My friends and I spent an undeniably hefty chunk of the summer of 2009 in the back of Ted’s Collision on College St, all out of real, serious, early-20s love for a mysterious bartender whose name we never even bothered to learn. Homeboy was skilled and charming, easy to talk to, and made a mean rye and ginger.  If I could nominate “Cutie Bartendah” for Terroir’s GE Awards, I would. The awards are just part of Terroir’s annual hospitality industry symposium, this year taking place on April 23rd at the Arcadian Court, and featuring a full day of talks and presentations on everything from sustainable aquaculture to local food foraging. The GE Awards were created to celebrate excellence in the Canadian culinary industry, and fall across three categories: Chef, Beverage Professional (sorry CB! We miss you!), and Front of House/Service Excellence.

Voting is open to anyone, and the winners will receive a $1000 grand prize. This city is full of talented cooks, inspiring mixologists and superlative serving staff; why not nominate your favourite local chef, bartender or server?

Winners will be announced April 10 and honoured at the symposium on the 23rd. Vote here.

Have a favourite him or her who whips up a mouthwatering meal, seats you at your favourite restaurant, or is responsible for the only cocktail worth surviving the workweek for? Tweet your nominees @shedoesthecity, or post in comments below, and we’ll RT ’em!

~ Monica Heisey