Announcing the 2012 Eater Award Winners for Portland

It is time now — drumroll, trumpets, etc. — to announce the winners of the 2012 Eater Awards. In over a dozen categories in 19 cities, the winners comprise a diverse group of the finest and most interesting chefs, operators, and characters in the country. We applaud them. You are hereby instructed to applaud them. So, without further ado — actually, a few quick pre-ambling thoughts....

To recap, Eater's local editors in 19 cities nominated candidates for five major local categories: Restaurant of the Year, So Hot Right Now Restaurant, Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, 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 the winner. Our Eater National brain trust then got together to decide the national winners for those categories. In addition to these main stage winners, said Eater editorial team has named worthy winners in more specialized categories, for myriad notable achievements.

Nominees and winners alike will be feted at a party tonight in Manhattan. Those winners that couldn't make it should watch their mail for packages containing cans of Italian peeled tomatoes. And now, without further ado, the winners in PDX...

Click through for the full rundown of winners across the country on Eater National.

Eater Awards 2012

Restaurant of the Year
Nominees: Aviary, Ox, Smallwares, Riffle NW, The Woodsman Tavern
Finalists: Smallwares, Ox, The Woodsman Tavern
Winner: Ox

Chef of the Year:
Nominees: Aaron Barnett (St. Jack), Greg and Gabrielle Quiñonez Denton (Ox), Johanna Ware (Smallwares), Jason French (Ned Ludd); Sarah Pliner, Jasper Shen, Kat Whitehead (Aviary)
Finalists: Aaron Barnett, Greg and Gabrielle Quiñonez Denton, Johanna Ware
Winner: Johanna Ware, Smallwares

So Hot Right Now
Nominees: Imperial, Lardo, Trigger, Xico, Uno Mas
Finalists: Imperial, Lardo, Xico
Winner: Imperial

Bartender of the Year
Nominees: Jamal Hassan (Ox, the Whey Bar), Adam Ho (LucLac Vietnamese Kitchen), Ryan Magarin (Oven & Shaker), Adam Robinson (Rum Club), Evan Zimmerman (The Woodsman Tavern)
Finalists: Jamal Hassan, Adam Robinson, Evan Zimmerman
Winner: Adam Robinson, Rum Club

Stone Cold Stunner
Nominees: Bamboo Sushi NW, Departure, Imperial, Ned Ludd, The Woodsman Tavern
Finalists: Departure, Imperial, The Woodsman Tavern
Winner: The Woodsman Tavern

Empire Builder of the Year
Nominees: Oswaldo Bibiano (Mextiza, Uno Mas), Micah Camden and Katie Poppe (Little Big Burger, Boxer Sushi), Kurt Huffman (ChefStable), Kim and Tyler Malek (Salt & Straw)
Winner: Kim and Tyler Malek (Salt & Straw)