Over fresh oysters and local brews, Island businesses and community members gathered at the Farm Neck Golf Club on Wednesday to celebrate the 2022 Best of the Vineyard winners, as chosen by the readers of Martha’s Vineyard magazine.
The annual festivities recognized Island businesses, places and events across 97 categories—from the best nature walk to the best fries. Magazine readers cast almost 80,000 votes in this year’s competition.
“The purpose of the event is always to celebrate all the great Island business, people and places that make this Island so special,” said Vanessa Czarnecki, editor of the Martha’s Vineyard magazine, which publishes the Best of the Vineyard winners and hosted Wednesday’s party. The magazine is part of the Vineyard Gazette Media Group.
“This year in particular, we are able to celebrate being together again — so many businesses having survived, and even thrived in some cases, through the pandemic,” she added.
Island band The Vine Shakers opened up the evening with live soul classics, from Ray Charles to Bill Withers, as bartenders poured out pints from Wash Ashore Beer Company and Bad Martha Brewery. Oysters served up by the Clambulance quickly disappeared from the raw bar, and party-goers descended on the photo both.
Lisa Brown of L. A. Brown Photography has documented the event for years, along with photographer Randi Baird.
“The people here are happy for each other,” Ms. Brown said. “They’re sharing food, sharing drinks… The majority of these people work very hard, and this is the season they work hard—yet here’s this party!”
For Ms. Brown, it’s the perfect time for Islanders to gather and celebrate their work before the summer gets too busy.
Paul Schneider, outgoing editor of the magazine, took his last turn as the event’s Master of Ceremonies, announcing the night’s winners while rattling off some signature one-liners. The runner-up for the Island’s Best New Store prize was the Martha’s Vineyard Cheesery: “They used to call me the MV cheesery!” Mr. Schneider quipped.
Edgartown’s Fantzye Bagels took home the first place award for Best New Business.
Many Island classics maintained their long streak at the top of the Best of the Vineyard list. Back Door Donuts remained the Island’s Best Bakery, and Giordano’s swept the family dining awards.
Some favorite businesses are so beloved they continue to win awards even after they are gone. Despite closing its doors this winter, Edgartown’s Sundog took home the runner-up award for Best Men’s Clothing on the Island.
But there were some new names at the top of the list, including The Menemsha Fish Market which beat out perennial winner MV Chowder Company for top prize in the Best Chowder division.
DJ Steve McCullough spun out the funk on a set of old CD changers as award recipients moved to claim their awards and kept the celebration going long into the night.
The full list of Best of the Vineyard Winners appears in the July edition of Martha’s Vineyard magazine, on newsstands now.
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