VOTE NOW!

I’m happy to announce that The Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards is back for its fourth year, honoring 100 of the top food experiences in America, along with Dan Barber as the inaugural Inspirational Food Thought Leader. The public can vote for nominees from across the country, chosen by an expert panel of 43 chefs, writers, celebrities and tastemakers. Categories range from Best Food Competition TV Show to Best Chef, Best Burger to Best Ramen and Best Coffee Shop to Best Cocktail Bar.

Food is an integral part of our individual lives and communal culture in America. I’m always fascinated to see what the public considers desirable and worthy of applause via this unparalleled food awards program. The Munchies provides a unique opportunity to spark a national conversation about fantastic food and empowers the public to voice who is most deserving. And new this year, the expert panel and I are proud to recognize Chef Dan Barber for his great work with the Inspirational Food Thought Leader Award.

Once again, The Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards will be making a donation to Feeding America on behalf of the expert panelists and voters.

Vote on your favorites daily through March 31 at Tablespoon.com/themunchies.

Inspirational Food Thought Leader

We’ve named Chef Dan Barber as the 2015 Inspirational Food Thought Leader. New to the The Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards, the honor recognizes a person who has had the greatest positive transformative impact on the country’s food system and made a substantial impact for our future.

DAN BARBER is the author of The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food and the Chef of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, located within the nonprofit farm and education center, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture. His opinions on food and agricultural policy have appeared in the New York Times, along with many other publications. Barber has received multiple James Beard awards including Best Chef: New York City (2006) and the country’s Outstanding Chef (2009). In 2009 he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.