Bizarre Foods Host Andrew Zimmern Teams Up With General Mills For Second Annual Munchies: People's Choice Food Awards

MINNEAPOLIS, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Food lovers, it's time to vote. General Mills is honoring 20 categories of the best food experiences America has to offer – from the best food city, to the best food truck, to the best chef – by calling on the public to award the most deserving with the 2013 Munchies: People's Choice Food Awards. Voting begins today through April 30^th at Tablespoon.com/themunchies.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130402/NY85760 )

"We are excited to highlight the culinary tastemakers who are shaping America's food culture. The Munchies gives food lovers a voice in celebrating the restaurants, chefs and media that deliver the most inspiring food experiences. Plus, we'll be making a donation to Feeding America on behalf of all of the voters and panelists, so everyone who participates is also supporting a great cause," said Heather Reid, Food Content Marketing at General Mills. "Every day, food lovers visit Tablespoon.com to discover and share the freshest, most amazing ideas from the world of food and drink, so it's the perfect place to host The Munchies."

James Beard award-winning television personality and Chef Andrew Zimmern was tapped to distill the big, juicy world of food experiences down to a handful of nominees per category. A pro with his own cred in the kitchen, Zimmern headed up a wide-ranging panel of celebrity food personalities to create the short list of nominees.

"Food is such a passion point for so many of us in this country, and I love being involved in anything that really gets people talking about the best of what's out there," said Zimmern. "The Munchies are an opportunity to spark a national conversation about food and give the public a chance to vote for their favorites."

The panel of 26 celebrity chow hounds shared their culinary perspectives to determine the 100 Munchies nominees in three groups of categories:

Terrific Tastemakers gives props to the media and personalities who make the food world delicious, from the Best Chef to the Best Food Blog.

Best Bites honors the most intriguing interpretations of our favorite foods, like the Best Burger and the Best BBQ.

Delicious Destinations pays homage to the haunts that keep us coming back for more; think Best Craft Brewery or Best Late Night Food.

Food enthusiasts can satisfy their cravings and vote once per day at Tablespoon.com/themunchies during the voting period – now through April 30, 2013. The 2013 winners of The Munchies awards will be based on popular vote and announced on Tablespoon.com in early May.

The Terrific Tastemakers Nominees

Best Food TV Show
"Chopped" (Food Network)
"Iron Chef America" (Food Network)
"The Taste" (ABC)
"Top Chef" (Bravo)
"Master Chef" (FOX)

Best Food TV Personality
Alton Brown, "Good Eats" (Food Network)
Andrew Zimmern, "Bizarre Foods" (Travel Channel)
Anthony Bourdain, "The Taste" (ABC)
Lidia Bastianich, "Lidia's Italy" (PBS)
Mario Batali, "The Chew" (ABC)

Best Food Magazine
Bon Appetit (Conde Nast)
Cooking Light (Time, Inc.)
Food & Wine (American Express Publishing)
Lucky Peach (McSweeney's)
Saveur (Bonnier Corporation)

Best Blog or Site
Eater
Grub Street
Michael Ruhlman
Serious Eats
Smitten Kitchen

Best New Cookbook
"A Girl and Her Pig,"April Bloomfield
"Bouchon Bakery," Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel
"Canal House Cooks Every Day," Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton
"Jerusalem: A Cookbook," Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
"The Sprouted Kitchen," Sara Forte

Best Food Podcast or Radio Show
"Food is the New Rock"
"Good Food" (KCRW)
"Main Course" (Heritage Radio Network)
"NPR: Food" (NPR)
"Spilled Milk"

Best Chef
Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park, Boston
Hugh Acheson, Empire State South, Atlanta
Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, CA

The Best Bites Nominees

Best Burger
Butcher and the Burger, Chicago
DB Bistro Moderne, New York Father's Office, Los Angeles
Shake Shack, New York
Umami Burger, Los Angeles

Best Pizza
Bar Toma, Chicago
DiFara Pizza, Brooklyn, NY
Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix
Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
Roberta's Pizza, Brooklyn, NY

Best Taco
Big Star, Chicago
Empellon Taqueria, New York
La Condesa, Austin, TX
La Super Rica, Santa Barbara, CA
Salvation Taco, New York

Best Ice Cream
Big Gay Ice Cream, New York
Black Dog Gelato, Chicago
Graeter's, Cincinnati
Humphry Slocombe, San Francisco
il Laboratorio del Gelato, New York

Best BBQ
Franklin BBQ, Austin, TX
Hill Country BBQ, New York
Oklahoma Joe's, Kansas City, KS
Salt Lick, Austin, TX
Scott's BBQ, Hemingway, SC

Best Breakfast
Balthazar, New York
The Flying Biscuit Cafe, Atlanta
Hominy Grill, Charleston, SC
Loveless Cafe, Nashville, TN
Puerto Sagua, Miami

Best Late Night Food
Blue Ribbon, New York
David's Cafe, Miami
Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta
Pink's Hot Dogs, Los Angeles
Waffle House, Atlanta

The Delicious Destinations Nominees

Best Local Farmers Market
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco
Madison Farmers Market, Madison, WI
North Market, Columbus, OH
Santa Monica Farmers Market, Santa Monica, CA
Union Square Greenmarket, New York

Best Food Truck
AZ Canteen, Minneapolis
Biryani Cart, New York
Kogi BBQ Truck, Los Angeles
Marination Mobile, Seattle
Riffs Fine Street Foods, Nashville, TN

Best Coffee Shop
Blue Bottle Coffee, Oakland, CA
Intelligentsia Coffee, Chicago
Joe, New York
La Colombe, Philadelphia
Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Portland, OR

Best Craft Brewery
Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI
Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN

Best Bakery
Bouchon Bakery, Yountville, CA
Hoosier Mama Pie Co., Chicago
Momofuku Milk Bar, New York
Salty Tart, Minneapolis
Tartine Bakery, San Francisco

Best Food City
Chicago
Los Angeles
Portland, OR
New York
San Francisco

The Expert Panel

Andrew Zimmern, TV Personality, Chef, Author, James Beard Award Winner, Host of "Bizarre Foods"
Adam Platt, Restaurant & Travel Writer, Mpls. St. Paul Magazine
Adam Roberts, The Amateur Gourmet
Andrew Haley, Educator and Author
Angie Dudley, Bakerella and Author of "Cake Pops"
April Bloomfield, Chef & Author of "A Girl and Her Pig," 2012 Munchies Winner
Brady Lowe, CEO, Taste Network; Founder, Cochon 555
The Canlis Brothers, Third generation co-owners of Seattle's Canlis Restaurant
Caryl Chinn, Executive Director, LA Food & Wine Festival
Colman Andrews, Editorial Director, TheDailyMeal.com
Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, Writer, FOOD & WINE; Radio Host, CBS's "Off the Menu"
Dean McDermott, Actor, The Gourmet Dad & Winner of "Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off" Season 2
Gavin Kaysen, Executive Chef, Cafe Boulud
Graham Elliot, TV Personality, Chef & Judge on Fox's "MasterChef"
Ingrid Hoffman, Celebrity Chef, TV Host, Author of "Latin D'Lite"
Jeni Britton Bauer, Founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams & 2012 Munchies Winner
Jonathon Sawyer, Chef/Owner, The Greenhouse Tavern & Noodlecat
Kristen Olson, Sr. Food Editor, Betty Crocker 
The Lee Brothers, Cookbook Authors & Founders of Boiled Peanuts Co.
Lee Brian Schrager, Exec Director, SOBE/NYC Food + Wine Festivals; VP, Southern Wine & Spirits
Paul Virant, Chef/owner, Vie and Perennial Virant
Peter Hertzmann, Author, Culinary Instructor & Blogger
Randy Fisher, President & Founding Partner, CREaM (Culinary Related Entertainment and Marketing)
Rudy Maxa, Travel journalist, TV & Radio show personality & host of "Rudy Maxa's World"
Ruth Bourdain, Twitter Food Personality Mashup
Steven Brown, Partner/Executive Culinary Director, Tilia Minneapolis

SOURCE General Mills