Our 2018 Judges
Our biggest and most representative panel yet.
Our judges include leading restaurateurs, chefs, food writers, and gourmets.
They are selected exclusively by virtue of expertise. None is permitted to vote for a restaurant with which they are professionally or personally involved.
We assign judges regionally according to population. But no judge is regionally bound; their allegiance is to quality, not the street or town where it’s found.
Each judge is required to vote for the 10 restaurants that delivered their best dining experiences of the previous year. To ensure that each judge brings a national perspective to this exercise instead of merely a local one, we insist that at least three of their choices be situated outside of their home province or region.
Many exceed that voting requirement. When a judge nominates half or more of their choices outside their home region, we call them national judges. This year, more than a third of our panel voted that way.
The ballots are audited and tabulated by an independent panel at KPMG. The goal of the list and ranking it helps us compile is to shine a spotlight on the exceptional quality of our best restaurants, wherever our judges find them
Jen Agg
Grey Gardens, Agrikol
Paul Alsop
IDMG Culinary Marketing
Keith Baguley
BT/A
Ned Bell
Chefs for Oceans, Ocean Wise
Claudia Bianchi
Bianchi All Things Food, Actinolite Restaurant
Jeremy Bonia
Raymonds, The Merchant Tavern
Damon Campbell
Browns Restaurant Group
Derek Dammann
Maison Publique
David Hawksworth
Hawksworth Restaurant Group
Don House
IDMG Culinary Marketing
Chris Johns
Writer
Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy Kitchens
Chris Knight
Gusto Worldwide Media
Ben Kramer
Custom Catering
Jim Kyte
Algonquin College
Lanita Layton
HUGO BOSS Canada
Justin Leboe
Model Milk, Pigeonhole
Eric Lee
Red River College
Howard Levitt
Levitt LLP
Dale MacKay
Ayden Kitchen (and others)
Heather McDougall
Montecito
Adrian Myers
Torkin Manes
Mona Nazari
Nestlé Waters
Brenda O’Reilly
O’Reilly’s Irish Newfoundland Pub
Christie Peters
The Hollows
Pino Posteraro
Cioppino’s
Andrew Torriani
Ritz-Carlton Montreal
Peter Tsebelis
Buca, Jamie’s Italian
Vikram Vij
Vij’s, Rangoli, My Shanti
Joël Watanabe
Kissa Tanto, Bao Bei
Stephen Beckta
Gezellig, Play, Beckta
Rosanna Caira
Kostuch Media
Christine Cushing
Chef, author, TV host
Anne DesBrisay
Writer
Jay DuBoulay
Impress Marketing & Promotions
Stephanie Duong
Roselle Desserts
Kenny Hotz
Writer, comedian
Dr. Josh Josephson
Gourmet
Moez Kassam
Anson Funds
Robert Lantos
Serendipity Point Films
David Lee
Nota Bene
Geddy Lee
Musician
Martine Levy
DDB Public Relations
Claudia McNeilly
Writer
John Morris
CN Tower 360
Dr. James Oestreicher
Toronto Eyelid Surgery
Afrim Pristine
Cheese Boutique
Clayton Ruby
Lawyer
Tina Santoro
American Express
Franco Stalteri
Charlie’s Burgers
Bonnie Stern
Author and chef
Anthony Walsh
Oliver & Bonacini
John Aylen
John Aylen Communications
Riccardo Bertolino
Maison Boulud
Jon Bloom
Tuck Shop
Brigitte Boulanger
Cuisines Steam
Charles-Antoine Crête
Montréal Plaza
Théo Diamantis
Oenopole
Patrick Dubé
Le Bonne Entente
Oliver Germain
Ourea Hospitality Consultants
Bruce Hills
Just For Laughs
Jean Laporte
Groupe Laporte, Visions Actions
Normand Laprise
Toqué!, Brasserie T!
Héloïse Leclerc
Writer/Blogger
Lenny Lighter
Moishes
Marie-Claude Lortie
La Presse
Hubert Marsolais
Le Club Chasse et Pêche (and others)
Stéphane Modat
Champlain at Le Château Frontenac
Jean-Louis Souman
Hotelier
Spike Stockdale
Pure Cobalt
Jack Evrensel
Builder (founder, Toptable Group)
Iriss Gibbons
Gourmet
Alexandra Gill
The Globe and Mail
Robert McCullough
Appetite, Penguin Random House Canada
Andrew Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Scout Magazine
Jason Pleym
Two Rivers Specialty Meats
Jason Priestley
Actor, Black Hills Estate Winery
Dino Renaerts
Bon Vivant Group
Gary Ross
Communications Consultant
Michael Allemeier
SAIT Polytechnic
Rosemary Bacovsky
Gourmet
Twyla Campbell
Writer/blogger
Dan Clapson
Writer/blogger
Carmen Hamm
Una Pizza + Wine (Saskatoon)
Connie DeSousa
CHARCUT Roast House
Carmen Hamm
UNA Pizza + Wine, Picaro Sask.
Douglas McCrae
CIP Document Solutions
Gwendolyn Richards
Calgary Herald
Liv Vors
Writer
Jesse Vergen
Saint John Alehouse (and others)
Peter Crooks
Holland College
Lia Rinaldo
Devour!