Hungry? Visit Maryland's top restaurants of 2015

04/14/2015| Emily Kimball

Hungry? Visit Maryland's top restaurants of 2015

04/14/2015 | Emily Kimball

As any Marylander will attest, our State is a great place to eat.

Maryland's top restaurants took center stage this weekend during theRestaurant Association of Maryland's61st Annual Stars of the Industry Awards Gala.Award winners, chosen by more than 15,000 of the association's members, were announcedTuesday.

"The Gala is our opportunity to honor and give recognition to elite restaurants across the state. We are fortunate to have such a diverse group of restaurants to choose from who are dedicated to their customers, their community and their employees," Marshall Weston, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, said in a statement.

In addition to feeding our appetites, Maryland's restaurants are a driving force in the State's economy. According to theNational Restaurant Association, Maryland offers more than 11,000 places to eat and drink, which are projected to generate $10.9 billion in sales in 2015. These restaurants account for246,100 jobs, or 9 percent of the State's total employment.

Meet some of the businesses working to make Maryland even tastier:

Award Winner Location 2015 Restaurateur of the Year Buddy Trala, Sunset Grille Ocean City 2015 Chef of the Year Michael Matassa, Alchemy Baltimore 2015 Craft Brew Program of the Year Red Brick Station White Marsh 2015 Favorite New Restaurant Lib's Grill Perry Hall 2015 Favorite Restaurant Miss Shirley's Caf Roland Park 2015 Favorite Bar or Tavern Kooper's Tavern Baltimore 2015 Heart of the Industry Sous Chef Julio Dupuy, Iron Rooster Annapolis 2015 Wine & Beverage Program of the Year Red Red Wine Bar Annapolis The Otto Schellhase Award Mary Ellen Mason, Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute at Anne Arundel Community College Arnold The Brice & Shirley Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award Fred Rosenthal, Jasper's Restaurant & Madrones Largo & Frederick Eddie Dopkin First Course Award, Honoring Entrepreneurship in Hospitality Sarai Kashnow, Stratford University Baltimore 2015 ProStart Student of the Year Aaron Walker, Suitland High School Forestville 2015 ProStart Teacher of the Year Charla Gillespie, Bowie High School Bowie McCormick Cornerstone of the Industry Award Black Restaurant Group Bethesda Glory Days Grill Statewide The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille Statewide Irish Restaurant Company Anne Arundel County Sofi's Crepes Baltimore Maryland Hospitality Hall of Honor 2015 Inductees Antrim 1844 Taneytown Buddy's Crabs & Ribs Annapolis Crab Quarters Baltimore Foodservice Monthly Mid-Atlantic Linwoods Owings Mills

Find complete descriptions of the awards through theRestaurant Association of Maryland.

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