On Monday, November 16, Eater will present the 2015 Eater Awards, our sixth annual celebration of all that's made the restaurant world run — and run wild — in the past 12 months. Winners will be selected on both the local and national levels in five major categories, and the voting takes place right now. The poll’s now closed for restaurant of the year. Next up? Chef of the Year. Cast your vote for the chef that really made a difference this year below.
Here's how the voting works: Eater editors have named nominees in Minneapolis and St. Paul for each of five major categories. Eater readers will vote, narrowing the nominees to three finalists. From those three finalists, the Eater editorial team will select a winner. Ready to play your part? This poll will be open for 24 hours; voting irregularities will be strictly policed.
All these chefs defied convention in 2015. Gavin Kaysen made the surprising move from New York City to our little corner of the world and added to the local dining scene in a major way with Spoon & Stable. (Yes, hello national publications, we do exist and we are awesome.) Mike DeCamp branched out from La Belle Vie to open Monello and created an unheard of pasta tasting menu that showcases his deft skills at marrying both subtle and bold flavors into cohesive, sublime tastes. Jorge Guzman took on both the lower and upper levels of the massive brewery complex and dazzled drinkers with dishes that draw out nuance in the Surly beers. It's a reason for even teetotalers to check out the groundbreaking brewery. Landon Schonefeld swam up river away from the restaurant magnet that is the North Loop neighborhood and landed in South Minneapolis to open Nighthawks. Who knew we needed a new diner? And who even asked for kimchi pancakes? Paired with the stunning dining experience that is the adjoining Birdie, Schoenefeld defies expectations again. And who could forget last year's Chef of the Year, Thomas Boemer aka, the King of Porc? Boemer moved his beloved Corner Table down Nicollet Avenue into a more refined restaurant space befitting of the food. It was the spring, Revival sprang to life, forever changing the fried chicken game in town. The rapturous following of the pickled pigs feet, johnny cakes, burger and brisket is befitting of the religious name.
