Here Is Part 1 of the Results of the 2023 Best of Jewish Baltimore Reader’s Choice Competition

From the best Jewish deli to the best homecare service and everything in between, it’s time once again for the results of the Baltimore Jewish Times’ annual Best of Jewish Baltimore reader’s choice competition, with winners and runners-up from dozens of categories presented across two issues.

These winners are chosen by readers, who submit their choices for best businesses, services and more in the community, and then vote for their favorites.

In this week’s issue, we present the first batch of of this year’s winners in our food, lifecycle, medical, personal services and senior categories. Next week, we’ll share the winners in camps, education, community/recreation, kosher food, home services and retail.

Please join us in celebrating 2023’s Best of Jewish Baltimore. Enjoy!

Best Jewish Deli: The Essen Room

The Essen Room is the perfect restaurant for anyone whose eyes are just as big as their stomachs.

The New York-style deli, which boasts the tagline “Where Size Does Matter,” offers gigantic sandwiches and a huge menu to suit any tastes. From breakfast items to smoked fish to burgers, there’s something for everyone — The Essen Room even offers special holiday menus for Passover, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Daring diners can take on The Essen Room Challenge, where one person has less than an hour to eat a gigantic G.B.M.F. sandwich, orders of potato salad and coleslaw and one of every pickle the restaurant has to offer at its homemade pickle bar.

The Essen Room’s owner, Lou Ellison, first opened the restaurant with co-founder Neil Parish in 2017. He felt that Pikesville and the surrounding areas did not have very many options to choose from for Jewish deli food.

“The community really needed a great place to eat,” he said.

Since then, The Essen Room has experienced success in filling that niche. The deli’s Instagram account, where they post pictures of their dishes every day, boasts over 3,000 followers. The Essen Room also offers catering services, and they have helped provide food for a variety of local events, both Jewish and otherwise.

Ellison suggests that first-time customers go up to the deli counter and make themselves known.

“We’re more than happy to tell any first-timers how everything we make is homemade,” he said. “We love giving them suggestions [of what to order] and putting them on something they’ve never tried before. Whenever there’s a first-timer, everyone behind the deli counter gets excited.”

He noted that the Jewish deli is considered a dying breed of restaurant, and that The Essen Room is doing whatever they can to preserve it in Maryland.

“We’re one of the last places left where you can get big smiles, good service and truly some of the highest-end homemade deli anywhere,” Ellison said. “I think we’re the last of the Mohicans when it comes to cooking and making all the things we do.”

— Jillian Diamond

Best Party Planner: Heather Cohen, HLC Party Planning & Consulting

While planning her own wedding, Heather Cohen was not overwhelmed by choosing a dress, cake and decor or by organizing guest lists and contacting vendors. Instead, she embraced the process.

And when she planned her oldest daughter’s bat mitzvah in 2014, she fell in love with the process.

Building connections with vendors, Cohen began to plan parties for friends and then friends of friends, until she was running her own business.

Cohen is the owner, event planner and consultant at HLC Party Planning & Consulting, where she designs celebrations, from weddings to b’nai mitzvahs to birthday parties, for clients in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas, as well as around the country.

“I thrive on organizing chaos,” she said. “And I feel like a lot of times that’s what party planners do.”

Based in Pikesville, HLC Party Planning & Consulting helps two to three clients per month, with events ranging from 20-200 guests. Cohen is intentional about planning her schedule; oftentimes, she’s helping a client for an entire weekend, from Friday night kiddush to Sunday morning brunch for a mitzvah or wedding.

“I really sit down with the family. I get to know them personally, so I can really get to know what they want,” Cohen said. “A lot of it is decision-making, contract negotiation, timeline planning and little touches and details that maybe people who aren’t in the business or don’t plan parties or corporate events often wouldn’t know about. Those little accents make a difference.”

The majority of Cohen’s clients are Jewish, and she finds joy in incorporating Jewish traditions into her events, such as blessings, honoring grandparents and elders and dancing the hora. But Cohen doesn’t let the use of rituals prevent her from being creative and adding personal touches to each event.

“There’s always a ‘wow’ factor,” she said. “There’s always something special and different.”

— Sasha Rogelberg

Best Physical Therapy: Jeremy Alter, OrthoMaryland

Jeremy Alter is one of the many physical therapists who works at The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, or OrthoMaryland. But what sets Alter apart is his focus on therapy for treating sports-related injuries.

Originally from New York, Alter said he became interested in sports therapy at a young and formative age.

“My father had bad knees, and his physician works with the New York Jets,” he explained. “Back when I was a young kid, I used to go with [my father] when he was getting therapy. Because his physician was so involved with sports therapy, I got to go to a lot of sports therapy places where I was able to use cool equipment and meet athletes. I fell in love with that feeling.”

Alter has been doing physical therapy-related work for 24 years, ever since he first graduated from New York University. He is known for his patient-first approach to sports therapy, where he considers the individual needs of his patients in addition to their injuries. He also offers post-op therapy and total joint replacement care.

Alter credits many of his accomplishments to the welcoming work environment that OrthoMaryland creates, as well as his coworkers.

“A lot of my supporting staff at OrthoMaryland make me good at what I do, because I have the ability to treat patients the way that I was taught, but I do learn from my other colleagues,” Alter said. “The environment I work in helps me be the kind of therapist I want to be.”

When he is not working, Alter enjoys gardening and using his Peloton bike. His family belongs to Chizuk Amuno Congregation, and his three children — Henry, Millie and Gabe — attend Krieger Schechter Day School.

He said that being chosen as the winner in the Best Physical Therapy category was completely unexpected, and that it was a very emotional experience.

“When my manager told me about [winning the award], I was at a loss for words and got teary-eyed,” he said. “I’m truly humbled.”

— Jillian Diamond

Best Law Firm: Law Office of David E. Fink

David Fink got into law for a number of reasons. He saw it as a way to play to his strengths and put his keen sense of justice and ability to argue to good use. But he also saw it as a way to help people who are being taken advantage of, especially by big insurance companies.

Fink has had his own practice since 1995 and has been recognized as one of Maryland’s top attorneys for 24 years. Throughout the years, he’s worked on countless cases: against financial companies giving bad advice, insurance companies trying to deny their client’s claims and even against Amazon.

His favorite part?

“Helping people who thought they would have no hope of prevailing,” he said.

In addition to his work as an attorney, Fink is an ordained rabbi and teaches classes on Talmudic law and Torah. The parallels between the two are clear to him: “the relentless pursuit of truth and justice,” he said.

Fink is a board member of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion, where he used to serve as president. He enjoys teaching and traveling, and he used to play football — “Though now that I’m 57, that’s off the table,” he joked. He also loves to spend time with his family.

— Hannah Docter-Loeb

Best Homecare Services: Vital Sign Home Care

In 2018, Venus Ricks, owner of Vital Sign Home Care, had a stroke that paralyzed the right side of her body. But her devotion to nursing and Vital Signs Home Care has not waned. She has kept running the business and wants to continue doing so in the years to come.

Ricks has always loved helping others. It was her passion for care that led her to become a registered nurse in the first place.

Ricks worked her way up in the health care industry, opening Mabel’s House Assisted Living, a service named in honor of her grandmother that serves the elderly and vulnerable population. She also created Vital Sign Home Care to help provide dependable and trustworthy home care for elders and the disabled community.

With the senior population increasing every year, homecare service is in high demand as many want to live and age at home. Vital Signs Home Care is able to meet this need. In addition to in-house care, they also provide help with errands and light housekeeping. The service currently employs around 60 caregivers that span six counties in the general Baltimore area.

“I want to grow my business,” Ricks said. “I want to get up to 100 people by this year. Next year, I want to get up to 300 people.”

— Hannah Docter-Loeb

Here’s the full list:

Food

Bagel

1. THB Bagelry & Deli, Owings Mills
2. Goldberg’s New York Bagels and Coffee

Bakery

1. Pariser’s Bakery, Baltimore
2. Rosendorff’s Bakery

Bar

1. Jilly’s Bar & Grill
2. Citron

Brunch

1. Miss Shirley’s Cafe, Baltimore
2. Lenny’s Delicatessen

Coffee

1. Zeke’s Coffee, Baltimore
2. Quarry Bagel & Cafe

Diner

1. EC Diner, Ellicott City
2. Double T Diner

Grocery

1. Wegmans, Owings Mills
2. Giant, Old Court Road, Pikesville

Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

1. Charmery, Baltimore
2. Jupiter’s Ice Cream

Jewish Deli

1. The Essen Room, Pikesville
2. Knish Shop

Liquor Store

1. Total Wine & More
2. Quarry Wine and Spirits, Baltimore

Pizza

1. Pizza Blitz
2. Tov Pizza

Restaurant

1. Tark’s Grill & Bar
2. Linwoods, Owings Mills

Salad Bar

1. The Gourmet Girls, Pikesville
2. Eddie’s of Roland Park

Lifecycle

Alternative Shabbat Service/Programming

1. Chizuk Amuno Congregation
2. Beth El Congregation, Baltimore

Catering

1. The Classic Catering People
2. Catering by Yaffa

Chabad

1. Chabad Center and Lubavitch of Maryland
2. Chabad of Owings Mills

Event Venues

1. Beth Tfiloh Congregation
2. Adamah/Pearlstone

Family-Friendly Shabbat Service

1. Beth El Congregation, Baltimore
2. Chizuk Amuno Congregation

Judaica Shop

1. Chizuk Amuno Sisterhood
2. Beth El Congregation Baltimore Judaica Shop

Party Entertainment

1. DJ Mike on the Mic, Mike Pachino
2. Talk of the Town Variety Entertainment, Rockville

Party Planner

1. Heather Cohen, HLC Party Planning & Consulting
2. Chic Designs by Shira

Photographer/Videographer

1. Jeffrey Reches, RC Video
2. Photography: By James Trudeau

Medical

Audiology

1. Chesapeake Ear, Nose & Throat, Owings Mills
2. Taylor Listening Center, Pikesville

Cosmetic Surgery

1. Belcara Health
2. Dr. Adam Basner, Lutherville-Timonium

Dentist

1. Dr. Tracy Stein, McDonogh Dental
2. Dr. Joel Nathanson, Nathanson Dental

Doctor

1. Dr. Elizabeth Loeb
2. Dr. Hina Ghafoor, Mercy

ER/Hospital

1. GBMC
2. University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center Emergency Department

Gastroenterologist

1. Dr. Edward Wolf, Pikesville
2. Dr. Ethan Dubin, EndoCentre of Baltimore

Lasik Center

1. Katzen Eye Group
2. Wilmer Eye Institute at Green Spring Station

Mental Health Practitioner

1. Dr. Hinda Dubin
2. Lorna Francis, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

OB/GYN

1. Dr. Esther Braun, LifeBridge Health
2. Dr. Sally Sondergaard, Aurora Women’s Health

Orthodontist

1. Dr. Michael Noorani, Quarry Orthodontics
2. Dr. Laura Friedman

Orthopedic Practice

1. Dr. Lew Schon, Mercy
2. OrthoMaryland

Pediatrician

1. Dr. Sara Spinner Block, Main Street Pediatrics
2. Dr. Andrew Cardin, Owings Mills Pediatrics

Pharmacy

1. Better Care Pharmacy, Pikesville
2. Walgreens Pharmacy at Woodholme Medical Building

Physical Therapy

1. Jeremy Alter, OrthoMaryland
2. Melisa Hoffman, OrthoMaryland

Urgent Care

1. Patient First
2. ExpressCare

Vein Clinic

1. The Vein Center at GBMC

Vet

1. Pikesville Animal Hospital
2. Owings Mills Veterinary Center

Vision Care

1. Dr. Brian Granek, Visionary Eye Care, Owings Mills
2. Dr. Marc Honig, Owings Mills

Personal Services

Bank

1. Shore United Bank
2. M&T Bank

Barber

1. Krysztof’s Barber Shop

Car Wash

1. WashWorks

Dry Cleaners

1. ZIPS Cleaners, Pikesville
2. Quarry Dry Cleaners, Pikesville

Financial Planner

1. Avigail Rosemore, Morgan Stanley

Insurance Agency

1. Mike Seidel, East insurance group
2. Dane Spealman, State Farm

Law Firm

1. Law Office of David Fink
2. Cohen & Forman

Makeup Artist

1. Adina B
2. Studio of Make-Up & Skin Health

Mani/Pedi

1. Nail Center
2. Luxe Nail Lounge

Massage

1. About Faces
2. Michelle Bar-av, Pikesville

Pet Groomer

1. Shaggy Chic Pet Grooming
2. Hillendale Grooming & Pet Center

Real Estate Agency

1. Marni Sacks, Northrop Realty
2. HomeRome Realty

Salon

1. The Salon on Main, Reisterstown
2. Amber Room Day Spa, Pikesville

Sheitel Macher

1. Hair by Shana, Baltimore
2. Rivka Tuchman

Spa

1. Ojas, Pikesville
2. The Spa at the Hotel Hershey, Hershey

Waxing

1. OCB Spa
2. European Wax Center

Seniors

55+ Community

1. Woodholme
2. Sunrise of Pikesville

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care

1. Sunrise of Pikesville

Assisted Living

1. Sunrise of Pikesville

Homecare Services

1. Vital Sign Home Care
2. Gilchrist

Hospice Care

1. Gilchrist

Independent Living

1. Edenwald
2. North Oaks

Senior Center

1. Edward A. Myerberg Center
2. JCC Senior Programming