WRAL.com and WRAL Out & About hosted a big shindig to celebrate and reveal the winners of the 2017 Voters’ Choice Awards on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. Here’s the scoop:
WRAL.com Voters’ Choice Awards: Your picks for best Triangle businesses, entertainment, people
by WRAL Out & About Editor Kathy Hanrahan
The people have spoken. After a record number of votes cast, the WRAL.com Voters’ Choice Awards has revealed winners in more than 100 categories, including best barbecue and best biscuits.
Local chef Ashley Christensen took home top honors as the awards’ first Woman of the Year. Christensen’s advocacy in the community and beyond recently earned her the Chef of the Year award from the foodie blog Eater.
Christensen’s Fox Liquor Bar (best cocktail bar) and Chuck’s (best burger and fries) were also top three finishers.
The Carolina Ale House was named best sports bar and best place to watch a game. Another multiple winner was The Angus Barn, which was named best fine dining restaurant and best steak.
The Redneck BBQ Lab edged out The Pit and Clyde Coopers for best barbecue, while Bond Brothers Beer Company took home the award for best brewery over previous winner Aviator Brewing.
Duck Donuts defeated Krispy Kreme and Rise to take home the best donut award. Rise did win for best biscuit just beating the State Farmer’s Market and Bojangles.
Buoy Bowls edged out previous winners Chirba Chirba and Cousin’s Maine Lobster for best food truck.
WRAL.com’s Kathy Hanrahan (left) & WRAL-TV’s Mikaya Thurmond celebrate at the 2017 WRAL.com Voters Choice Awards party on Tuesday, January 16, 2018.
Brewery Bhavana was named the best new restaurant of 2017, one of several new categories introduced this year. Other new categories included best blogger (Triangle Food Guy), best local athlete (Cam Newton) and best local celebrity (Scotty McCreery). Chief meteorologist Greg Fishel was named best WRAL TV personality, while WRAL morning anchor Bill Leslie was voted best Twitter account.
Bigger and Better
Due to the success of our Out & About Voters’ Choice Awards over the last two years, the decision was made to expand our popular ballot contest to give North Carolina businesses, from the mountains to the coast, the chance to be recognized.
The new WRAL.com Voters’ Choice Awards launched in October with expanded categories and subcategories. The nomination period lasted until mid-November. The top five finalists in each category were revealed and the voting period opened Nov. 13. Voting ended Dec. 17.
Thanks to WRAL.com’s Kathy Hanrahan for this capcom story & for these capcom photos.
