Need a plumber or a dentist? How about a recommendation for a day spa or home improvement contractor? Looking to buy a new car?
The Best of Harford County can help with a little guidance from our readers. More than 75,000 votes were cast in this year’s readers’ poll, culling a list of the 84 top people to know, places to go and things to do of 2023.
Health & Wellness
Addiction counseling: Klein Family Center
Honorable mentions:
Ashley Addiction
Harford County Health Department
Voices of Hope Maryland
Alternate wellness center: Salt Works Spa
Honorable mentions:
Namaste My Day
Lavish Salon & Spa
The Vine Natural Health Center
Audiologist: Bay Area Audiology
Honorable mentions:
Hearing Associates
Harmony Hearing
Susan Domzalski, The Centers for Advanced ENT Care
Chiropractor: Optimal Spine Chiropractic
Honorable mentions:
Dr. Poane’s Chiropractic Office
Charles D. Cruickshank
Premier Chiropractic
Day spa: Salt Works Spa
Honorable mentions:
Spa on the Boulevard
Lavish Salon and Spa
ProMd Health
Dental practice: River Dental
Honorable mentions:
Smith & Co. Dental Practitioners
Fallston Family Dentist
Laurel Bush Family Dentistry
Dispensary: Enlightened
Honorable mentions:
Rise Dispensary
Four Green Fields
Eye care: Seidenberg Protzko Eye Associates
2023 Pulaski Hwy., Havre de Grace. 410-939-6477; 520 Upper Chesapeake Drive, Suite 401, Bel Air. 443-643-4500. visionexperts.com
Jonathan Seidenberg had a vision: to establish an eye care practice that would embrace Harford County as its own. Twenty-five years later, the center’s 40,000 clients tell the tale.
“We are part of the community and we pride ourselves in personalized service,” Seidenberg said. “We treat patients as if they were family members — and we like our families.”
With four sites (including Elkton and Chestertown) and a staff of 70, the ophthalmologist and his partner, Eugene Protzko, see patients from age 5 to 104 for routine exams, cataract and glaucoma surgeries and other treatments. Clients aren’t shy about rating the practice.
“I know my eyes are in good hands,” one reviewer wrote online.
Some cases resonate to the hilt, like that of a middle-aged man who was blind.
“He’d lost his sight to a congenital disease and had never seen his children,” Seidenberg said. Surgery restored the man’s vision, in part, and when he returned for a check-up, he was crying.
“I watched my [10-year-old] son play baseball for the first time,” he told the staff. “I’d always heard him play, but I’d never seen him do it.”
Honorable mentions:
Wilmer Eye Clinic Bel Air
Jarrettsville Family Eye Care
John Hopkins Eye Care
Medispa: Chesapeake Skin Solutions
Honorable mentions:
Melissa Streett, Artistry in Plastic Surgery
ProMd Health
Serenity Salt Spa
OB/GYN: Susquehanna OB/GYN
Honorable mentions:
Capital Women’s Care
Upper Chesapeake Women’s Care
Dr. James Thompson
Orthodontist: Bel Air Orthodontics
Honorable mentions:
Joseph LaPonzina Orthodontics
Isaacs, Nawy, Stern & Isaacs Orthodontics
Str8rsmiles
Orthopedic: Towson Orthopaedic Associates at Bel Air
Honorable mentions:
Susquehanna Orthopaedic Associates, John O’Hearn
University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Orthopaedics
Pediatric dentist: Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry
Honorable mentions:
Bel Air Pediatric Dentistry
Chesapeake Pediatric Dental Group
Smile Partners
Pediatric practice: Bright Oaks Pediatric Center
Honorable mentions:
Pediatric Partners
Towson Pediatrics – Fallston
Dr. Steven Dannenfelser
Pharmacy: Jarrettsville Pharmacy
Honorable mentions:
CVS
Walgreens
Shop Rite Forest Hill
Physical therapist: Agape Physical Therapy
Honorable mentions:
Drayer Physical Therapy
McLaughlin Physical Therapy & Hand Rehabilitation
Gold Medal Physical Therapy
Speech therapist: Graceful Speech-Language Therapy
Honorable mentions:
Phoenix Speech Therapy
Brain Builders Speech and Language Services
Walden Speech Therapy
Urgent care: Patient First – Aberdeen
Honorable mentions:
MedStar Urgent Care
Express Care of Forest Hill
University of Maryland Forest Hill
Home
Electrician: Mattingly Electric
Honorable mentions:
JPS Electrical Services
Deluca Electric
Benfield Electric
Flooring and carpeting: Top Notch Flooring
Honorable mentions:
Our Floor Store
Bel Air Carpet
Carpets by Denny Lee
Garden center/nursery: The Mill of Bel Air
424 N. Main St., Bel Air. 410-838-6111. themillstores.com
The Mill, a farm and home supply operation with roots trailing back decades, is where you’ll find pet supplies, bird seed, feed for horses and cattle and, of course, garden goods.
The Bel Air location — one of seven in Maryland and Pennsylvania — boasts a knowledgeable “green team,” said Nathan Holloway, the director of retail operations for his family’s business.
“They’re in the garden center every single day. They’re watering plants, they’re taking care of them, they’re pruning, they’re deadheading,” Holloway, 28, said. “They’re doing whatever they need to, to take care of those plants to make sure they stay healthy and happy.”
Many of those plants are native to the region, he added.
During the warmer months of the year, when The Mill sells perennials and annuals, plants that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees are popular. During the winter, there are indoor plants to be bought. Year round, there’s always someone ready to field questions.
“A lot of times, people come in because they want to talk to us,” Holloway said. “They want to learn something.”
Honorable mentions:
Grier Nursery & Greenhouses
Greenspring Nursery
Home Depot
Home improvement contractor: Tar Heel Construction Group
Honorable mentions:
American Design and Build
Carl’s Door Service
WM Remodeling
Homebuilder: Bob Ward Trademark Homes
Honorable mentions:
Ward Communities
Taylorbilt Homes
Huskins Builders
Housecleaning service: The Clean Castle
Honorable mentions:
Elite Power Washing
Cornerstone Cleaning
Housekeeping by Susan
HVAC: Forest Hill Heating and Air
Honorable mentions:
First Response Heating & Cooling
Temp Masters
Ground Loop Heating and Air
Interior designer/decorator: Home With Heather
Honorable mentions:
Dwell & Bloom Interiors
Belle Patri
Wendy Miller
Landscaper: Lawnscape
Honorable mentions:
Luminary Lawns
Cox Enterprises
Chesapeake Landscapes
Mortgage company: Har-co Credit Union
Honorable mentions:
Brian Slicher, Fairway Mortgage
Freedom Federal Credit Union
APG Federal Credit Union
Plumber: PlumbCrazy
Honorable mentions:
Cobra Plumbing
Harford Plumbing
Straight Plumbing
Roofing: Tar Heel Construction Group
Honorable mentions:
Harford Roofing Service
American Design and Build
G. J. Goss Contracting
Waste/recycling company: Bartenfelder Sanitation
Honorable mentions:
Harford County Trash Services
Bumble Junk
Trash Panda Dumpsters
Out & About
Annual festival/event: Bel Air Festival for the Arts
Honorable mentions:
Harve de Grace First Friday’s
St. Margaret Fall Festival
Maryland Italian Festival
Art studio/gallery: Made Me Mine
3101 Emmorton Road A6, Abingdon. 443-484-7492. madememine.com
Before opening Made Me Mine, Angela Goetz would round up her friends for easy-going craft sessions: They’d bring the food and wine, she’d find inspiration on Pinterest and gather the supplies.
“I just loved crafting,” said Goetz, who grew up in Baltimore County and has lived in Harford County for the last 12 years.
She started Made Me Mine as a mobile business in 2016, popping up for craft events in restaurants and other venues before settling into a storefront two years later.
Today, the studio supplies materials ranging from resin to wood for group crafting events held a few times a week and “open craft” times that can be reserved in advance. It’s a creative way to spend a “girls’ night out,” birthday or bachelorette party, Goetz, 42, said.
“We’re definitely one of a kind,” she said. And with guidance in the studio, “you don’t have to worry about Pinterest fails.”
Honorable mentions:
Harford Artists Gallery
Unlimited Art
Gallery 220
Brewery: Hopkins Farm Brewery
Honorable mentions:
Independent Brewery Co.
Slate Farm Brewery
Double Groove Brewing Co.
Charity/nonprofit: Humane Society of Harford County
Honorable mentions:
Tabitha’s House
The EPICENTER
Harford Family House
Kids activity: Raise The Barre Studio of Dance
Honorable mentions:
East Coast Airsoft Arena
The Playroom
We Rock the Spectrum
Museum: Steppingstone Farm Museum
Honorable mentions:
Havre de Grace Decoy Museum
The Liriodendron Mansion
The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum
Park: Annie’s Playground
Honorable mentions:
Rocks State Park
Ma & Pa Trail
Susquehanna State Park
Private school: John Carroll School
Honorable mentions:
St. Margaret School
The Highlands School
Harford Christian School
Public school: Forest Hill Elementary
Honorable mentions:
Forest Lakes Elementary
Havre de Grace High
North Harford High
Rainy-day activity: Horizon Cinemas
Honorable mentions:
Bel Air Public Library
Crabby Axe Throwing
Amazing Glaze
Special events venue: Rockfield Manor
Honorable mentions:
The Vandiver Inn
Water’s Edge Events Center
The Liriodendron Mansion
Theater company: The State Theater
Honorable mentions:
Tidewater Players
Scottfield Theater Co.
Rogue Swan
Winery: Harford Vineyard & Winery
Honorable mentions:
Fiore Winery
Mount Felix Vineyard & Winery
Personal Services
Accountant: Frank Hajek & Associates
Honorable mentions:
Weyrich I Cronin I Sorra
Hershey Accounting & Tax Group
Bishop & Adkins
Auto repair: Jones Junction
Honorable mentions:
Forest Hill Automotive
New German Performance
Churchville Service Center
Bank/credit union: Har-co Credit Union
Honorable mentions:
APGFCU
Freedom Federal Credit Union
Harford Bank
Barbershop: Work of Art Barbershop
Honorable mentions:
Old Line Barbers
Axel’s Barbershop
Pristine Styles
Child care: TLC Daycare
Forest Hill Nature Preschool
The Arena Club
The Goddard School of Forest Hill
Dog trainer: Sit Means Sit
Honorable mentions:
Polite Pooches
Dogtopia of Bel Air
Doggie daycare: Whittington Pet Sitting
Honorable mentions:
Best Friends Fur Ever
Your Pet AuPair
Country Comfort Kennels and Camp for Pets
Dry cleaner: Zips Cleaners
Honorable mentions:
Sue’s Alterations
Sunny Dry Cleaners
Angel Cleaners
Financial adviser: Harford Financial Group
Honorable mentions:
Harford Retirement Planners
The Kelly Group
Ryan Townsley, Town Capital
Florist: Richardson’s Florist
Honorable mentions:
Electric Daisy
Washday Floral
Flowers by Bauers & Greenhouses
Hair salon: Lavish Salon and Spa
Honorable mentions:
Jordan Thomas Salon
Hair Network
Bella Vita Salon
Insurance company: Fuller & Associates Insurance
Honorable mentions:
State Farm
AAG Insurance
Famous & Spang Insurance
Pet groomer: Magic Groom Bus
Honorable mentions:
Katiedidit Grooming
To Wag For
4 Paws Spa and Training Center
Real estate agent: Dan Mcghee, The Victory Team at Homeowners Real Estate
Honorable mentions:
Michele Langhauser, Compass Home Group
Laura Snyder Home Group, American Premier Realty
The Brendan Butler Team
Senior care: Katherine’s Keepers
Honorable mentions:
Synergy HomeCare
Lorien Bel Air
Brightview
Tattoo parlor: Flesh Tattoo Co.
Honorable mentions:
Dark Arts Tattoo Studio
Chop Shop Tattoo Co.
Instant History Tattoo
Travel agency: Travelworks International
Honorable mentions:
Marvelous Mouse Travels, Brenda Tackett
AAA
Travel Makers
Veterinarian: Homeward Bound Veterinary Services
305 S. Atwood Road, Bel Air. 443-617-9836. homewardboundvetservices.com
What started as a mobile pet care service in 2010 has mushroomed into a veterinary practice with 5,000 four-footed clients for Dr. Kristen Vance. Routinely, the small animal hospital handles 50 to 60 dogs and cats daily, plus walk-ins who need emergency care.
“We don’t turn away a sick pet that doesn’t have an appointment,” said Vance, a Bel Air native. Moreover, the clinic offers high-tech options such as laparoscopic surgeries and 3D CT imaging for all, from giant mastiffs to Maine Coon cats.
Vance began the practice with a mobile unit that made house calls “to ease the stress on the animals.” Homeward Bound now boasts five veterinarians and a staff of 28 that draws patients from Harford and surrounding counties, plus Baltimore City and Pennsylvania.
“People like the caring nature of our staff,” the owner said. Not to mention the purrs that greet them from Fig and Newton, the hospital’s two house cats.
Honorable mentions:
Dr. Keith Gold, Chadwell Animal Hospital
Fallston Veterinary Clinic
Greenbrier Veterinary Clinic
Personalities
Activist: Linda Williams, Addiction Connections Resource
Honorable mentions:
Aimee O’Neill, O’Neill Enterprises Realty
Kristy Gizinski, Court Special Advocate at CASA of Harford County
Heather Cantos, legislative aide to council member Bennett
Clergyperson: Msgr. Kevin Schenning, St. Margaret
Honorable mentions:
Pastor Craig McLaughlin, Mt Zion
Pastor Ben Cachiaras, Mountain Christian Church
Pastor Matthew Fortunato, North Harford Baptist
Elected official: Sheriff Jeff Gahler
Honorable mentions:
Councilman Jacob Bennett
Councilman Tony “G” Giangiordano
County Executive Bob Cassilly
Personal trainer: Wendy Abboud, Club Pilates Bel Air
634 Marketplace Drive, Bel Air. 410-994-8883. belair@clubpilates.com
Wendy Abboud preaches what she has practiced since she first set foot in Club Pilates Bel Air as a client: how to re-wire and realign one’s mind, body and soul. With more than 300 pupils in tow, Abboud, 41, has — in 18 months — built a core of followers who swear by her empathetic nature and techniques as a trainer.
“I watch, listen and learn with them,” the Bel Air resident said of her clients. “I pay attention to every detail of their bodies. I may not remember all of their names, but I remember all of their bodies.”
Four years ago, Abboud entered the Bel Air studio on the brink, having dislocated her back during childbirth and battled post-partum depression thereafter. Pilate exercises, she said, helped reboot her life and gave her a calling.
“I love giving back to women,” she said of her work. “I have found my big ‘why,’ my niche in life.”
An author as well, she has published a children’s book, “The Santa In Me,” and is working on a self-help book for women.
Honorable mentions:
Cory Bielatowicz, Game Changer
Tim Cain, The Arena Club
Heather Rockhill, Snap Fitness Fallston
Police officer: Brian Brandow, SRO Fallston Middle School, HCSO
Honorable mentions:
Jeffrey Gahler, Harford County Sheriff
Christopher Klisavage, Havre de Grace Police Department
Rick Krause, School Resource Officer
Principal: Brad Spence, Havre de Grace High
Honorable mentions:
Anna Shanahan, St. Margaret School
Mark Warfield, Meadowvale Elementary
Rebecca Reese, Magnolia Elementary
Recreation
Dance lessons: Supernova Dance Co.
Honorable mentions:
Raise the Barre Studio of Dance
The John Carroll School Ballet Academy
E-Street Dance Academy
Golf course: Geneva Farm Golf Course
Honorable mentions:
Mountain Branch Golf Club
Bulle Rock Golf Course
Maryland Golf & Country Club
Gym/fitness center: The Arena Club
2304 E. Churchville Road, Bel Air. 410-734-7300. thearenaclub.com
At The Arena Club, opened by Keith and Kathy Rawlings in 2003, a distinctive culture has been growing for over two decades.
“The Arena Club’s success is really because of our people,” said Keith Rawlings, 59. “It’s because we have incredible staff, we have an incredible management team. … We have members that care about each other.”
The couple opened the club, Rawlings said, to focus on families.
With an array of group fitness classes, personal training, an aquatics complex with multiple pools for different activities, camps for kids and much more, The Arena Club caters to “infants up to seniors,” Rawlings said. “We’ve had people working out in their 90s.”
In October, the Rawlings opened the Pickle Factory as part of The Arena Club, boasting nine indoor pickleball courts. More than 200 people signed up for the club’s first tournament in January, Rawlings said.
“It’s huge,” he said of the sport’s popularity.
Honorable mentions:
Gamechanger Fitness
Coppermine Bel Air Athletic Club
Club Pilates
Martial arts classes: U.S. Taekwondo Academy
Honorable mentions:
Empire Dojo
Chung’s Martial Arts
Taekwondo Masters
Music lessons: Music Land
Honorable mentions:
Do-Re-Wee Music Academy
Bel Air Arts Academy
Stone House Jam Academy
Swim club: The Arena Club
Honorable mentions:
Fallston Swim and Tennis Club
Fountain Green Swim Club
Rock Spring Swim Club
Yoga classes: Yoga Centric
Honorable mentions:
The Arena Club
Love Evolution Yoga
Kore Barre & Yoga
Shopping
Antiques: The Painted Mill
Honorable mentions:
Belle Patri
Joretro
Seneca Cannery Antiques
Bridal shop: K&B Bridals
Honorable mentions:
Edel’s Bridal Boutique
JC Bridal & Formal
Car dealership: Jones Junction
Honorable mentions:
Boyle Buick GMC
Bob Bell Chevrolet of Bel Air
Keene
Clothing boutique: Bray & Em Boutique
Honorable mentions:
Stalefish Board Co.
Apricot Lane
The Teal Antler
Consignment shop/resale shop: The Mannequin on Main
113 S. Main St., Bel Air. 410-838-2456. themannequinonmain.com
This boutique for bargain hunters offers nearly new designer and brand-name clothing for women (and a small line for men).
“We cater to all budgets, body types, ages and styles,” said Brittany Welsh, 41, who bought the existing store in 2021 after working there part-time for 13 years.
A former Harford County public school teacher, she has filled the place with “gently-used” casual and formal wear, as well as handbags and shoes.
“People come for a treasure hunt,” said Welsh, of Bel Air. Moreover, the crafts of 40 local vendors — from jewelry to soaps to candles — give it the air of a gift shop. Customers are drawn in by kitschy display windows that celebrate the seasons. On St. Patrick’s Day, Welsh recreates an Irish pub in the window; on Father’s Day, passersby see a garage with an old motorcycle out front.
Each sale, she said, helps save the Earth.
“To buy something used, and to give it new life, does so much for the planet,” Welsh said. “Every little bit helps.”
Honorable mentions:
Tabitha’s House
Belle Patri
Kid to Kid
Furniture store: Jarrettsville Furniture
Honorable mentions:
Belle Patri
ReStore Aberdeen
Ryan Furniture
Gift shop: The Nest on Main
Honorable mentions:
Blue Heron Gifts & Boutique
Full Heart Solutions
Belle Patri
Jeweler: Saxon’s Diamond Centers
Honorable mentions:
F & L Jewelers
Moon & Sea Creations
Talles Diamonds & Gold
Liquor store: Bel Air Liquors
Honorable mentions:
Friendship Wine & Liquors
Ronnies Beverage Warehouse
Beards Hill Liquors
Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions (listed alphabetically) were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to nominate and vote online in October, November and December. The results are generated solely by readers’ votes. The Baltimore Sun does not take responsibility for the services offered or advertised by those listed.
