Best of 2023 winners celebrated by Empire State Bank at Angel’s Tavern

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Meet the best!

Winners from the Staten Island Advance’s Best of 2023 contest were honored at a celebratory dinner inside Angel’s Tavern in Castleton Corners Thursday night.

Owners and representatives from dozens of the top businesses on Staten Island were on hand to be celebrated for being voted the best by our readers last year.

The Best of 2023 campaign, which was sponsored by Empire State Bank, allows voters to highlight some of the most outstanding business owners for their contributions to our community in a multitude of different categories.

“This is an awesome experience,” said Philip Guarnieri, CEO of Empire State Bank. “To be with such people, such talent and hard work is rewarding for all of us to be around.”

Guarnieri says Empire State Bank was proud to sponsor the recent series, adding that the camaraderie during the gathering was “inspiring.”

“I like to refer to Staten Island as the big-small town,” he added. “There’s a lot of people on the borough, but it feels like everyone knows each other.

“And I think the community and the neighborhoods benefit from that feeling.”

CONGRATS TO OUR WINNERS

The Advance/SILive.con featured eight different categories for the Best of 2023 Series sponsored by Empire State Bank.

Those categories included: The Best Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwiches, Best Dance Schools, Best Sushi Spots, Best Nail Salons, Best Margaritas, Best Wings, Best Coffee Shops and Best Vodka Pizza on the Island.