When you have had a bad day or just plain have no desire to cook, where do you go for comfort food?

If you are like me — a creature of habit — you have a special seat in this place. You probably have a menu item you have ordered so often that the server rarely bothers to bring you a menu. You know half the staff by name, and they all know yours.

Maybe you do not have a restaurant you frequent quite so often, but chances are, if a visitor from out of town asks you who has the best burger, or where to go for an inexpensive beer, you have a suggestion or two.

When a neighbor asks who handles your plumbing, or what company they should hire to landscape their yard, there is more than likely a name on the tip of your tongue.

It is the time of year again when we ask for those suggestions.

Last week, we released ballots for Leader Publications’ annual Best of the Best contest. Paper ballots went out in all of our products, but if you missed the physical ballots, do not worry. You can also find a digital version of our Best of the Best ballot on our website, leaderpub.com. Look for the red icon in the top bar that reads “Best of the Best.”

Voting is live now, and extends through July 7. Each voter may only vote once. Ballots cast from the same computer will be disqualified.

This special contest is so important to our community, especially the entrepreneurs who have chosen Michiana to build their businesses.

You — the residents of southwest Michigan and northern Indiana — are the experts on local commerce. Your opinion on the businesses in this community ultimately decides whether or not those businesses survive. Just as your consumerism rings the registers at their businesses, your vote for those establishments shows you support them, and encourages others to frequent their business.

Businesses with exceptional customer service, affordable prices and good community involvement deserve to be recognized for their hard work. This is our way of thanking those businesses for their dedication to Michiana.

In a couple of weeks, we will release the winners, as decided solely by our readers, so if you are new in town, when someone asks you where to find the best homemade desserts — or where to go to work off the calories from those desserts — you will have a handy guide full of suggestions from your peers.

Ambrosia Neldon is the general manager at Leader Publications. She can be reached by phone at (269) 687-7700, or by email at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com.