Vote for Maine's Chef of the Year

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 is right now. The poll's now closed for Restaurant of the Year. Next up? Chef of the Year.

Here's a primer on the nominees. Thomas Pisha-Duffly drew upon his Indonesian heritage to infuse The Honey Paw's menu with some seriously surprising flavors, ensuring he didn't get lost in the shadow of the restaurant's renowned chef/owners. Natalie "Figgy" Dibenedetto turned Figgy's, her unassuming little takeout shack, into Portland's premier fried chicken destination. The 11th hour departure of big-name chefs Mark and Clark gave Joshua Berry a chance to make Union his own, which he did with aplomb. Kara van Emmerik transitioned from El El Frijoles to Dudley's Refresher without missing a beat, helping the owners change the seafood snack shack game in the process. And Catherine Côté-Eliot's elegant, decadent pastries at Portland Patisserie and Grand Café transported guests to France, one bite at a time. Flip through a photo gallery of the nominees, then cast your vote below.

Grid View

• Thomas Pisha-Duffly, The Honey Paw, Portland. [Photo: Knack Factory]
• Left: Natalie "Figgy" Dibenedetto, Figgy's Takeout and Catering, Portland. [Photo: Kyle J. Norris/Eater]
• Joshua Berry, Union, Portland. [Photo: Kari Herer, courtesy of Union]
• Kara van Emmerik, Dudley's Refresher, Castine. [Photo: Dudley's Refresher/FB]
• Catherine Côté-Eliot, Portland Patisserie and Grand Café, Portland. [Photo: Kyle J. Norris/Eater]

Here's how the voting works: Eater editors have named nominees in 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.