2010 Nightclub & Bar Awards Program Finalists Announced

CLEVELAND, OH – January 8, 2010 – Nightclub & Bar Magazine is pleased to announce the finalists in the 2010 Nightclub & Bar Awards program. More than 235 entries were received nominating bars, nightclubs, restaurants and DJs in 14 categories. Entries were submitted by venue owners, operators and managers, as well as suppliers, vendors and other industry members eager to recognize excellence in on-premise concepts, programs, talent and professionalism.

Formerly known as the Five Star Awards, the Nightclub & Bar Awards expands on that program’s foundation to honor outstanding operators across the industry from venues large and small, and the energy and creativity of this industry were on full display.

“We were overwhelmed by the number of entries received and excited by the caliber of the entries,” says Donna Hood Crecca, editorial director of Nightclub & Bar. “Our stellar panel of judges had to make some tough decisions! We can’t wait to honor the winners during the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas in March.”

The Nightclub & Bar Awards judging panel consisted of 20 industry leaders, journalists and consultants.

Presented by category, with finalists in alphabetical order, the 2010 Nightclub & Bar Awards Finalists are:

NIGHTCLUB CATEGORY FINALISTS

Mega-Club of the Year

• Pacha NYC, New York
• Rain, Las Vegas
• Stingaree, San Diego
• XS, Las Vegas

New Club of the Year

• Infusion Lounge, San Francisco
• Playhouse Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Voyeur, West Hollywood
• XS, Las Vegas

Nightclub of the Year

• The Avalon Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Lavo, Las Vegas
• Opera, Atlanta
• Tao, Las Vegas
• Tryst, Las Vegas

Ongoing Promotion of the Year

• Pacha NYC, New York – Toolroom Knights
• Rain, Las Vegas -- Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto Vegas
• Hard Rock, Las Vegas – Rehab
• Tao, Las Vegas – Worship Thursdays

Resident DJ

• Danny Tenaglia – Pacha NYC, New York
• Paul Oakenfold – Rain, Las Vegas
• Roonie G – Opera, Atlanta
• Z-Trip – Rain, Las Vegas

Single Promotion of the Year

• Four Year Anniversary – Tao, Las Vegas
• Love Festival – Palms, Las Vegas
• Midsummer Night’s Dream – Palms, Las Vegas
• The Young & The Restless – Opera, Atlanta

Ultra-Lounge of the Year

• 32° Luxe Lounge, Philadelphia
• Blush Boutique Lounge, Las Vegas
• Halo, Atlanta
• Pink Monkey, Chicago

BAR CATEGORY FINALISTS

Bartender of the Year (category sponsored by Absolut Vodka)

• Charles Joly – The Drawing Room, Chicago
• Columbine Quillen -- The Blacksmith Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge, Bend, Ore.
• H. Joseph Ehrmann – Elixir, San Francisco
• Russell Davis – Peche, Austin

Beer Bar of the Year

• Eulogy Belgian Tavern, Philadelphia
• Gritty McDuff’s, Portland, Maine
• Tapwerks Ale House & Café, Oklahoma City
• Willimantic Brewing Company, Willimantic, Conn.

Cocktail Lounge of the Year (category sponsored by Absolut Vodka)

• 675 Bar, New York
• The Drawing Room, Chicago
• Frankie’s Tiki Room, Las Vegas
• The Naga Cocktail Lounge, Bellevue, Wash.

Hotel Bar

• 207, Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego
• BOND Restaurant & Lounge, The Langham, Boston
• Hudson Bar, Hudson Hotel, New York
• POV, W Hotel, Washington, DC

Small Wonder Bar of the Year

• The Empty Glass, Charleston, West Virginia
• In Between, Honolulu
• Manifesto, Kansas City
• Qua Bottle Lounge, Austin

Sports Bar of the Year

• Blondie’s Sports Bar & Grill, Las Vegas
• Champion Billiards Sports Café, Frederick, Md.
• Connolly’s Sports Bar & Grill, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.
• Jerome Bettis Grill 36, Pittsburgh

Wine Bar of the Year

• Ivy Ultra Lounge and Wine Bar, San Diego
• Flute Midtown, New York
• Mercy Wine Bar, Dallas
• Zebra’s Bistro & Wine Bar, Medfield, Mass.

Winners will be announced in February, so stay tuned! Special coverage of the winners will be included in the March issue of Nightclub & Bar, and winners will be celebrated at a special VIP reception during the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show, March 8 – 10 in Las Vegas.

About Nightclub & Bar
Published monthly by Questex Media Group LLC, Nightclub & Bar serves the innovators and influencers in on-premise bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Readers are the top executives, owners and operators who are responsible for driving growth, innovation and profitability. Other Nightclub & Bar media properties include First Round, NCB Nightclub Confidential, NCB Mix, and VIBE Bulletin e-newsletters, www.nightclub.com and The Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show which is part of International Hospitality Week in Las Vegas drawing 30,000 professionals in the food, beverage and lodging industries from around the world.

About Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show
Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show is part of International Hospitality Week produced by Questex Media Group LLC. International Hospitality Week was created in 2007 and encompasses three specialized events: Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show, the country’s pre-eminent beverage event, attracting owners, operators and managers from nightclubs, bars, lounges, pubs, sports bars and more; International Restaurant Show and HotelWorld Food & Beverage Conference which all stage under one roof. This mega hospitality event provides a platform for 30,000 buyers and sellers to meet, connect and discover new business as it relates to the food and beverage segment of the vibrant hospitality industry.