A few years ago, our home’s central AC died an impactful death just as summer was coming on, and I ended up paying too much for a replacement unit. Worse, I was saddled with two guys for maintenance — a nice guy who quickly disappeared, and a surly guy who acted like every call was the height of inconvenience, and passively helped me screw myself out of the final half-year of my warranty (no matter how often you see someone, kids, always insist on the paperwork). CL’s Joey Neill recommended Chill Out, and a couple of amiable yet professional older (than me) guys came out and hooked me up; I’ve been with them ever since. Don’t let the, ahem, chill attitude fool you — they do big jobs and small, they know their shit, and most importantly, they’re honest and care about the customer. 727-502-7338. —Scott Harrell
Goods & Services: Tampa Bay businesses that did it right.
Tampa Bay businesses that did it right.
RUNNERS-UP: AER Apartments, Post SoHo Square Apartments
Wood wizard Jon Stine is known for crafting beautiful longboards, beer taps and very-high-end custom furniture, but countertops — who knew? When my boyfriend and I went searching for wood countertops that didn’t look like 1985-married ScanDesign, we ran into Stine working in the back room of Anderson Lumber and learned, shockingly, that we could afford him. He added artistic touches — tying together the tones of wood between the high-top and the work surface, carving out space for a mermaid compass rose, and using his power tools to add creative weathering to the cypress — all without calling attention to itself as “art.” Facebook: Stine Custom Woodworks, LLC. —Cathy Salustri
RUNNERS-UP: Autoworks of Tampa, Big John’s Brake & Alignment Service
RUNNERS-UP: Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, Suncoast Federal Credit Union
