Announcing The 2015 Eater Awards For New Orleans

It is time now—drumroll, trumpets, gongs.—to announce the winners of the 2015 Eater Awards. 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. So, without further ado—actually, a few quick pre-ambling thoughts....

To recap, Eater's local editors 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 the winner. Our Eater National brain trust then got together to decide the national winners for those categories. In addition to these main stage winners, said Eater editorial team has named worthy winners in more specialized categories, for myriad notable achievements.

Nominees and winners alike will be feted at a party tonight in Manhattan. Those winners that couldn't make it should watch their mail for packages containing cans of Italian peeled tomatoes. And now, without further ado, the winners in New Orleans.

Click through for the full rundown of winners across the country on Eater National.

Eater Awards 2015

Restaurant of the Year
Nominees: Shaya, Compere Lapin, Brennan's, Angeline, Balise
Finalists: Shaya, Compere Lapin, Brennan's
Winner: Shaya

Chef of the Year:
Nominees: Alon Shaya, Nina Compton, Alex Harrell, Slade Rushing, Lisa White & Kelly Fields
Finalists: Nina Compton, Alex Harrell, Lisa White & Kelly Fields
Winner: Nina Compton

So Hot Right Now
Nominees: Willa Jean, Kin, Red's Chinese, Brown Butter, 1000 Figs
Finalists: Willa Jean, Kin, Brown Butter
Winner: Kin

Bartender of the Year
Nominees: Kimberly Patton Bragg, Nick Detrich, Liam Deegan, Ricky Gomez, T. Cole Newton
Finalists: Liam Deegan, Nick Detrich, Ricky Gomez
Winner: Nick Detrich

Stone Cold Stunner
Nominees: Paladar 511, Brennan's, Salon By Sucre, Avo, Compere Lapin
Finalists:  Compere Lapin, Brennna's, Paladar 511
Winner: Brennan's

Bar Program of The Year
Winner: Latitude 29

Best Pop-Up
Winner: Little Bird