Small Business of the Year 2018 - Winner: La Strada Italian Cuisine PHOTO GALLERY OF NOMINATED BUSINESSES

Small Business of the Year 2018
Winner: La Strada Italian Cuisine
PHOTO GALLERY OF NOMINATED BUSINESSES

La Strada - “I pick La Strada as small business
of the year because Martino is all about the
relationship. I feel welcomed here and love how
good the food tastes. All the waitstaff are
attentive, charming and professional.”

La Strada - “The staff here are always attentive, the food is mind blowingly good, &
the dining atmosphere is so quaint. All my extended family and friends from out of
town who come here are so impressed with the dining experience. I'm also very
impressed with Martino for how much he participates in the community, from hosting
Rotary, mixers, parties, to even going off-site to create banquets to remember.”

Lemon Gals – “The reason I am nominating this business
for this award is because they have amazing food and I
like how it empowers women to go into business. Their
gorditas are so good and their duvalin drink tastes like
strawberry nesquick which reminds me of my childhood.”

El Cuscatlán - “I came to the
grand-opening and found the place
to be very colorful with lots of energy.
The waiters and staff were very
welcoming and friendly.”

XINIA’S BAKERY - “This place has been
here for a few years and it's a little
hidden gem. They have traditional
Salvadorian pastries and Salvadorian
food, and they've expanded since they
opened. Their tamales are amazing! The
workers are super nice too and very
friendly! ”

Taquería Doña María - “I
discovered Taquería Doña María
and instantly fell in love with their
food. I love burritos and it's always
one of my go to foods. It's always
bomb dot com, like, ALWAYS. The
service is great, they are all super
friendly. Everything is really well kept
and clean. They have a salsa bar
available as well. The price is a lot
cheaper than some places I've
been too. ”

ALOHA PURE WATER + SHAVED
ICE – “I feel so much better about
drinking and cooking with such tasty
and trustworthy water. The shaved
ice is also really good, because it
comes from the same water. ”

Ocotes Grill - “What amazing food, service, and atmosphere! I
love that it's run by siblings. I feel like this family business will gain
traction in this community because after speaking at length with
the owners, they really want to focus on making this a family-friendly
environment with top notch service and the freshest food.”

Silver Ocean Restaurant
- “This place just became
my favorite restaurant. My
sister loves sushi and I love
Chinese food, and Silver
Ocean has both. They
offer a wonderful service,
they always treat you as a
friend or family member.
The place is also clean,
and they have good
music. Everything is fast, so
if you are working and
have a short break, you
can still have time to do
wherever you want. Silver
Ocean is the best!”

CASTRO DDS - “They make
going to the dentist a positive
experience, and staff are so
friendly and upbeat. You don't
feel pressure to do anything you
don't want to. My whole family
has switched over to this dentistry
after years in San Francisco. We
feel very lucky to have such a
place so close to home.”

Las Montañas Supermarket - “I
really enjoy all the variety of
food offered here. The
panenderia, carniceria, and
especially the taqueria are my
go-tos for quick eats. One time,
I had to host a large dinner
party last minute and was able
to get all my ingredients from
this business.”

J&M Auto Repair - “The
best example for how to
treat customers. Leaders
in customer service!”

Palikhe Buck & More -
 “I came here to buy
     supplies for my
 housewarming party
and can't believe how
much variety there is for
 party planning. I am
 very pleased that my
guests were happy and
   that I got to save
       money! ”

H.S. FISH & CHIPS - “A
total hole-in-the-wall with
lots of character and a
friendly vibe. Everyone
was very pleasant and
delivered excellent
customer service.
Absolutely delicious. ”

DONUT KING - “I love going to
     Donut King for breakfast
Sunday mornings. The service is
 always excellent and the food
  is delicious! My favorite is the
   ham and cheeses croissant
  with jalapeno peppers and a
     warm cup of coffee. The
   business is run by the family
    and they are always super
friendly! The store is always nice
            and clean. ”

Bottles - “Talk about
Speakeasy! Who would
have ever known that
there is a CRAFT BEER
BAR in the back of an
Indian Grocery Store?
Wow, they seriously have
the best beers around. I
can't think of anywhere
in the area that serves
sours other than Berkeley.
The bar area has two
very large TV's, over ten
craft beers on tap and a
restaurant! I tried the
food and it was
excellent! It's a hidden
gem! ”

Mountain Mike’s Pizza -
“So when I'm busy tired and
need a quick gluten-free
option, this is one of my go-
to places. I seriously
appreciate that they offer
good, glute-free pizza. Nice
service. My husband loves
their regular pizza.”

Samraj Sweets ‘N
Chaat Hut - “After
having lived 12 years in
India, I have found my
favorite Indian restaurant
closest to me. The
restaurant is clean, the
food has the perfect
balance of spice and
the price is spot on. Their
magic formula is price,
quality and quantity.”

Noodle 21 – “The soup
noodles comes out in about
10-15 mins and it is super hot
like they just made it. The
iced coffee is served in
mason jars! How adorable! I
really love the little touches
this restaurant has to offer.
The food is delicious and the
service is friendly! What more
can you ask for? I'm a fan!”

Star Bread - aka: Senorita
 Bread – “LOVE LOVE LOVE
 LOVE! I WILL FOREVER KEEP
  COMING HERE. It's always
  clean, the bread is always
super fresh and delicious and
  customer service is always
     grade A+. Prices are
extremely reasonable for the
    quality and quantity!”

El Sitio Taqueria - “I
live right down the
street from them
and go here all the
time. Their pupusas
give me life, to be
honest. I've
ordered 2, I've
ordered 25, I've
never had one
that was anything
short of delicious.
Food comes out
reasonably fast,
and the staff
always greets with
a smile. ”

Kelly-Moore Paints -
“Very impressed with the
wonderful service that we
always receive from the
staff and the management
(Jaime). Employees are
knowledgeable, helpful
and on point! ”

A-1 Martin Auto Body
- “The owner here is
really knowledgeable
and does excellent
work! ”

DR. VICTOR KERENYI,
WFG - “Great asset to
the community. He
provides treatment no
matter what your
financial ability. Kind,
honest and an awesome
example to young
people.”

Kebab Express
Pamir Afghan
Cuisine - “Excellent
customer service,
and fun and different
food options that we
need in the area.”

Lotus Blossom Spa - “I can't
say enough good things
about this place. The staff
are all very talented and
have extensive knowledge
of various types of
techniques and styles to suit
my needs. The after effects
of massage, cupping, hot
stones all help me feel very
relaxed afterwards.”

This and That Building
Materials - “This small
business does so much
for the community. Their
faithfulness to San Pablo
and it’s surrounding cities
and towns for so many
years is much
appreciated.”