BEST CHIROPRACTOR Stephen C. Unverzagt 1045 S. Second St., 544-3628 Last year, when Stephen Unverzagt was named Springfield’s best chiropractor, he had only been practicing for a few months, out of a small office where he and his wife, Nicole, took care of all aspects of the business, from back adjustments to billing. This year, Unverzagt says with a great sigh of relief as he looks around the office he shares with fellow chiropractor Tim Wenneborg, he has more support staff and more space, meaning he can make more people feel good. He’s also expanded his reach to golfers. With a Titleist Performance Institute golf fitness instructor certification, he’s partnered up with an area golf pro and a local fitness instructor to help golfers extend the time their bodies can take swinging clubs on the golf course.

BEST YOGA INSTRUCTOR Aasne Vigesaa Daniels, Ahh Yoga 1051 Wabash Ave., 725-2373 Aasne Vigesaa Daniels in 2001 first stepped into yoga because she didn’t want to sweat. “I was so wrong,” she says, explaining that, while yoga leaves her “blissed out,” it’s a lot of physical work. Since 2006 Daniels has been teaching Ashtanga, a type of yoga that emphasizes a type of nasal breathing, called ujayii, or victorious breath. It’s a little noisy – Daniels says it sounds a little like “a sensitive and gentle Darth Vader” – but coupled with the intense engagement of the body’s muscles, Ashtanga does the trick. In each of her four 90-minute weekly classes at Ahh Yoga, Daniels tries to evoke the temperaments of her favorite yoga teachers, a trick that likely helped her earn the top spot among yoginis this year. Showing humility, having a sense of humor and checking the ego at the door are key, she says. In that same vein, Daniels sends praise to Ahh Yoga’s founder, Ami Flammini, which is no surprise considering Flammini’s very close second in this year’s Best of Springfield. Runner Up: Ami Flammini, Ahh Yoga

BEST GAME STORE GameStop 2501 Wabash Ave., 793-9449 2845 Veterans Parkway, Suite B04A, 698-5614 3421 Freedom Dr., 546-9890 2506 N. Dirksen Parkway, 493-1105 Bringing area gamers the latest and greatest since 1992, GameStop was Best of Springfield voters’ favorite stop for video games this year. With four locations, GameStop’s wide selection – from “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” to “Fallout: New Vegas” – is easy to access. Whether you’re working with a Wii, Xbox, PlayStation or PC, a friendly sales staff can guide gamers to what they’re looking for. Add in a pre-owned selection and the option of trade-ins, and GameStop is a gamer’s paradise.

BEST GREEN BUSINESS Food Fantasies 1512 W. Wabash, 793-8009 Leave out the chemical additives but add a little family feel and you’ve got a damn good “green” grocery store. “Part of feeling healthy is knowing the people where you’re at,” says Jonathan Reynolds, an employee at Food Fantasies since 1998. While the 21-year-old store’s staff is friendly, its shelves are lined with all things organic, local and oh so good. Food Fantasies stocks products from about a dozen local vendors and takes special pride in its competitively priced organic milk. Buyers for the store are also ready to turn on a dime whenever Oprah or Dr. Oz send Springfield folks into a frenzy over the latest diet fad.

BEST PLACE FOR FRESH FISH OR MEATS Robert’s Seafood Market 1615 W. Jefferson St., 546-3089 Take a quick stroll through Robert’s Seafood Market and you’ll realize that its moniker offers insight to only one aspect of the nearly 100-year-old business. Of course, the mainstay of the shop is fresh fish and seafood – from salmon to swordfish and a list of special order items available the next day with no extra charge, but it also hosts a selection of filler-free, gluten-free and artificial flavor-free deli meats, not to mention the wine, crackers and condiments. “We try to get everything to build a meal around the fresh fish,” manager Brian Aiello says, adding that, if it makes sense, he’ll bring in whatever customers ask for. “They design the store based on what they want.”

BEST JEWELRY STORE Giganti & Giganti 1601 Wabash Ave., 793-3300 Springfield is only so big, so Jim Milner knows he’s going to see his work parading about town on a fairly regular basis. It’s no wonder, then, that he says, “I don’t do ugly.” By “ugly” he means undesired features such as imperfect stones. He and Carl Giganti, the son of the store’s founder, Paul Joseph Giganti, also make sure the special occasion gift is truly special, Milner says, estimating that 40 percent of the business is made up of one-of-a-kind creations. And with Giganti’s roots in the wholesale jewelry biz, those one-of-a-kind creations come with a little more bang for the buck. It’s all about the connections, Carl Giganti says.

BEST JEWELRY STORE (RUNNER-UP) Denney Jewelers 2901 W. Wabash Ave., 787-0500 Five years ago members of the Denney family made one big leap – a move from Jacksonville to Springfield when competition in the capital city bling biz was already steep. This year, their jewelry store is just one tiny vote away from holding Best Of bragging rights. Opened 56 years ago by Ray Denney, the business started out as a watchmaker’s shop but now offers everything across the gem gamut and more. “We do everything,” says Cathy Denney, one of the shop’s co-owners and Ray Denney’s daughter-in-law. “From $10 to you-name-it.” Add the occasional party held by Denney for the customers, and the pearl purchaser is bound to be pleased as punch.