brick-and-mortar location this past year. Kealoha’s Kitchen now operates a carryout location attached to the bar Pandemonium.
“I’m kind of dumbfounded. I didn’t expect to win,” says Abafo of the Best of NKY win. “[We’re] just trying to share our culture and our cuisine and our aloha with the local people of the Greater Cincinnati region.”
Kealoha’s Kitchen is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Ethan Nichols
Chef
Ken Durbin, The At Home Chef
Chinese Cuisine
Casual Chinese
88 Carothers Rd, Newport.
Cupcakes
Little Flour Baked Goods
2479 Dixie Hwy, Ft Mitchell.
Dessert
Truffle Me!
Based in Verona.
Donuts
Paradise Donuts
2044 Harris Pike, Independence.
Family Dining
Buffalo Bobs Family Restaurant
9910 Berberich Dr, Florence.
Fast Casual
Lita’s Tacos
8450 US-42 A, Florence.
Fine Dining
Trotta’s Steak & Seafood
441 6th Ave, Dayton.
Food Truck
Marty’s Waffles
300 Washington St, Ste 6, Alexandria.
Fresh Catch
Knotty Pine On The Bayou
6302 Licking Pike, Cold Spring.
Fried Chicken
Galactic Fried Chicken
624 6th Ave, Dayton.
Ice Cream
Schneider’s Sweet Shop
420 Fairfield Ave, Bellevue.
Italian Cuisine
Camporosso
2475 Dixie Hwy, Ft Mitchell.
Mexican Cuisine
Agave & Rye
635 Madison Ave, Covington.
Patio Dining
Barleycorn’s Lakeside Park
642 Dixie Hwy, Lakeside Park.
Pizza
Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria
Locations in Union, Hebron and Newport.
Restaurant
Greyhound Tavern
2500 Dixie Hwy, Ft Mitchell.
Soup/Salad
Reality Tuesday Cafe
1518 Dixie Hwy, Park Hills.
Steak
Blinkers Tavern
318 Greenup St, Covington.
Sub/Sandwich Shop
Sub-Station II
Locations in Florence and Ft Wright.
Sushi
Wabi Sabi Covington
508 Madison Ave, Covington.
View from a Restaurant
The Gruff
129 E 2nd St, Covington.
Wings
Four Mile Pig
7962 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria.
Drink
Bar
Revival Vintage Bottle Shop
5 E 8th St, Covington.
Bourbon Selection
Blaze Cigar Lounge & Bar
515 Monmouth St, Newport.
Brewery
Alexandria Brewing Company
7926 Alexandria Pike, Ste 1, Alexandria.
Happy Hour
Braxton Barrel House
5 Orphanage Rd, Ft Mitchell.
Independent Coffeehouse
VillaMocha
2809 Amsterdam Rd, Villa Hills.
Sports Bar
Honey Hole Bar & Grill
7501 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria.
Wine Store/Tasting
DEP’s Fine Wine & Spirits
Locations in Covington and Ft Thomas.
Auto
Auto New
Jeff Wyler Honda – Florence
949 Burlington Pike, Florence.
Auto Parts & Best Tire Center
Community Car Care
1047 Perkins Dr, Alexandria
859-635-1788
Community Car Care has served the Northern Kentucky community for over 30 years. Owner Scott Fleckinger began the company because he’d seen the industry up close and wanted to offer a community-oriented car-service environment. “My feeling was to provide a good, honest service at a fair price. And be able to fix everyone’s needs all in one place,” he says.
Operating since 1988, Community Car Care offers a full-service automotive experience. From an oil change to an engine change, the shop offers it all. It is also known for its tire services. Community Car Care offers tires from Bridgestone, Firestone, Goodyear, Mastercraft, Michelin and others. In addition to individual services, it also offers fleet servicing.
“Really the biggest thing I can offer to anyone interested is to read our Google reviews and that should get them in the door and it’s our job to keep them there,” says Fleckinger.
- Ethan Nichols
Auto Repair
Don Baxter Auto Repair
9574 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria.
Auto Used
Tom Gill Chevrolet
7830 Commerce Dr, Florence.
Beauty
Hair Salon
Zoe Grace Salon & Med Spa
287 Buttermilk Pike, Ft Mitchell.
Manicure/Pedicure
Salon MK
200 Commercial Cir, Alexandria.
Master Stylist
Kristi Lemons, Faith and Allen Salon
Salon Lofts – Crestview Hills Town Center
2834 Town Center Blvd, Crestview Hills
513-581-7749
Kristi Lemons wasn’t planning to become a hair stylist, but life had other plans. After spending most of her adult life in real estate, Lemons went to back to school when she was 40 years old.
“This is kind of a second act for me… One day I realized I wasn’t getting any younger, and it was time to make a change. So I just made the leap. Because there isn’t anything better than making a difference in someone’s life,” she says.
Lemons met her business partner, Morgan Astraus, when they were both in beauty school. Even though they have 20-year age gap between the two of them, after school they worked at the same salon and then decided to pursue their dream of opening a salon together.
“We have cultivated a space where our clients can feel themselves and can feel loved. We truly believe in that personal relationship. Don’t get me wrong, we educate ourselves almost daily on hair, trends, color and design. But honestly, at the end of the day, if you don’t love your clients and who they are and their family and lifestyle, I don’t think you get to do this in eight months,” says Lemons.
- Ethan Nichols
Place for a Spa Day
Cloud 9 Salon & Spa
393A Mt Zion Rd, Florence.
Entertainment
Bowling Alley
Strike & Spare Erlanger
510 Commonwealth Ave, Erlanger.
Festival
St. Pius X Summer Festival
Golf Course
Pendleton Hills
317 Country Club Dr, Butler.
Live Music
Naked Karate Girls
Museum
Behringer-Crawford Museum
1600 Montague Rd – Devou Park, Covington
859-491-4003
The Behringer-Crawford Museum, located in Covington, recently celebrated its 72nd birthday in early July. Established in 1950, the museum seeks to preserve the regional history of Northern Kentucky, with a special emphasis on its history of transportation.
Guests can tour the four museum floors, seeing historic boats, cars and streetcars.
Behringer-Crawford Museum Communications Director Mary Jane Calderon told us that the museum currently has “our largest display ever of Harlan Hubbard artwork. He was known for his environmental advocacy. He lived it and wrote about it 50 years ago. And he did amazing artwork we have on display. And he lived off the land, him and his wife, Anna.
“And we just recently inherited collections so we have expanded our Civil War museum.”
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.
In addition to the exhibits, the museum also offer summer concerts and virtual history hours. The full event calendar is available to view on the museum’s website.
- Ethan Nichols
Family
Birthday Party Location
Dave & Buster’s
781 Heights Blvd, Florence.
Dance/Theatre Instruction
Studio Dee
3420 Valley Plaza Pkwy, Ft Wright.
Daycare Center
Skidaddles Florence
8660 Bankers St, Florence.
Education
Villa Madonna Academy
2500 Amsterdam Rd, Villa Hills.
Family Fun Entertainment
Silverlake The Family Place
301 Kenton Lands Rd, Erlanger.
Gymnastics Center
Top Flight Gymnastics
721 Centre View Blvd, Crestview Hills.
Martial Arts
McClendon Martial Arts
8109 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria.
Music Instruction
Music House
2643 Crescent Springs Rd, Erlanger
859-342-8280
Established in 1976, Music House began as a music store selling musical instruments and offering some private lessons. With the emergence of big box music stores and online retail shopping, Music House had to make some changes. So it expanded to its current format: a music school with a retail space on the side.
The school offers lessons in multiple instruments including piano, drums, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, flute, bass, banjo and more. In addition to lessons in various musical instruments, Music House also offers vocal lessons. Lessons are open to all ages, preschool through senior citizens.
“All of our teachers have been teaching for a minimum of 15 years or more, so we have extremely talented teachers. We offer everything from jazz, blues, metal, rock and pop,” says Music House Manager Sarah Allen.
Music House lessons are available at the Erlanger school, and you can call or message them on Facebook to book a lesson.
– Ethan Nichols
Photographer
Honey Light Photography
Preschool
Lakeside Presbyterian Preschool
2690 Dixie Hwy, Lakeside Park.
Real Estate Agency
The Cindy Shetterly Team
7210 Turfway Rd, Florence.
Real Estate Agent
Nick Foltz, Pivot Realty Group
702 Main St, Covington.
School Spirit (K-12)
Covington Latin School
21 E 11th St, Covington.
Summer Camp
NKU Music Preparatory
Fine Arts Center 371, Northern Kentucky University, Nunn Drive, Highland Heights.
Swim Lessons
R.C. Durr YMCA
5874 Veterans Way, Burlington.
Toy Store
Stoney’s Village Toy Shoppe
323 W 6th St, Covington.
Health
Chiro
Douglas P Krift, DC
1467 S Ft Thomas Ave, Ft Thomas.
Dentist
Peter Family Dentistry
2025 Declaration Dr, Ste B, Independence.
Eye Doctor
Julie A. Metzger Aubuchon, OD, Metzger Eye Care
6901 Dixie Hwy, Florence.
Fitness Center
Anytime Fitness
1920 Declaration Dr, Independence.
Fitness Class Instructor
Ashley Klein, Pure Barre
3420 Valley Plaza Pkwy, Ft Wright.
Health Food Store
Better Blend
8181 Mall Rd, Florence.
Home Health Care
Homewatch CareGivers of Northern Kentucky
Massage Therapist
Sweet Serenity Massage & Salt Therapy
9910 C Berberich Dr, Florence.
Medical Facility
BenchMark Physical Therapy
Multiple locations including Ft Mitchell and Burlington.
Medical Spa
dermalounge
723 Buttermilk Pike, Crescent Springs.
Mental Health Agency/Practice
Emma Schmidt & Assoc. Sex + Relationship Therapy
2045 Dixie Hwy, Ft Mitchell.
Orthodontist
Gruelle Dempsey Orthodontics
Locations in Florence and Ft Thomas.
Pediatric Dentist
David M. Rider, DMD
1809 Alexandria Pike.
Pediatrician
Pediatric Associates
Locations in Crestview Hills, Florence and Cold Spring.
Personal Trainer
Tony Jenkins, Anytime Fitness
1920 Declaration Dr, Independence.
Pharmacy
Fort Mitchell Drug Shoppe
2515 Dixie Hwy, Ft Mitchell.
Yoga Studio
Studio43 Sweat+Soul
7926 Alexandria Pike #9, Alexandria
Located in Alexandria, Studio43 Sweat + Soul was started five years ago with the mission to build a community centered around yoga and fitness.
“The studio was created to honor the memory of my dad who passed away from cancer in 2010. He was a community football coach, and absolutely loved the Campbell County Camels. More than that, he loved coaching kids and bringing people together. My goal with the studio is to honor his legacy. Forty-three was his lucky number, which is why I chose to name the business Studio43,” says owner and founder Nikki Taylor.
The studio offers yoga, Pilates and barre classes, as well as a special Cancer Care program in which anyone in active cancer treatment can take free yoga classes. In addition to the offered classes, Studio43 offers a local running club called RunClub43.
For Taylor, the business couldn’t be what it is today without the support of the community. “I am truly honored to receive this award, and I couldn’t do what I do without the support of our amazing community or the phenomenal instructors who work just as hard as I do,” she says.
- Ethan Nichols
Pets
Groomer
Allie’s Walkabout
2844 Crescent Springs Pike, Erlanger.
Pet Store
Lulu’s Pet Pantry
2510-B Burlington Pike, Burlington
859-918-1468
According to the those who voted in this year’s Best of NKY, Lulu’s Pet Pantry is the perfect place to get food, toys and more for your pet. Lulu’s has supplies for dogs, cats, fish and small animals. Many of the products are made in the U.S and are raw, grain-free, potato-free, natural and organic.
Michelle Petrick, owner of Lulu’s Pet Pantry, says her business stands out from other pet stores because it is a small, family-owned business.
“We are a family-owned, family-run store,” Petrick says. “We’re not a chain, we don’t want it to feel like a chain in our store. We really care about our customers and their pets, and we want to find the right product that works for them. We talk to our customers to find the right products for their specific needs.”
In addition to being a pet store, Lulu’s Pet Pantry also typically has rescue kittens up for adoption in store. Lulu’s works with Lucky Tales Rescue and the Boone County Animal Shelter to find homes for these kittens.
Petrick says she thinks Lulu’s Pet Pantry won in the Best Pet Store category because of all the people involved.
“We have awesome customers and great staff,” Petrick says. “The staff really love what they do and they love making a difference in our customers and their pets’ lives.”
– Meta Hoge
Vet
Heineke Veterinary Hospital
5 Orlando Dr, Alexandria.
Places
Apartment Community
Aqua On The Levee
100 Aqua Way, Newport.
Event Space
The Madison Event Center
700 Madison Ave, Covington.
Farmer’s Market
Boone County Farmers Market
6028 Camp Ernst Rd, Burlington.
Fitness Trail
Boone County Arboretum
9190 Camp Ernst Rd, Union.
Hotel/Motel
Hotel Covington
638 Madison Ave, Covington.
Park
Big Bone Lick State Historic Site
3380 Beaver Rd, Union.
Place for a Picnic
Devou Park
1201 Park Dr, Covington.
Place to Have a Wedding
Stables Entwined
2777 California Cross Rd, California
859-630-1053
Mary Lippert, owner of Stables Entwined Event Venue, attributes her business’ win for Best Place to Have a Wedding to two things, one being the staff.
“We’re a family-owned business and we pay extreme details to all the moments,” Lippert says. “That’s our big thing at Stables, we’ve all worked together for a long time, over 20 years.”
She says the other thing that makes Stables Entwined stand out is attention to detail.
“We know every moment is important, so we focus on all those moments throughout the entire process of getting married and planning everything,” Lippert says. “That’s our biggest feedback from clients, how we listened to all their details of how they wanted their day to be. So at the end of the day, all of the things that they dreamed about and expected to happen on their wedding day happens.”
The venue has an event wood barn with loft seating, a large stage, a pool table, a staging kitchen and a bridal dressing room. Outdoors there is a 50-foot-by-60-foot patio, a grain bin bar, playground, a pavilion, a firepit and a pond.
The grounds also have a groom’s cabin on a lake complete with a fireplace, pool table and bar. The cabin can be rented for other occasions as well, such as a fishing excursion or weekend getaway.
Stables Entwined also hosts celebrations of life, graduation parties, corporate events and birthday parties.
– Meta Hoge
Services
Accounting/CPA
Baker Business & Tax Solutions
853 Bristow Rd, Independence.
Alterations
Theresa’s Alterations
3068 Dixie Hwy, Erlanger.
Bank Credit
Stock Yards Bank & Trust
Locations in Highland Heights, Edgewood and Florence.
Barber Shop
Break Room Barbers
11067 Clay Dr, Walton.
Car Wash
Ms. Classic Car Wash
499 Orphanage Rd, Ft Wright.
Carpet Cleaner
Stanley Steemer
6800 Power Line Dr, Florence.
Computer Repair
Tech Castle
4314 Boron Dr, Covington.
Concrete
Planum Contracting
6342 Markham Ct, Independence.
Construction
Fedders Construction
1102 Brighton St, Newport.
Door/Window
Lilly’s Glass
Dry Cleaner
Sunshine Cleaners
4854 Mary Ingles Hwy, Ste A, Cold Spring.
Electric
Shaun Kunz Electric, LLC
1999 Halleck Way, Union.
Exterminator
Perfection Pest Control, Inc.
9967 Old Union Rd, Union.
Fence Installation
Mills Fence Company
Financial Planner
Crystal Mann, Charles Schwab
285 Buttermilk Pike, Ft Mitchell.
Florist
The Country Heart Florist
15 Pete Neiser Dr, Alexandria.
Frame Shop
Framed NKY
2519 Ritchie Ave, Crescent Springs
859-781-2233
Framed NKY Custom Framing and Art specializes in providing a wide variety of the latest styles of frames and mattes as well as original artwork from local artists. This frame shop has over 3,000 frame samples to choose from. Formerly named Bowman’s Backdoor Framing, the business has been serving Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky for over 35 years.
Jennifer Sierra, the owner of Framed NKY, says it won the Best Frame Shop category due to customers returning after receiving excellent client service.
“We have a pretty loyal customer following,” Sierra says. “I have a lot of regulars and I’m pretty sure that’s because we have great customer service and our framing expertise from the design down to the quality of the work is better than anyone else’s.”
Framed NKY also provides many services in addition to being a frame shop. Through the art locator service, the staff can help you locate original art to purchase or you can commission a custom piece. The photographic and video services help customers digitize artwork and photographs, transfer videos to DVDs and repair old photos that are tattered.
Sierra says Framed NKY stands out from other framing services because of the staff’s experience.
“Say somebody comes in and they want to have a canvas they bought stretched and framed and it means a lot to them,” Sierra says. “They don’t want to go to a frame shop that hasn’t been framing for very long. Our framers all have decades of experience each.”
• Meta Hoge
Funeral Home
Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home Independence
11382 Madison Pike, Independence.
Heating and Air Conditioning
Arlinghaus Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning
Home Builder
Drees Homes
Home Remodeler
JLH Customs
Insurance Agent
Adkisson Insurance Agency
1511 Cavalry Dr, Ste 101, Florence.
Interior Designer
Danielle Harris, TOB Design Firm
3075 Dixie Hwy, Edgewood.
Landscaper
A&A Lawn Care & Landscaping
7765 Foundation Dr, Florence.
Law
Law Offices of Shannon C. Smith, PLLC
605 Madison Ave, Ste 2, Covington.
Lawn Care
Perfect LawnCare LLC
859-462-7737
Locksmith
Bonded Lock & Security
3224 Dixie Hwy, Erlanger.
Lumber
Boone Kenton Lumber & Building Supply Co.
3219 Crescent Ave, Erlanger.
Mortgage
Ravi Patel, Guaranteed Rate
404-556-1157
Moving Services
Big Blue Moving
Plumber
Jolly Plumbing Drains Heating & Air
Pool Service
Kramer Pools
410 Dudley Trace, Florence.
Retirement Community
St. Charles Community
600 Farrell Dr, Covington.
Roofing
Tim Cocco Roofing & Restoration
Tire Center
Community Car Care
1047 Perkins Dr, Alexandria.
Tree Care
Kremer Tree Service
612 Steffen Rd, Alexandria.
Shopping
Antiques
Faded Finds
654 Highland Ave, Ft Thomas.
Bike Shop
Velocity Bike & Bean
7560 Burlington Pike, Florence.
Bookstore
Blue Marble Books
1356 S Ft Thomas Ave, Ft Thomas.
Bridal Shop
Donna Salyers Fabulous-Bridal
20 W 11th St, Covington.
Clothing Store
Lady Eclectic Boutique
Consignment Shop
Julie’s Inspiration Consignment Shoppe
608 Main St, Covington.
Farm Equipment
Southern States – Campbell
2 S Jefferson St, Alexandria.
Furniture Store
ReStyle Home Furnishings
8419 US 42, Florence.
Garden Center
Maddox Garden Center & Landscaping
8430 Dixie Hwy, Florence.
Grocery Store
Kremer’s Market
755 Buttermilk Pike, Crescent Springs.
Hardware
Klingenberg’s Hardware & Paint
Two locations in Covington.
Jeweler
Herzog Jewelers
2501 Dixie Hwy, Ft Mitchell.
Place for Appliances
Hagedorn’s Appliances
4432 Dixie Hwy, Erlanger.
Place for Home Accessories
Bunches of Bows
2497 Dixie Hwy, Ste B, Ft Mitchell.
Shopping Center
Crestview Hills Town Center
2791 Town Center Blvd, Crestview Hills.
Special Gift Shop
Local Studio 325
3622 Decoursey Ave, Latonia
localstudio325@gmail.com
Chris Kidwell, owner of Local Studio 325, says it is important that her store provides a memorable shopping experience.
“When people come to our store, it’s not about an item,” Kidwell says. “It’s about the experience while they’re there. They’re able to relate to our different artists and writers and product makers. It’s not like going to Walmart for sure.”
Local Studio 325 features art, books, clothing and other hand-crafted products from local artists. Consumers can visit the boutique during its regular business hours or stop by one of the Second Sunday Markets, an outdoor shopping event held on the second Sunday of almost every month. These events have local small businesses that participate as well as food trucks and sometimes live music.
In addition to the shopping experience, Local Studio 325 hosts art summer day camps for kids, such as mixed media or mosaics. People can also have parties or other private events at the vicinity.
“We do a lot of birthday parties and they get to customize their party,” Kidwell says. “We have everything from candle making to tie dyeing to painting.”
Kidwell says people should shop at Local Studio 325 because they would be supporting small businesses and local artists.
“They’re not just supporting Local Studio,” Kidwell says. “They’re supporting Latonia and a wide variety of local product makers, of local writers, local artists that really have a voice in the community that needs to be heard.”
– Meta Hoge
Thrift Shop
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store and Donation Center
Locations in Covington, Florence, Falmouth and Cold Spring.
