General Mills And Andrew Zimmern Announce Winners Of Third Annual The Munchies: People's Choice Food Awards

MINNEAPOLIS, April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The people have spoken. After more than a month of voting, Tablespoon.com reveals the best food experiences America has to offer. The Munchies: People's Choice Food Awards served up 20 categories of Terrific Tastemakers, Best Bites and Delicious Destinations, and fan favorites such as Bobby Flay, Food Network Magazine and "Top Chef" bested the competition by taking home The Munchies awards in the Best Food TV Personality, Best Food Magazine and Best Reality Food TV Show categories.

In its third year, The Munchies: People's Choice Food Awards were once again hosted by Andrew Zimmern, chef and the 2013 winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding TV Personality/Host. The list of nominees was developed by Zimmern and a panel of 40 celebrity food experts. Zimmern announced the nominees at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival's "Best of the Munchies" closing event, which were then put to popular vote on Tablespoon.com/themunchies. 

"It's been exciting to ignite a passionate food debate and encourage people to support their favorite restaurants, media, and chefs by voting," says Zimmern. "These awards are a celebration of the best food experiences across America, and we all congratulate each of the winners."

The people chose New York as Best Food City. Additionally, New York establishments Roberta's, Shake Shack, The Spotted Pig, and Union Square Greenmarket received The Munchies awards for Best Pizza, Best Burger, Best Late Night Food and Best Farmers Market.

Winners from other cities across the country also took home the top prize, with the Best Taco award going to La Taqueria in San Francisco; the Best Donut award going to Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, OR; the Best Bloody Mary award going to Icehouse in Minneapolis; and the Best Food Truck award going to Guerrilla Street Food in St. Louis. Boston's Dunkin' Donuts won the award for Best Coffee and The Publican in Chicago won for Best Brunch Spot. 

Other notable winners include Amy Thielen's "The New Midwestern Table" for Best New Cookbook, April Bloomfield for Best Chef and Eater for Best Food Blog or Site.

The Munchies winners will receive their awards in the coming weeks, but they're not the only winners: a donation was made to Feeding America on behalf of the panelists and voters who participated in selecting the Terrific Tastemakers, Best Bites and Delicious Destinations that are being honored.

The full list of The Munchies 2014 award winners includes:

Terrific Tastemakers
     Best Food TV Show: "Top Chef," BRAVO
     Best Food TV Personality: Bobby Flay, "The Next Food Network Star," Food Network 
     Best Food Magazine: Food Network Magazine, Hearst
     Best Food Blog or Site: Eater
     Best Chef: April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig, New York, NY
     Best New Cookbook: "The New Midwestern Table," Amy Thielen, Clarkson Potter

Best Bites
     Best Pizza: Roberta's, Brooklyn, NY
     Best Burger: Shake Shack, New York, NY
     Best BBQ: Pappy's Smokehouse, St. Louis, MO
     Best Taco: La Taqueria, San Francisco, CA
     Best Ice Cream: Izzy's Ice Cream, St. Paul, MN      
     Best Donut: Voodoo Doughnut, Portland, OR
     Best Bloody Mary: Icehouse, Minneapolis, MN

Delicious Destinations
     Best Food Truck: Guerilla Street Food, St. Louis, MO 
     Best Coffee: Dunkin' Donuts, Boston, MA
     Best Local Farmers Market: Union Square Greenmarket, New York, NY
     Best Food City: New York, NY
     Best Craft Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE 
     Best Brunch Spot: The Publican, Chicago, IL 
     Best Late Night Food: The Spotted Pig, New York, NY      

For more information about the awards, the panelists and the winners, visit Tablespoon.com/themunchies.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140410/NY01934-a
Logo -  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140410/NY01934LOGO-b

SOURCE General Mills