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It is time now — drumroll, trumpets, gongs — to announce the winners of the 2015 Eater Awards. In over a dozen categories in 24 cities, the winners comprise a diverse group of the finest and most interesting chefs, operators, and characters in the continent that have defined this year in dining. We applaud them. You are hereby instructed to applaud them.
To recap, Eater's local editors in 24 cities nominated candidates for five major local categories: Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, So Hot Right Now Restaurant, and Stone Cold Stunner. Eater readers then voted to narrow the field to a final three in each category. From that final three, the Eater editorial team chose one to move forward and the Eater braintrust got together to decide the national winners. Without further ado, here's who came out on top in Charleston.
Eater Awards 2015
Restaurant of the Year
Nominees: Minero, Artisan Meat Share, Spero, 167 Raw, R. Kitchen
Finalists: Minero, 167 Raw, Spero
Winner: 167 Raw
Chef of the Year
Nominees: Jason Stanhope, Ari Kolender, Emily Hahn, Bob Cook, Nate Whiting
Finalists: Bob Cook, Emily Hahn, Nate Whiting
Winner: Emily Hahn
So Hot Right Now
Nominees: Stereo 8, Parlor Deluxe, 492, The Westendorff, Mercantile and Mash
Finalists: Parlor Deluxe, The Westendorff, Mercantile and Mash
Winner: Mercantile and Mash
Bartender of the Year
Nominees: Jeremiah Schenzel, Teddy Nixon, Steven Huddleston, Megan Deschaine, Nayda Freire
Finalists: Jeremiah Schenzel, Teddy Nixon, Megan Deschaine
Winner: Jeremiah Schenzel and Teddy Nixon (because they helped open the same bar, we thought it fair they share the award)
Stone Cold Stunner
Nominees: Cannon Green, 492, The Westendorff, Élevé, Parlor Deluxe
Finalists: Cannon Green, The Westendorff, 492
Winner: Cannon Green
Best Pop-Up
Winner: John Lewis
Lewis had crowds waiting around the block for his summer pop-up series at Revelry Brewing. When folks are willing to wait three hours for brisket, we'd call it a success.
