Davis residents looking to satisfy a sweet tooth need not look any farther than E Street, which is where 2013 best dessert winner, Sugar Daddies, supplies delectable desserts to its hungry patrons seven days a week.

In June 2011, Davis Creamery and the Sacramento-based bakery Cupcake Craving decided to merge businesses to create Sugar Daddies, bringing together freshly made ice cream and beautifully crafted cupcakes in the hopes of supplying everyone with some sort of treat that would hit the spot.

“The merge has worked perfectly,” said co-owner David Robert. “The energy between the desserts is great and everyone has an option.”

Sugar Daddies makes its ice cream fresh right in the back of the shop, and the cupcakes are delivered daily from Sacramento, inspiring the “sugar” in the name. The latter part of their title arose from the fact that the owners of both original stores are indeed dads.

Dollar Scoop Monday and $3 Cowpie Thursday are just two of the popular daily specials offered every Monday through Friday at the store.

“On special days we often sell out completely. There are lines out the door some nights,” said operations manager Stacie Hoyt.

Sugar Daddies gets business year round, whether it’s college students looking for something sweet to relieve stress before an exam, families looking forward to weekly treats at the store or patrons escaping the sweltering summer sun with a scoop of one of the store’s unique ice cream flavors. Seasonal cupcake and ice cream flavors are offered throughout year, like the popular pumpkin cupcake this past fall.

Some customers may be a bit skeptical when first seeing flavors like avocado coconut and maple bacon on the menu, but these unconventional flavors have proven themselves to many a customer’s taste buds. They are also indicative of the experimental and adventurous attitude Sugar Daddies has taken to the sweet business — an attitude that has so far reaped a positive response from the community the store caters to.

“We’ve gotten to know the Davis students and community. They’re so great,” Hoyt said.

Let Them Eat Cake came in second place for best dessert, followed by Ciocolat.

Students hoping to satisfy their next sweet craving can check out the ice cream and cupcakes at Sugar Daddies for themselves at 113 E St.

— Lauren Mascarenhas

Anyone trying to get swimsuit-ready for the quickly approaching Spring Quarter need not look any further than this year’s Best Place to Exercise, the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center (ARC).

UC Davis students can enjoy the ARC at no additional cost, while staff, faculty, alumni and community members may purchase a membership.

The ARC offers a range of fitness and group exercise classes from cycling and cardio kickboxing to yoga. There are basketball courts, an indoor track, four-wall courts for racquetball and an indoor climbing wall. For those who prefer to work out independently, there are plenty of cardio machines and weights to use.

“We pride ourselves on having excellent customer service and top-notch professionalism. When you walk in this place and see these bright, shining faces, it helps put you in the mood to have a great fitness exercise,” said Tyler Scudero, informal recreation coordinator at the ARC.

Not only is the ARC a place to get in shape, you can also meet other like-minded people, make friends or catch up on your favorite shows with the many state-of-the-art cardio machines that feature TVs.

“I really like the ARC because it’s a great facility on campus, and there are a lot of fun, interesting people in there. I like being able to work out and watch ‘The Bachelor’ at the same time,” said Ryan Fox, a fourth-year biopsychology major.

The atmosphere of the ARC extends beyond providing a welcoming place for those who utilize its services, but the employees, especially the students who work for Campus Recreations, are able to build upon their professionalism.

“As employees and staff members, we pride ourselves on student development and we believe that at the department of Campus Recreation [and] Unions, our level of professional development that we provide to our students is top-notch,” Scudero said .

The Arboretum and the Greenbelt serve as second- and third-place for this category, and are perfect for those who prefer an outdoor exercise.

— Sasha Cotterell

That hard-earned, after-class beer needn’t burn such a big hole in your already increasingly porous pocket. In fact, two beers at 3rd & U Café — the winner of this year’s best drink special accolade — will set you back a mere $5.25, which comes as a steal considering that the average price of a pint across the United States is $4.58.

The bar, which has been open since March 2008, has given students the chance to save money on booze for almost four years now, and the price of the special, while fluctuating somewhat, has continually steered around the $5 mark. You can either find a drinking companion (acquaintance or otherwise) to rake the cash together, or go it alone and pocket a drink voucher to redeem later.

Melissa Popnoe, employee at 3rd & U for a year, wasn’t surprised to hear that the bar had been nominated.

“You can go downtown and buy one drink, or you can come here and get two beers for the same price,” Popnoe said.

The bar’s proximity to campus, furthermore, makes it the ideal haunt for students looking to wet their whistles after a long day of lectures.

“We’re just off-campus which is such a great location. It’s awesome that we get to be this staple of student life in Davis,” Popnoe said.

Punters taking full advantage of the drinks special wholeheartedly agreed the offer is great value for money. Chris Fasalo, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major, particularly enjoys the longevity of the deal.

“We’re here all the time because of [the special]. The fact that it’s not a happy hour deal and is offered around the clock, makes it all the more appealing,” Fasalo said.

Fasalo’s partner-in-crime, fourth-year mechanical engineering major Alex Young, attributes his patronage to the variety of beers on offer.

“The selection here is great, and they serve a few beers from local microbreweries. Some places downtown might have a broader selection, but for the price you’re getting here? Not a chance,” Young said.

De Vere’s Irish Pub, where $6 will fetch you a shot-beer combo or $10 bottomless mimosas on sundays, and Our House, which offers a range of happy hour specials, came in at second and third respectively.

– Joe Steptoe

The Davis Food Co-op has won over the hearts and stomachs of Davis’ residents to claim this year’s Best of Davis title for the best place to buy groceries.

The grocery store offers everything from yogurt to yoga mats and has occupied its current G Street location since 1984.

“The food’s really delicious,” said fourth-year mechanical engineering major Dominic Gutierrez. “The Cowboy Cookies are the best. Mind-blowingly delicious.”

That’s the sort of thing the market has to offer: extreme customer satisfaction, especially with students.

“We make an effort to be very student-friendly,” said Julie Cross, the Davis Food Co-op’s marketing and education director. “We accept Aggie Cash and sell individual items of things like single sticks of butter and single eggs that are nice when you’re living in a small household.”

Perhaps even topping taste and convenience as reasons why the DFC is worthy of this title is in the name itself.

“It’s a co-op, so they’re not necessarily there for maximum profit,” Gutierrez said. “A lot of the groceries, like vegetables and stuff, are all locally produced. And then they just hold ethics to a higher standard.”

The two other finalists for best place to buy groceries were Safeway, the 2010 winner, and Trader Joe’s, who held the title in 2012.

— Tanya Azari

Peter J. Shields Library takes the top spot again for best place to study in this year’s Best of Davis.

With a computer lab, millions of books and four spacious floors of study space, Shields Library offers students, faculty and staff resources not found at home or cafes. It has the wireless internet offered by cafes and a quiet study environment found at home, except the library will make you actually work instead of fall asleep.

The library also offers the convenience of a 24-hour study room and a free, extensive collection of journals and databases that would otherwise be expensive.

“We’ve got access to a lot of databases that students can use to search for articles,” said Melissa Browne, instruction and reference librarian. “We subscribe to a lot of journals and books online. [We also have] friendly librarians to help students with their research.”

Shields Library accommodates different study environments as needed, in which privacy and noise levels vary as you ascend floors. The basement offers a group study room for group work chatter, and noise levels only decrease as you go up in floors. The second floor offers single cubicles, while the third floor is dead silent.

“I think part of [why it’s the best place to study] is just the variety of study space that we have here,” Browne said. “The other reason is just the location of Shields on campus. It’s so convenient. It’s in the middle of campus.”

Computers are available to students on every floor to search the internet, databases and journals if the library’s approximately 2 million bound volumes aren’t enough for research. According to the university library website, Shields Library also has a seating capacity for 3,391.

Excluding the 24-hour study room, the library closes at midnight from Sunday to Thursday, 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and even later during finals week.

Coming in behind Shields Library in second place is studying “at home,” while Mishka’s Cafe finishes off the best place to study in third place.

— Joyce Berthelsen

UC Davis is unique in the fact that it offers classes you wouldn’t encounter at many other schools. One of these is Food Science and Technology 3: Intro to Beer Brewing, which is considered to be one of the best general education classes.

The class covers a variety of topics on beer, including the history of beer, the science of beer brewing, beer brewing from a business perspective and the social applications of beer. Students also get to learn a lot about various types of beer.

“It’s fun, but also educational,” said Professor Charles Bamforth. “We have a lot of laughs but also good messages, so it’s a valuable learning experience, especially with the variety of guest speakers we have. Students get to hear from some legendary names in brewing science.”

Students do not need a strong science background to take the class. However, Bamforth said the class does provide them with a solid background to take upper division classes in brewing.

Many students take the class simply because it’s something completely different from many other classes they have taken, and the subject matter is interesting and relevant.

“It does not even feel like we are sitting in class sometimes,” said Neema Shah, a third-year biological sciences major. “It simply feels like a friend who is knowledgeable about beer is informing us about beer. This is because the subject matter is interesting, but also because the professor himself really knows how to keep the lecture interesting [and] informative at the same time.”

Shah said she would recommend this class to anyone, even those who don’t drink beer.
“Students get an inside view of the wonderful world of brewing,” Bamforth said.

Human Development 12: Human Sexuality and Nutrition 10: Discoveries and Concepts in Nutrition were voted second and third place, respectively.

— Paayal Zaveri

The various stalls, the fresh produce and the enticing scent of cooked food and kettle corn draw in students and families alike. People new to the Davis Farmers Market quickly learn to appreciate its charm and invite their friends or family to partake in the experience. As such, the Davis Farmers Market is the number-one choice for families to visit.

One of the many people responsible for the Davis Farmers Market, Randii MacNear, executive director of the market, oversees a booth selling shirts, woven baskets and other goods promoting the market.

“I have students tell me that the Farmers Market makes them feel less lonely,” MacNear said. “When you come here it feels like a big family. There’s nothing bad here. It’s a stress-reducer. They aren’t going to be in a dark room [but are] outside, eating good food and creating familial ties.”

Whether the Farmers Market is selling at the Silo or Central Park, both locations are convenient for students and provide a needed break from stress.

“I’ve been doing this for thirty-two years and I still like it,” MacNear said.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, rain or shine, the market is located in Central Park, taking the entire block between C and D streets, and Fourth and Fifth streets.

The market is open on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. during winter. The rest of the year, the Wednesday market is from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. During Fall and Spring quarters the market is located at the Silo on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“We’ve had [past] students come back here with [their] families,” MacNear said. “[They] share the values they experienced in their youth.”

Taking second place is the UC Davis Arboretum, with Picnic Day day taking third.

— Victoria Trang

As one of the only clothing chain retailers in Davis, Forever 21 wins best clothing store for the second year in a row.

The store, which opened in 2011, is conveniently located at the University Mall shopping center across the street from campus and next to other highly patronized stores.

The store boasts an impressive 38,418 square feet of space and two entrances.

“I think UC Davis students like Forever 21 for its location, its wide variety of styles and the prices,” said Nicole Lanni, a second-year textiles and clothing major and former Forever 21 sales associate who worked there during spring and fall of 2012.

“Forever 21 is always a good option for college students on a budget as opposed to the boutiques downtown or the Gap,” she said.

Students like the Davis location for its spacious and organized layout. There are often themed “rooms” for similar items. For example, past themes have included tribal prints or neon colors. Furthermore, there are often markdowns on older pieces as new merchandise is frequently introduced.

“This is my favorite Forever 21 so far because it has so many different style options,” Lanni said. “There is a room for club apparel, one for activewear and so on. This is often hard to find at other Forever 21 stores.”

Third-year philosophy major Tifani Oaks agreed.

“I can find things here I can’t find at other Forevers and all of the departments are organized and well-kept,” Oaks said. “It’s great for a quick shopping fix in the middle of the week or when I need a last minute outfit for a sorority exchange or a night out with my friends.”

The store also has a department for plus sizes and men’s clothing.
Students can also enjoy shopping for clothes at Target and the Gap, which were voted second and third, respectively.

— Stephanie B. Nguyen

Davis is the UC school known for bikes, so of course bike shops are a top concern for students here. And this year B&L Bike shop won first place in its Best of Davis category.

B&L has been in Davis for 48 years and has provided consistently friendly service and helpful advice to the commuters of Davis, and now they have been awarded the title of best bike shop. They have a range of quality bikes and accessories for the incoming first-years and newcomers, as well as a large arsenal of advice for professionals.

Of course, Milo, the shop’s grey and very furry cat, is also a part of the staff, and he is quite a popular part of the business too. He is just as friendly as the staff members, but maybe not as helpful with bike problems as the others.

After being in business for such a long time the staff is full of advice. “We are a commuter’s bike shop,” Grundman said. “We try to give helpful advice … especially to freshmen, about bikes — things like what type of bike to buy and [how] to use a U-lock can make a big difference for them.”

This business understands most of their customers are college students who do not have money to spend on bike repairs.

“It’s always fun to see the different generations come through, like a father bringing his kid to the shop for his first bike when he also bought his first bike from B&L,” Grundman said. “It makes you feel like the shop is really helping people and is a big part of the community.”

Coming in second place for the Best Bike Shop was the Bike Barn, followed by APEX Cycles in third.

— Kelly Mitchell

The winning restaurant for best sandwich in Davis is, once again, Zia’s Delicatessen, an Italian restaurant located in downtown Davis.

When asked why Zia’s is such a popular place among Davis residents and students of UC Davis, Anne Marie Crilly, Zia’s manager, said that it’s the combination of the quality of the food and service that attracts people the most.

“I think it’s popular because we have really high-quality food and because of our customer service,” Crilly said. “We’re family run. I really do believe that we’ve come to know our customers since day one. We’ve had some of the same customers since 1985.”

According to Crilly, the most popular sandwich from their menu is the turkey smoked mozzarella with pesto, mayo and veggies.

“It is by far the most popular sandwich. I believe [that] students like us and like our food,” she said.

Student appreciation for Zia’s can be seen in the restaurant’s first-place ranking, followed by Nugget Market and Beach Hut Deli.

Zia’s Delicatessen is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with their specialty sandwiches starting at $5.75.

— Jessica Grilli