Be Your Own Dining Critic: Vote in this year's Hale Aina Awards

Long before blogs, Yelp and Facebook, HONOLULU Magazine realized that the best dining information came from the customers of restaurants.

Especially HONOLULU Magazine readers, who eat out regularly and often know the Island dining scene better than anyone else.

That’s why for 28 years, the most prestigious dining awards in the Islands, the Hale Aina Awards, have been voted on by our readers.

A Hale Aina Award means that a restaurant delivers a quality experience, with a caliber of food and service that the most sophisticated Honolulu diners expect.

Who’s worthy of this year’s awards? You decide. Just take a few minutes to vote.

The ballot is simpler than in years past. (We know, we know, filling out the old ballot was tiring.)

This year’s process has been split into two steps. We’ve already collected the nominations. Now you can simply check off your favorites. If we missed your favorites, there’s always room for write-in votes.

For last year’s winners list,click here. If you’re interested in the story of the awards, here’s a short history.

If you recognize the woman in the picture above, yes, it’s Alicia Antonio, now of the Hilton, accepting the Restaurant of the Year award for the Maile Room in 1995.

Once again, please take 5 minutes and vote here. The Hale Ainas need you.

Curious who’s going to win? You can be at the gala awards ceremony at the Royal Hawaiian on Nov. 6, 2011. Eat, drink and mingle with the Islands’ best chefs. For more information, click here.