For Julia Kramer, Heather Shouse and the rest of Eat Out Staff, the Eat Out Awards is always a bit of a relief. It’s the only time of the year when we turn over the editorial product to our readers, letting them make the decisions as to who makes the best desserts, or what’s most worth a long wait in line. For once, we’re not complicit in the results—so to all the pissed-off chefs who will undoubtedly call and complain, we can finally say that it’s truly not our fault.

Then there are the Critics’ Picks. What can we say? We’re kind of control freaks over here. Plus, there are some things our readers just can’t vote on. How can they vote on the most enterprising food businessman in the city if they don’t know he exists yet? How can they vote on the best vehicle for fennel when it’s so new that only a handful of them have actually tried it? We love hearing what our readers think, but we also know that they’re often looking to us to give them fodder for their opinions.

With that in mind, this year’s critics’ picks are all about the small, overlooked aspects of our restaurant scene: The tiny grocery selection at Great Lake; the environmental option at the gluttonous burger shop Edzo’s.

By exposing these things we hope that they’ll never be overlooked again.

And tomorrow, it’s back to work, keeping our ear to the ground for that which we’ll expose next year.

Now onto the winners of the 2010 Eat Out Awards, as announced tonight at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Readers’ choice awards

Best New Restaurant: XOCO
Other nominees: Purple Pig, Nightwood, Taxim,  Edzo’s

Best New Bar: Old Town Social
Other nominees: Simone’s, Rootstock, Old Town Social, Big Star

Best New Chef: Jared Van Camp @ Old Town Social
Other nominees: Chuy Valencia @ Chilam Balam, Jason McLeod @ Ria & Balsan, Aaron Deal @ Custom House Tavern, Nicole Pedersen @ C-House

Best New Gastropub: Revolution Brewing
Other nominees: Branch 27, Longman & Eagle, Kith & Kin

Best New Hotel Restaurant: Cibo Matto
Other nominees: Elate, Balsan, Ria, Pelago

Best Specialty Shop: Hoosier Mama Pie Co.
Other nominees: Beard Papa’s, more cupcakes, Meatloaf Bakery

Best Bartender: Paul McGee @ the Whistler
Other nominees: Benjamin Schiller @ BOKA, Anne Carlson Tye @ In Fine Spirits, Josh Pearson @ Sepia, Charles Joly & Tim Lacey @ the Drawing Room

Most Worth the Wait: Hot Doug’s
Other nominees: Great Lake, Kuma’s Corner, Violet Hour, XOCO

Best New Bakery: Bakin’ & Eggs
Other nominees: Fritz Pastry, La Farine, Bake

Best Wine Store: Lush Wine & Spirits
Other nominees: Drinks Over Dearborn, Red & White, In Fine Spirits, Perman Wine Selections

Best New Vegetarian: Falafill
Other nominees: The Loving Hut, Karyn’s on Green, Life on Mars

Best New Pastry Chef: Patrick Fahy @ Blackbird
Other nominees: Leticia Zenteno @ Ceres’ Table, Christine McCabe @ Epic, Hillary Blanchard @ one sixtyblue, Kate Neumann @ BOKA

Best Weekly Special:  Farm dinner @ Lula
Other nominees: Fried chicken @ West Town Tavern, Burger night @ one sixtyblue, Ramen @ Takashi

Best New Mexican Restaurant: XOCO
Other nominees: Chilam Balam, Decolores, Rustico Grill, Mercadito

Best New Burger Joint: Five Guys Burgers & Fries
Other nominees: DMK Burger Bar, Edzo’s, The Bad Apple, Fatburger

Best New Late Night Dining: Purple Pig
Other nominees: Longman & Eagle, Epic, Balsan

Best New Brunch: Publican
Other nominees: Jam, Nightwood, Hearty, Birchwood Kitchen

Best Indie Restaurant Blog: Chicago Gluttons
Other nominees: 312 Dining Diva, Chicago Brunch Blog, Sky Full Of Bacon

Best Charcuterie Program: Publican
Other nominees: Old Town Social, Mado, Purple Pig, The Bristol

Most In-Demand Dish: Pork-belly tacos @ Big Star
Other nominees: Churros @ XOCO, Pork rinds @ Publican, Cassoulet @ Mado, “Old” fries @ Edzo’s

Critics’ picks

Best Guilt-Free Burger: Edzo’s

Further Proof There Are Actually Top Chefs on Top Chef: Dale Levitski

Best French toast: Enoch’s French toast doughnuts at Nightwood

The Lone Ranger Award: Troy Marcus Johnson of Chicago All Fired Up

Most Pleasant Brunch Line: Ethiopian Diamond II

Best Reason to Buy Real Estate in Avondale: Late Bar

Best Performance in a Supporting Role: Cilantro in the dark-chocolate crémeux at Custom House Tavern

Best Microbrewery: Chicago Coffee Confederation

Top Shelf Award: Sundries shelf at Great Lake

“Trashiest” Design Ever: Alter Ego Form for Simone’s

Last Living Maître d’: Pascal Berthoumieux of Bistro Bordeaux

Best Vehicle for Fennel: Red Fennel cocktail at Prairie Fire

Second Annual Viagra Award for Longevity: Sun Wah Bar-B-Q Restaurant

Lifetime Achievement: Erwin Drechsler of erwin

Best Service: The permanent mark on dining made by Jovan Trboyevic