Voting for The Growler’s Kind-of-a-Big-Deal Readers’ Choice Awards is now closed. Below are the nominees for this year’s awards. The winners of this year’s awards will be announced in the December issue.
Kind-of-a-Big-Deal Readers’ Choice Awards 2018 Nominees List
Food
Fine Dining
- Manny’s Steakhouse
- Martina
- Restaurant Alma
- Spoon and Stable
- Travail Kitchen and Amusements
Restaurant (Single Location)
- Bar La Grassa
- Brunson’s Pub
- Chimborazo
- Hai Hai
- Red Rabbit
- Young Joni
Restaurant (Local Chain or Group)
- Blue Door Pub
- Blue Plate Restaurant Company
- Brasa
- Red Cow
- Revival
Brewery Kitchen
- Lakeville Brewing
- Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub
- Surly Pizza Upstairs
- The Tipsy Steer (at Invictus Brewing)
- Waldmann Brewery & Wurstery
New Restaurant
- Centro
- Hai Hai
- Hyacinth
- Martina
- Pearl & the Thief
Chef of the Year
- Ann Kim
- Gavin Kaysen
- Jamie Malone
- JD Fratzke
- Todd Macdonald
Outdoor Dining
- Hai Hai
- Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge
- Red Rabbit
- Sea Salt Eatery
- Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room
- W.A. Frost
Food Truck or Cart
- Anchor Fish & Chips
- Butcher Salt
- Curious Goat
- Flagsmash
- Hibachi Daruma
Service
- Manny’s Steakhouse
- Mucci’s
- Red Cow
- Restaurant Alma
- Saint Dinette
- Spoon and Stable
Burgers
- Blue Door Pub
- Matt’s Bar
- Parlour
- Patrick’s on 3rd
- Red Cow
Pizza
- Black Sheep Coal-Fired Pizza
- Pizza Lucé
- Pizzeria Lola
- Red Rabbit
- Young Joni
Barbecue
- Bark and the Bite
- OMC Smokehouse
- Q Fanatic
- Revival
- Ted Cook’s 19th Hole BBQ
Vegan Restaurant
- French Meadow Bakery & Cafe
- Fig + Farro
- Herbivorous Butcher
- J. Selby’s
- Reverie Cafe + Bar
Wings
- Blue Door Pub
- D-Spot
- Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub
- Red Cow
- Runyon’s
Ice Cream Shop
- Izzy’s Ice Cream
- Grand Ole Creamery
- Milkjam Creamery
- Nelson’s Ice Cream
- Sebastian Joe’s
Breakfast
- Al’s Breakfast
- Colossal Cafe
- Fat Nat’s Eggs
- Ideal Diner
- Oasis Cafe
Brunch
- Colossal Cafe
- Cook St. Paul
- Hai Hai
- Italian Eatery
- Red Cow
Sandwich Shop
- Cecil’s Deli
- France 44 Cheese Shop
- Lu’s Sandwiches
- Nelson Cheese and Deli
- Northern Waters Smokehaus
Mexican Restaurant
- Burrito Mercado
- El Loro
- Maya Cuisine
- Pajarito
- Taco Riendo
Vietnamese Restaurant
- Hai Hai
- Ngon Bistro
- Pho 79
- Quang
- Que Viet Village House
- Trieu Chau
African Restaurant
- Afro Deli
- Dilla’s
- Fasika
- Moroccan Flavors
- Safari Express
Japanese Restaurant
- Kado no Mise
- Kyatchi
- Masu
- PinKU
- Sakura
- Zen Box Izakaya
Thai Restaurant
- Karta Thai
- On’s Thai
- Sawatdee
- Sen Yai Sen Lek
- Supatra’s Thai Cuisine
Indian or Nepalese Restaurant
- Darbar
- Everest on Grand
- Gandhi Mahal
- Gorkha Palace
- India Palace
Middle Eastern or Mediterranean Restaurant
- Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill & Lounge
- Emily’s Lebanese Deli
- Holy Land
- Naughty Greek
- Shish
Italian Restaurant
- Bar La Grassa
- Cossetta
- Italian Eatery
- Mucci’s
- Red Rabbit
Latin American Restaurant
- Brasa
- Cafe Ena
- Chimborazo
- Hola Arepa
- Victor’s 1959 Cafe
French Restaurant
- Barbette
- Bellecour
- Grand Cafe
- Meritage
- St. Genevieve
Chinese Restaurant
- Little Szechuan
- Mei Inn
- Rainbow Chinese
- Shuang Cheng
- Tea House
Butcher Shop
- Everett’s Foods & Meats
- Hackenmueller’s Meats
- Lowry Hill Meats
- Schmidt’s Meat Market
- Von Hanson’s Meats
Cheese Shop
- France 44 Cheese Shop
- Nelson Cheese & Deli
- St. Paul Cheese Shop
- Surdyk’s Liquor & Cheese Shop
- The Cheese Cave
Bread Bakery
- Aki’s Bread Haus
- Brake Bread
- Rustica Bakery
- Sun Street Breads
- Wuollet Bakery
Patisserie
- Bellecour
- Cossetta Pasticceria
- Patisserie 46
- Patrick’s Bakery & Cafe
- Rose Street Patisserie
- Salty Tart
Donut Shop
- A Baker’s Wife
- Bogart’s Doughnut Co.
- Cardigan Donuts
- Glam Doll Donuts
- Mojo Monkey Donuts
Coffee Shop
- Dunn Brothers Coffee
- Five Watt Coffee
- Quixotic Coffee
- Spyhouse Coffee Roasters
- Wesley Andrews
Local Coffee Roaster
- Bootstrap Coffee Roasters
- Dogwood Coffee Co.
- Duluth Coffee Co.
- Folly Coffee
- Peace Coffee
Grocer or Co-op
- Eastside Food Co-op
- Lakewinds Food Co-op
- Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op
- Seward Community Co-op
- The Wedge Community Co-op
Farmers’ Market
- Midtown Farmers’ Market
- Mill City Farmers’ Market
- Minneapolis Farmers’ Market
- Northeast Minneapolis Farmers’ Market
- St. Paul Farmers’ Market
Culture
Comedy Club
- Acme Comedy Co.
- Brave New Workshop
- HUGE Improv Theater
- Sisyphus Brewing
- Varsity Theater
Local Comedian
- Corey Adam
- Cy Amundson
- Mary Mack
- Michael Callahan
- Nick Swardson
Art Museum or Gallery
- Gamut Gallery
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Minnesota Marine Art Museum
- Russian Art Museum
- Walker Art Center
- Weisman Art Museum
Science or History Museum
- Bell Museum
- Minnesota Children’s Museum
- Minnesota History Center
- Mill City Museum
- Science Museum of Minnesota
Bookstore
- Magers and Quinn Booksellers
- Moon Palace Books
- Once Upon A Crime
- Red Balloon Bookshop
- Wild Rumpus
Tattoo Parlour
- Jackalope Tattoo
- Leviticus Tattoo
- Minneapolis Tattoo
- Tiger Rose Tattoo
- Uptown Tattoo
Bike Shop
- Angry Catfish
- Erik’s Bike Shop
- Freewheel Bike
- The Hub Bike Co-Op
- One on One Bicycle Studio
Comic Book or Game Shop
- Source Comics & Games
- Fantasy Flight Games
- Heroic Goods and Games
- Level Up Games
- Hot Comics and Collectibles
Outdoors Store
- Askov Finlayson
- Duluth Pack
- Joe’s Sporting Goods
- Midwest Mountaineering
- REI, Bloomington
Minnesota Heritage Brand
- Duluth Pack
- Faribault Woolen Mills
- Frost River
- Minnetonka Moccasins
- Red Wing Shoes
State Park
- Gooseberry Falls State Park
- Interstate State Park
- Itasca State Park
- Jay Cooke State Park
- Tettegouche State Park
Lake
- Bde Maka Ska
- Lake Harriet
- Lake Minnetonka
- Lake Nokomis
- Lake Superior
Community Festival (Minneapolis & St. Paul)
- Art-a-Whirl
- MayDay Parade
- Minnesota State Fair
- Open Streets
- Twin Cities Pride Festival
Community Festival (Greater Minnesota)
- All Pints North
- Carlos Creek Grape Stomp
- Minnesota Renaissance Festival
- New Ulm Oktoberfest
- Pan-O-Prog
Music Festival
- Basilica Block Party
- Rockbend Folk Festival
- Rock the Garden
- Soundset
- Winstock Country Music Festival
Music Venue
- The Armory
- First Avenue
- Palace Theater
- Turf Club
- Varsity Theater
Outdoor Music Venue
- Bayfront Festival Park
- Cabooze Outdoor Plaza
- Surly Festival Field
- Vetter Stone Amphitheater
- Weesner Family Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo
Record Store
- Barley Brothers Records
- Caydence Records & Coffee
- Electric Fetus
- Flashlight Vinyl
- Hymie’s Vintage Records
Local Music Group or Band
- Atmosphere
- Doomtree
- Hippo Campus
- Parachute Pandas
- Trampled by Turtles
Local Solo Music Artist
- Charlie Parr
- Chastity Brown
- Dessa
- jeremy messersmith
- Prof
Local Album
- “Chime” by Dessa
- “Life is Good on the Open Road” by Trampled by Turtles
- “Lightning Round” by Bad Bad Hats
- “Phoenix” by Javier Santiago
- “Swell” by Àlamode
Drink
Wine & Spirits
Whiskey List at a Bar or Restaurant
- Butcher & the Boar
- Dalton & Wade
- Dark Horse Bar & Eatery
- Merlins Rest Pub
- The St. Paul Grill
Wine List at a Bar or Restaurant
- The Bachelor Farmer
- Domacin Wine Bar
- Italian Eatery
- Red Rabbit
- Spoon and Stable
Bartender
- Bennett Johnson, Tattersall
- Cory Yrjanson, Dalton and Wade
- Ian Lowther, Red Cow
- Joey Capitola Burdick-Levang, Twin Spirits Distillery
- Marco Zappia, Martina
Cocktail
- The Cedar, Italian Eatery
- Contemporary Daisy, Esker Grove
- Moscow Mule, Red Cow
- Ol’ Sport, 11 Wells Spirits
- Wade, Dalton & Wade
Liquor Store (Minneapolis & St. Paul)
- Elevated Beer Wine and Spirits, Minneapolis
- France 44
- Stinson Wine, Beer, and Spirits
- Surdyk’s Liquor & Cheese Shop
- Zipp’s Liquors
Liquor Store (Metro Area)
- Ace Spirits, Hopkins
- Blue Max Liquors, Burnsville
- Elevated Beer Wine and Spirits, White Bear Lake
- Haskell’s, White Bear Lake
- Top Ten Liquors, Blaine
- Total Wine, Roseville
Liquor Store (Greater Minnesota)
- 99 Bottles, Moorhead
- Historic Casanova Liquor, Hudson
- Liquor Hutch, Hutchinson
- Mount Royal Bottle Shoppe, Duluth
- PJ’s Liquor Emporium, North Mankato
- Westside Liquor, Waite Park
Wine Shop
- Cork Dork Wine Co.
- Haskell’s, White Bear Lake
- Solo Vino Bottle Shop
- Surdyk’s Liquor & Cheese Shop
- Total Wine, Bloomington
Local Rum
- 11 Wells Boiler Room Rum
- Far North Ålander Spiced Rum
- Norseman Whiskey Barrel Aged Rum
- Skaalvenn Habanero Rum
- Tattersall Blackstrap Rum
Local Vodka
- Du Nord L’Etoile
- Far North Syvä
- J. Carver Lake House Ultra Premium Vodka
- Tattersall Vodka
- Vikre Lake Superior Vodka
Local Gin
- Far North Solveig
- J. Carver Barrel Gin
- Norseman Gin
- Tattersall Gin
- Vikre Cedar Gin
Local Whiskey
- 11 Wells Rye
- Brother Justus Silver Whiskey
- Far North Roknar
- Tattersall Straight Rye
- Vikre Sugarbush
Local Specialty Spirit
- 11 Wells Coffee Liqueur
- J. Carver Sevilla
- Loon Liquor Lac Coeur Coffee Liqueur
- Tattersall Aquavit
- Vikre Ovrevann Aquavit
Craft Cocktail Bar
- 11 Wells Spirits
- Lawless Distilling Company
- Marvel Bar
- Norseman Distillery
- Tattersall Distilling
Craft Distillery
- 11 Wells Spirits
- Brother Justus Whiskey Co.
- Bent Brewstillery
- Norseman Distillery
- Far North Spirits
- Flying Dutchman Spirits
- J. Carver Distillery
- Loon Liquor Co.
- Tattersall Distilling
- Vikre Distillery
Winery
- Alexis Bailly Vineyard
- Cannon River Winery
- Carlos Creek Winery
- Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery
- Crow River Winery
- Forestedge Winery
- Parley Lake Winery
- Round Lake Vineyards and Winery
- Schram Vineyards Winery and Brewery
- Winehaven Winery
Cidery
- Keepsake Cidery
- Milk & Honey Ciders
- Number 12 Cider
- Sweetland Orchard
- Sociable Cider Werks
Local Cider or Graf
- Carlos Creek Apple Hopper
- Keepsake Wild
- Loon Juice Honeycrisp
- Milk & Honey Heirloom
- Sociable Freewheeler Dry Apple
- Wild Mind Tipper’s Grove Graf
Beer
Craft Beer Bar or Restaurant (Minneapolis & St. Paul)
- Buster’s on 28th
- Dark Horse Bar & Eatery
- First Draft Taproom and Kitchen
- Groveland Tap
- Grumpy’s NE
- The Happy Gnome
- HopCat
- Red Cow
- Republic
- Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room
Craft Beer Bar or Restaurant (Metro Area)
- Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill & Lounge, Eagan
- Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill, Plymouth
- Iron Tap, Waconia
- Old Chicago, Roseville
- Rock Elm Tavern, Plymouth
- Smokey’s Pub N’ Grill, East Bethel
- Tamarack Tap Room, Woodbury
- Washington Square Bar & Grill, White Bear Lake
- Yard House, St. Louis Park
Craft Beer Bar or Restaurant (Greater Minnesota)
- 7 West Taphouse, Duluth
- B & L Bar, New Ulm
- DJ’s Tap House & Grill, Alexandria
- Hollywood Roadhouse, New Germany
- Kelly’s Taphouse, Red Wing
- Old Capital Tavern, Sauk Rapids
- Patrick’s on 3rd, St. Peter
- Pub 500, Mankato
- Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, Duluth
- The Tap House, Rochester
Bottle Shop (Minneapolis & St. Paul)
- Central Avenue Liquors
- Scott’s Liquor Store
- Stinson Wine, Beer, and Spirits
- The Wine Thief & Ale Jail
- Zipp’s Liquors
Bottle Shop (Metro Area)
- Blue Max Liquors, Burnsville
- Elevated Beer Wine and Spirits, White Bear Lake
- Haskell’s, White Bear Lake
- Top Ten Liquors, St. Louis Park
- Vinifera Wines, Plymouth
Bottle Shop (Greater Minnesota)
- 99 Bottles, Moorhead
- Historic Casanova Liquor, Hudson
- Liquor Mart, New Ulm
- Mount Royal Bottle Shoppe, Duluth
- Westside Liquor, Waite Park
Happy Hour
- Blue Door Pub
- Groveland Tap
- Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub
- Patrick’s on 3rd
- Red Cow
Brewery Taproom
- Back Channel Brewing Co.
- Bad Weather Brewing
- Barrel Theory Beer Company
- Bauhaus Brew Labs
- Bent Paddle Brewing Company
- Bobbing Bobber Brewing Company
- Fair State Brewing Cooperative
- Insight Brewing
- Lupulin Brewing Company
- Saint Paul’s Flat Earth Brewing Company
- Surly Brewing Co.
Beertender
- Dylan Roets, Roets Jordan Brewery
- Grant Fabel, Red Cow
- Jennifer Proesel, Lift Bridge Brewing Co.
- Josh Leddy, Back Channel Brewing Co.
- Travis Stanich, Barrel Theory Beer Company
Beer Name
- Crazy Aunt, Insight Brewing
- Hazy McHazeface, Lift Bridge Brewing Co.
- Hooey, Lupulin Brewing Company
- Hopcromancer, Bad Weather Brewing
- Short Pants, Bauhaus Brew Labs
Beer Label
- Darkness 2017, Surly Brewing Co.
- Hooey, Lupulin Brewing Company
- Hopcromancer, Bad Weather Brewing
- Hopshifter, Surly Brewing Co.
- Mango Blonde, Lift Bridge Brewing
- Spirit Foul, Fair State Brewing Cooperative
Beer Tattoo
- Jason Dixon, Modist Brewing Co.
- Franz Marti, Schell’s Brewery
- Matt Klisiewicz, Bauhaus Brew Labs
Brewpub
- Barley John’s Brew Pub
- Birch’s on the Lake
- Day Block Brewing
- Fitger’s Brewhouse
- Forager Brewery
- The Herkimer Pub & Brewery
- Lakeville Brewing
- Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub
- Rock Bottom Brewery
- Town Hall Brewery
Brewery
- Barrel Theory Beer Company
- Bauhaus Brew Labs
- Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative
- Dangerous Man Brewing Co.
- Fair State Brewing Cooperative
- Indeed Brewing
- Insight Brewing
- Lupulin Brewing Company
- Revelation Ale Works
- Schell’s Brewery
New Brewery
- AEGIR Brewing
- Boathouse Brothers Brewing
- Company
- Bobbing Bobber Brewing Company
- Dual Citizen Brewing Company
- Giesenbräu Bier Co.
- Invictus Brewing Co.
- Spiral Brewery
- Wooden Hill Brewing Company
- Venn Brewing Company
Out-Of-State Brewery
- Ale Asylum
- Avery Brewing Co.
- Bell’s Brewery
- Cigar City Brewing
- Deschutes Brewery
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- Earth Rider Brewery
- Odell Brewing Co.
- Oliphant Brewing
- Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
Beer Styles
Lager
- Bad Weather Helles
- Bauhaus Wonderstuff
- Fair State Pils
- Lift Bridge 93X Brotherhood
- Summit Keller Pils
Specialty Grain Beer
- Bang Gold
- Fair State Keep the North Cold
- Modist False Pattern
- Modist Dreamyard
- Roets Rye
Session Beer
- Fulton Hopstar
- Indeed Lucy
- Lift Bridge Mango Blonde
- Steel Toe Size 4
- Surly Xtra-Citra
Wheat Beer
- Fair State Hefe
- Schell’s Hefeweizen
- Tin Whiskers Wheatstone Bridge
- Utepils Ewald the Golden
- Waldmann Weissbier
Belgian-style
- Bad Weather Sun Pillar
- Bauhaus Hairbanger
- Boom Island Brimstone
- Lift Bridge Farm Girl
- Roets The Belgian
- Saint Paul’s Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale
Pale Ale
- Barrel Theory Citra Pale
- Fair State Pahlay’Ahlay
- Indeed Day Tripper
- Modist False Pattern
- Summit EPA
Blonde Ale
- Bad Weather Migration
- Bent Paddle Paddle Break
- Fulton Lonely Blonde
- Lift Bridge Mango Blonde
- Lupulin Apricot Blonde
IPA
- Bad Weather Hopcromancer
- Fair State Clarity of Purpose
- Lift Bridge Hop Dish IPA
- Steel Toe Size 7
- Surly Todd the Axe Man
Double or Imperial IPA
- Barrel Theory Shooter McGavin
- Lupulin Blissful Ignorance
- Modist Double Dreamyard
- Surly Abrasive
- Wooden Hill Hopify
Hazy or New England IPA
- Barrel Theory Raindrops
- Fair State Mirror Universe
- Lift Bridge Hazy McHazeface
- Lupulin Hooey
- Modist Dreamyard
Fruit Beer
- Bauhaus Short Pants
- Grain Belt BLU
- Insight Doe Eyes
- Lift Bridge Mango Blonde
- Wild Mind Pash Bash
Spice or Specialty Beer
- 612Brew Shere Khan
- Indeed Lavender, Sunflower
- Honey, and Date
- Insight Rowdy Uncle
- Wabasha Westside Popper
- Wild Mind Pass the Kvassier
Kettle Sour
- Bad Weather Anomaly
- Fair State Roselle
- Indeed Lucy
- Pryes Raspberry
- Roets Sour
Spontaneous or Wild
- Boom Island Kriek
- Fair State Barrel-Fermented
- Du Pounde
- Indeed Cherry Dust
- Schell’s Electrik Empress
- Wild Mind Pash Bash
- Wild Mind Spontané Framboise
Porter
- Bemidji Double Porter
- Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter
- Inbound Wild Rice Porter
- Saint Paul’s Flat Earth Cygnus X1
- Summit Great Northern Porter
- Urban Growler De-Lovely
Stout
- Barrel Theory Threat Level Midnight
- Dangerous Man Chocolate Milk Stout
- Fair State Giantsbane
- Lift Bridge Barrel-Aged Silhouette
- Summit Oatmeal Stout
Correction: In the October print issue, Crazy Aunt was misattributed to Indeed Brewing in the Best Beer Name category. Crazy Aunt is made by Insight Brewing.
