BEST PLACE FOR A WEDDING RECEPTION Inn at 835 825 S. Second Street, 523-4466 Ahhhhh. A calm before, during and after the wedding planning storm? Yes, it does exist, and at a reasonable price – at least it can at the Inn at 835. There, caterers equipped with legacy recipes stand ready to serve in either the intimate setting of the Inn itself or a seamlessly attached banquet facility with seating for 300 people. “You’re not one of many parties in one of many rooms,” says CEO Court Conn of wedding events held at the Inn. Book the Inn’s 12 unique and luxurious rooms on top of its full-service events center, and you’ll feel like you own the place. Oh, yeah. Did we mention the day spa?

BEST VETERINARY CLINIC Coble Animal Hospital 2828 S. MacArthur Blvd., 789-4200 Technically, Dr. Frank Coble has been a veterinarian for 40 years, since he graduated from vet school in 1970. More accurately, though, he’s been a vet for his entire life. Since he was in junior high school watching his dad, J. Porter Coble, and his assistant prep pets for surgery, he’s known he’d follow in his father’s footsteps. He took over the practice in 1980. Now, he’s perfected his craft, including his bedside manner, full of layman’s terms, which surely Best of Springfield voters appreciate. “We spend a lot of time totally explaining the problem,” Coble says. He’ll sometimes be running behind because of it, but the extra time is worth it, he says. The building Coble still works in is the same one his father built in 1947; only then, before other businesses started to build on MacArthur Blvd., it was practically out in the country. Coble has since redesigned the interior to make it more modern and able to host four other veterinarians, whom he credits for the practice’s open flow of ideas and occasional collective problem solving. Runners-up: Chatham Veterinary Clinic, Laketown Animal Hospital

BEST THRIFT STORE Goodwill Industries 815 N. 11th St., 280-1871 2531 N. Dirksen Pkwy., 753-3620 2001 Wabash Ave., 787-7496 420 N. Main St., Chatham, 483-5821 Best of Springfield voters love Goodwill, but they might love it even more after a few more improvements are completed sometime early next year. The Wabash Goodwill just keeps getting better: The in-store coffee shop, Edgar’s Coffee House, will soon add a drive-through option. On the inside, Edgar’s Book Nook, with an expanded collection of donated books, will complement the coffee shop, which already sells fresh-baked pastries and specialty drinks. “As with any nonprofit, we all have our goal to bring about value to our customers, especially when you have a thrift store that you utilize as your revenue stream to support your mission,” CEO Sharon Durbin says. That’s right, Goodwill’s main mission is to help people in need find jobs and give them on-site job coaching.

MOST SAVVY INVESTMENT COUNSELOR Steve Koch, Ameriprise 2621 Montega Dr., Suite A, 787-2435 The recession hasn’t been easy on anyone, including Best of Springfield voters who let out their frustrations on their ballots. Readers named 12 different investment counselors they considered savvy, but we’d have to combine all of those votes to edge out the overwhelming choice for this year’s most savvy investment counselor: Nobody! Steve Koch, who topped the list of living, breathing investment counselors, says he understands the mood. “It’s been a very emotionally difficult period of time,” he says. “It’s hard to not have been affected by all that’s going on in the economy.” Koch does have one thing going for him that helps clients feel a little more stable – tenure. He’s been with the same company, Ameriprise, for 25 years.