The Gaslamp Quarter Association held the annual Lamplighter Awards at the Omni Hotel San Diego. The association awarded the winners of the 2009 Lamplighter Awards which recognize merchants and individuals who are leaders in the community and have made a positive impact on the Gaslamp Quarter. The Lamplighter Awards are nominated and voted on by the GQA’s board of directors. The Best Of Awards are determined from an open, public nomination and are voted on by GQA business owners and operators. The 2009 Lamplighter Award Winners are: Trailblazer Award – Keiliki Rodriguez, Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation; Armond Award – Laurie Peters, San Diego Convention Center; Good Neighbor in Media Award – Kevin Sheehan, SignOnSanDiego.com; Good Neighbor in Business Award – Eric Runyon, Southern Wine & Spirits; Good Neighbor in Government Award – Captain Chris Ball, San Diego Police Department; and Chairman’s Award – San Diego Fire Department Station 4. Winners of the Best Of Awards are: Best New Retailer 2009 – Downtown Ace Hardware; Best New Restaurant, Nightclub or Bar 2009 – Side Bar; Favorite Shopping 2009/Best Art Gallery, Furniture & Home Décor – Chuck Jones Gallery; Favorite Sushi & Asian Cuisine – Nobu San Diego @ Hard Rock Hotel; Favorite Urban Specialties & Services – Wine Bank, Inc.; Favorite Pub & Sports Bar – Nicky Rottens Bar & Burger Joint; Favorite Italian Cuisine 2009 – Acqua Al 2; Favorite Beverage Purveyor – Southern Wine & Spirits; Chef of the Year – Brian Malarkey, The Oceanaire; Favorite Bar/Lounge – Altitude; Favorite Gaslamp Area Hotel – The Ivy Hotel; Restaurateur of the Year – David Cohn, Cohn Restaurant Group; Favorite Shopping 2009/Apparel & Accessories – M.A.C Cosmetics; Favorite Contemporary or California Cuisine – Stingaree; Favorite Venue for Live Music – Henry’s Pub; Favorite Seafood Restaurant – Oceanaire Seafood Room; Favorite International Cuisine – (tie) Bandar Restaurant and La Puerta; Best Coffee House, Cafe or Quick Bite – Ciros Pizzeria; Favorite American Cuisine – Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar; Favorite Steakhouse – Donovan’s Steak & Chop House; and Favorite Nightclub – Stingaree.