Here's a peek at the big winners of the Eat Out Awards, just announced at tonight's award ceremony (full list at bottom).
If you've been following Food & Drink associate editor Julia Kramer's live tweets from the ceremony, you know all the winners. But just in case you missed some tweets, here's an extra-early online version of our Eat Out Awards feature stories, which reveal our readers' favorite new restaurant, breakout chef, bar and more, as well as the Critics' Pick awards from Julia Kramer, Food & Drink editor David Tamarkin and senior Food & Drink correspondent Heather Shouse. Congrats to all the winners!
Find out more about the winners at timeoutchicago.com/eatoutawards.
2012 Eat Out Award Winners
READERS’ CHOICE
Best new bar: The Aviary
Best new restaurant: Next
Breakout chef of the year: Dave Beran
Best new burger joint: Butcher & the Burger
Best new sweet shop: Doughnut Vault
Best new breakfast: Waffles
Best local chain: Epic Burger
Best new restaurant cocktails: Perennial Virant
Best fro-yo chain: Forever Yogurt
Best new BYOB: Goosefoot
Best new food truck: The Southern Mac and Cheese
Cheap eatery of the year: Pleasant House Bakery
Best new pizzeria: Roots Handmade Pizza
Best comeback: The Pump Room
Best new sports bar: Public House
CRITICS’ PICKS
The fresh air award for restaurant design: Yusho
Most legitimately farm-to-table restaurant: Pleasant House Bakery
Best one-man show: Bill Talbott at EL Ideas
Strongest dessert program: Spiked milkshakes at 25 Degrees
Coziest place to hibernate: Miko’s Flipside Café
Best old-country buffet: Julbord at Tre Kronor
Best use of egg yolks: Egg-yolk buns at Cai
Best route to the suburbs: Wisma
Boys to men award for grown-up drinking: Elixir
Best firestarter: Tozi Korean BBQ
Best creative loafing: Publican Quality Meats
Best new biker bar: Heritage Bicycles General Store
Most palatable evangelism: Martha Bayne
Easiest history lesson: Big Jones
Lifetime achievement award: Tony Hu
Inspired performance award presented by Infiniti: Jeremy Quinn at Telegraph