Time Out New York Announces the 2012 Food & Drink Award Winners; The Dutch Takes Best New Restaurant; Seamus Mullen Crowned 2012's Best Chef

NEW YORK, April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Time Out New York announced the 2012 Food & Drink Award winners tonight at an annual industry awards event honoring the city's best restaurants, chefs, bars and barkeeps. Over 100,000 votes were cast to determine the ten winners in the Readers' Choice category in addition to the ten Critics' Picks winners. Seamus Mullen of Spanish restaurant Tertulia took top honors as Chef of the Year, while The Dutch won Best New Restaurant and Maison Premiere won Best New Cocktails.

The event, hosted by Time Out Food & Drink editor Jordana Rothman, included a first-ever Foursquare Award, a nod to not only the quality of restaurants, but their popularity as well, measuring the nominated restaurant with the most check-ins on the popular social media site during the voting period. The award marked the second win for The Dutch, and was presented to partners Andrew Carmellini, Luke Ostrom and Josh Pickard by Foursquare CEO and cofounder Dennis Crowley.

"It's been great to see so many restaurants and bars breaking the grip of comfort food and exploring fresh new terrain," says Jordana Rothman. "This year's list of winners is incredibly diverse, but what unites them all—whether the kitchen is sending out stark and studied new Nordic plates, lusty Spanish ones or even sloppy, gut-busting bar food—is a sure-footed confidence."

Hosted at Skylight West, part of the Skylight Group, the 2012 Food & Drink Awards guests were treated to 360-degree views of the Manhattan skyline, plus beer, wine and spirits provided by sponsors Stella Artois and Frederick Wildman. Culinary treats included everything from baked goods to a roasted pig from nominated spots like Il Buco, Fatty 'Cue, Zucker Bakery, Bien Cuit and Dominique Ansel Bakery.

The full list of winners includes:

Readers' Choice:
Chef of the Year: Seamus Mullen (Tertulia)
Best New Restaurant: The Dutch
Best New Cocktails: Maison Premiere
Best New Neighborhood Joint: Red Rooster Harlem (Harlem)
Best Spin-off: Parm
Best New Pizza: Forcella
Best International Eats: Miss Lily's (Jamaica)
Best Out-of-Town Import: Fleisher's Grass-Fed & Organic Meats (Kingston, NY)
Best New Bakery: Dominique Ansel Bakery
Best New Beer Bar: La Birreria
Foursquare Award: The Dutch

Critics' Picks
Best Culinary Blitzkrieg: Acme
Best Countermove to Comfort Food: Boulud Sud
Best New Gallic Charmer: Buvette
The Instant Classic Award: Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria
The Watch The Throne Award: The Monkey Bar
Best Pint-Size Powerhouse: Earl's Beer and Cheese
Artisan of the Year: New York Distilling Co./ The Shanty
Best Dim Sum Provocateur: RedFarm
Best Love Letter to the Philippines: Maharlika Filipino Moderno
The Intergalactic Kitten Award: Isa

About Skylight Group:

Skylight Group is a Manhattan-based event space management firm that reclaims historic spaces and converts them for high-end event use. With a portfolio that includes Skylight Soho, Skylight West in Manhattan, Skylight One Hanson in Brooklyn, and more recently, Skylight at the McKittrick Hotel, the Skylight Group is known for providing high-end service and an extensive network of resources, to its discerning clients, who include Ralph Lauren, Google, Amazon, Target and CFDA/ Vogue. Skylight Group hosts several hundred events per year, which run the gamut from fashion shows and gala dinners to weddings and photo shoots.  www.skylightnyc.com  

About Time Out New York:

Time Out New York is a comprehensive arts and entertainment multiplatform media business, delivering engaging features, local listings and critical reviews to active and informed residents and visitors of New York City. Sometimes irreverent but always intelligent, Time Out New York provides passionate coverage of music, film, theater, dance, shopping, dining and more. Time Out New York is part of Time Out Group, the global media business delivering local information and cultural guidance in 35 cities across 24 countries and encompassing a worldwide audience of more than 17 million.

CONTACT:  Meg Rushton
(646) 432-3090
[email protected]

SOURCE Time Out New York