Announcing the 2014 Eater Awards for Houston

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, 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 Houston.

Eater Awards 2014

Restaurant of the Year

Nominees: Killen's Barbecue, Pax Americana, Coltivare, Common Bond, Caracol

Finalists: Killen's Barbecue, Pax Americana, Coltivare

Winner: Coltivare

Chef of the Year

Nominees: Ryan Pera (Coltivare), Roy Shvartzapel (Common Bond), Ronnie Killen (Killen's Barbecue), Adam Dorris (Pax Americana), Jose Hernandez (Radio Milano)

Finalists: Ryan Pera, Ronnie Killen, Jose Hernandez

Winner: Ryan Pera

So Hot Right Now

Nominees: Pax Americana, Radio Milano, Bistro Menil, Kuu Restaurant, Tout Suite

Finalists: Pax Americana, Kuu Restaurant, Tout Suite

Winner: Tout Suite

Bartender of the Year

Nominees: Luis Villegas (El Big Bad), Leslie Ross and Laurie Sheddan Harvey (Sanctuari), Alba Huerta (Julep), Alex Gregg (Moving Sidewalk), Elaine Marie Collum (Prohibition Supperclub & Bar)

Finalists: Luis Villegas, Leslie Ross and Laurie Sheddan Harvey, Elaine Marie Collum

Winner: Leslie Ross and Laurie Sheddan Harvey

Stone Cold Stunner
Nominees: Caracol, Fish & the Knife, Kuu Restaurant, Nara Sushi and Korean Kitchen, Public Services Wine & Whiskey

Finalists: Caracol, Kuu Restaurant, Public Services Wine & Whiskey

Winner: Kuu Restaurant

Bonus Category - Saddest Closing of the Year

Winner: Van Loc Restaurant