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Connect to the Best 2026

January / February 2026

Rainbows, Folio and Our Lab

For this year’s Connect to the Best awards, we asked the winners to answer eight of our 25 questions. So we decided to do the same, but double. Because we never shy away from a challenge. For this year’s Connect to the Best awards, we asked the winners to answer eight of our 25 questions. So we decided to do the same, but double. Because we never shy away from a challenge.

What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? When you line the magazines up from the beginning, the spines of each issue make a rainbow (with an exception here or there). We’re now on our fourth rainbow.

What’s something you’ve gotten better at every year? Reading each other’s minds. Seriously. It’s a little creepy.

What’s something you do that seems small but makes a huge difference? We fact check every story.

Tell us about your favorite local spot. Impossible. You’re all our favorites!

What northern Westchester business do you secretly (or not so secretly) love? It’s not really a secret. We love Mouth to Hand Learning Center, which teaches nonspeaking people how to communicate through spelling. (Technically, we love all the nonprofits we work with, but M2H holds a special place in our hearts.)

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing instead? Working as a freelance journalist and designer and partnering together on projects. Just like we did prior to this venture.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Think of our business as a lab and treat everything we do as an experiment.

How do you celebrate a big win? After we put an issue to bed, we go out for a celebratory drink. Unfortunately, this gets postponed when we close an issue after 9 p.m. and nothing is open!

Describe your business in three words. We only need two: Wildly brilliant.

What’s the funniest customer request you’ve ever received? “You should put me on the cover.” (Two local celebrities whose identities we will protect.)

What’s your business’s unofficial motto? Try to do less and then accidentally do three times more.

What’s something your business does differently than anyone else? We’re not pay-for-play, which has gained us the respect of residents and businesses. People & businesses choose to work with us because they want to be associated with a high-quality, reputable publication that people actually read, many cover-to-cover.

What’s the smallest detail your customers notice—or that you hope they notice? Folio! He’s our AI-created robot mascot, and we hide him in every issue.

What’s the one thing your business couldn’t function without? Good taste. 😉

What’s the unsung hero of your business? Google Workspace.

What is something you wish more people knew about you and/or your business? We’re more than a magazine; we’re a media company. One of our specialties is custom videos for businesses and nonprofits. We’re storytellers, and this is another way we tell stories.

Best Home Store 2026 - Westchester House & Home, Mt. Kisco

Best Home Store 2026 – Westchester House & Home, Mt. Kisco

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day? We get the store organized and ready for customers. The priority is making sure everything is in place so we can focus on following up with customers, processing orders, confirming availability, and making sure delivery timelines are communicated clearly and promptly. What’s ...
Best Ramen 2026 - Zeppin Ramen, Thornwood

Best Ramen 2026 – Zeppin Ramen, Thornwood

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day? Discuss the previous day's customer service, any issue we had and how to improve. What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? I check the camera to see if customers like our food… What’s something you do that ...
Connect to the Best Judges 2026 - Julie Rosenberg

Connect to the Best Judges 2026 – Julie Rosenberg

Written by Gia Miller and Kayla Schmidt Julie returned to her passion for music and art several years ago after a decades-long successful career in healthcare. Today, she sells her hand-painted electric guitars and plays guitar in Reservoir Road Band and as a solo musician. Julie also serves as president of the Katonah Museum Artists’ Association and was recently featured ...
Icons 2026 - The Blazer, Purdy's

Icons 2026 – The Blazer, Purdy’s

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? We make “in-house” salad dressings from our recipes: chili ranch, blue cheese, 1000 Island, Parmesan peppercorn. And, of course, we make our cream of tomato bacon soup. What’s something you do that seems small but makes a huge difference?  We donate to local ...
Ones To Watch 2026 - The Grand, Croton-on-Hudson

Ones To Watch 2026 – The Grand, Croton-on-Hudson

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia When did you open (month & year)? October 2025. Describe your business in three words. Fresh. Local. Live. What’s something your business does differently than anyone else? Our attention to detail and storytelling in everything from our sound system to the bands we book and our menu curation. What’s one thing people often say when ...
Best Neighborhood Staple 2026 - The Kitchen Table

Best Neighborhood Staple 2026 – The Kitchen Table

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day?  Choose the music to set the vibe for the day! (Start brewing coffee and turn on the lights.) If there were an award for your daily routine, what would it be called?  "Always Present." What’s one item you always have on hand?  ...
Nonprofits 2026 - The Pantry, Mt. Kisco

Nonprofits 2026 – The Pantry, Mt. Kisco

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia When were you founded?  The Pantry was founded in 1991 and was originally called The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry. The Pantry started with just eight families in need that year. It has grown to be the largest weekly choice pantry in the 21 northern Westchester areas and communities we serve, ensuring that up to ...
Best Gift Store 2026 - The Shepherd & Co., Bedford Hills

Best Gift Store 2026 – The Shepherd & Co., Bedford Hills

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day?  Unbox and display whatever arrived the night before. We shop small and always have new goods coming in, so we are constantly unboxing new arrivals! What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes?  All the research: Identifying trends, ...
Best Clothing Store, Women's 2026 - Rhoda, Pleasantville

Best Clothing Store, Women’s 2026 – Rhoda, Pleasantville

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is something you wish more people knew about you and/or your business? About six months before COVID, I began rebranding Rhodadendron—a shop serving teens and women of all ages—into Rhoda, which focuses on women in their 20s to 40s. When the pandemic hit, the rebrand became more important and more involved. Rhoda launched in ...
Best Bookstore 2026 - Scattered Books, Chappaqua

Best Bookstore 2026 – Scattered Books, Chappaqua

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day? The first thing we take care of is making sure our three bunnies—Moo, Chuck and Chip—have everything they need. They get fresh water, food, bedding, and a clean-up every morning and evening. They are the stars of the store so they have ...
Best Comfort Food 2026 - Stone Fire, Mt. Kisco

Best Comfort Food 2026 – Stone Fire, Mt. Kisco

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day?   Make a pot of coffee. What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes?   Maintenance man! I’m always fixing or cleaning or painting something. If there were an award for your daily routine, what would it be called?  ...
Icons 2026 - Stuart's Fruit Farm, Granite Springs

Icons 2026 – Stuart’s Fruit Farm, Granite Springs

Written by Isabella Aranda Garcia What is the first thing you do when you open for the day? Countless hours of mowing, from the orchards, to the Christmas trees, and around the fields.  Also trying out new ideas and recipes for tasty treats in the bakery. What’s one thing your customers don’t know you do behind the scenes? Only picking ...