The 2014 Eater Awards for Denver

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. 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 Denver.

Eater Awards 2014

Restaurant of the Year
Nominees: The Plimoth, To The Wind, Acorn, Stoic & Genuine, Work & Class
Finalists: Work & Class, the Plimoth, Acorn
Winner: Acorn

Chef of the Year
Nominees: Dana Rodriguez, Kelly Whitaker, Alex Figura, Jorel Pierce, Pete Ryan
Finalists: Kelly Whitaker, Dana Rodriguez, Alex Figura
Winner: Kelly Whitaker

So Hot Right Now
Nominees: Cart Driver, Rosenberg Bagels & Delicatessen, Work & Class, Mercantile Dining & Provision, Stoic & Genuine
Finalists: Rosenberg Bagels & Delicatessen, Work & Class, Cart Driver 
Winner: Rosenberg Bagels & Delicatessen

Bartender of the Year
Nominees: Jason Patz, Mclain Hedges, Noah Heaney, Sean Kenyon, Stuart Jensen
Finalists: Jason Patz, Mclain Hedges, Sean Kenyon
Winner: Sean Kenyon

Stone Cold Stunner
Nominees: Ste. Ellie, Stoic & Genuine, the Cooper Lounge, the Nickel, Sarto's
Finalists: Stoic & Genuine, the Cooper Lounge, the Nickel
Winner: The Cooper Lounge

Iconic Colorado Distillery
Winner: Leopold Bros.