The 2014 Eater Awards for Maine

It is time now-drumroll, trumpets, gongs-to announce the winners of the 2014 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. (These awards are geared toward places that have opened in the past year, or people who have become involved in new ventures in that time, which is why many renowned veterans don't appear.) 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.com braintrust got together to decide the national winners. Without further ado, here's who came out on top in Maine.

Eater Awards 2014

Restaurant of the Year
Nominees: Slab, Palace Diner, Lolita, Anju, Central Provisions
Finalists: Palace Diner, Lolita, Central Provisions
Winner: Lolita

Chef of the Year
Nominees: Cara Stadler, Chris Gould, Erin French, David Levi, Stephen Lanzalotta
Finalists: Chris Gould, Erin French, David Levi
Winner: Erin French of The Lost Kitchen

So Hot Right Now
Nominees: Bramhall, Sur Lie, Bao Bao Dumpling House, Ebb and Flow, Golden Lotus
Finalists: Bramhall, Sur Lie, Bao Bao Dumpling House
Winner: Sur Lie

Bartender of the Year
Nominees: Nathaniel Meiklejohn, Vien Dobui, Guy Streitburger, Matthew Mills, Patrick McDonald
Finalists: Nathaniel Meiklejohn, Guy Streitburger, Patrick McDonald
Winner: Guy Streitburger of Bramhall

Stone Cold Stunner
Nominees: El Rayo Scarborough, Bramhall, Mill 67, Bao Bao Dumpling House, Ebb and Flow
Finalists: Bramhall, Mill 67, Bao Bao Dumpling House
Winner: Mill 67