[11] To be considered for the award, restaurants must have been in business for a decade, be locally owned, show "timeless appeal", and serve "quality food that reflects the character of the community.
[20] The 1994 inductees were Jean Anderson, Cecily Brownstone, Narcisse Chamberlain, Ariane Daguin and George Faison, Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca, Zack Hanle, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Elizabeth Schneider, Jeff Smith, and Tim and Nina Zagat.
[21] The 1995 inductees were Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill and Topolombampo, Joachim Splichal of Patina, Harold McGee, author of "On Food and Cooking", Daniel Boulud, Milton Glaser, Madhur Jaffrey, and Martha Stewart.
The 1999 inductees were R. W. Apple Jr. of the New York Times, winemaker Ernest Gallo, author and columnist Molly O'Neill, Bill Shore of Share Our Strength, and Gail Zweigenthal of Gourmet (magazine).
[26] The 2001 inductees were Mario Batali, chef/co-owner, Babbo and Esca, New York; Michael Ginor and Izzy Yanay, founders, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Great Neck, N.Y.; Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of "The Splendid Table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper," St. Paul, Minn.; Joan Nathan, cookbook author, Washington, D.C.; and Martin Yan, cooking show host, Foster City, Calif.[27] The 2002 inductees were Tom Colicchio, Alain Ducasse, Nobu Matsuhisa, Sara Moulton and Frank J.
[30] The 2005 inductees were Joseph Bastianich (co-owner of Italian Wine Merchants and Babbo, Becco, Lupa, Esca, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and Bistro du Vent restaurants, New York City); Greg Drescher (Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives, The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone, St. Helena, CA); Carol Field (book author and food writer, San Francisco, CA); Corby Kummer (Senior Editor, The Atlantic Monthly, Boston, MA); and, Deborah Madison (chef, cookbook author and journalist, Galisteo, NM).
[31] The 2006 inductees were Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, Co-Founders of Cowgirl Creamery (Point Reyes Station, CA); Jean Joho, Chef and Proprietor of Everest, Chicago; Gray Kunz, Founding Chef of Café Gray, NYC; Kermit Lynch, Founder and Owner of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant (Berkeley, CA); and Ari Weinzweig, Co-Founder of Zingerman's Deli (Ann Arbor, MI).
[36] The 2011 inductees were Jonathan Gold of the LA Weekly, Lee Jones of Chef's Garden (Huron, OH), Charles Phan of the Slanted Door (San Francisco, CA), Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar and Grill, and Nick Valenti of the Patina Restaurant Group (New York, NY).
[47][48] The 2018 inductees were Jody Adams, Chef/Owner, TRADE, Porto, and Saloniki (Boston, MA); Lally Brennan and Ti Adelaide Martin, Co-Proprietors, Commander's Palace (New Orleans, LA); Allison Hooper, Co-Founder, Vermont Creamery (Websterville, VT); and Daniel Johnnes, Wine Director, The Dinex Group (New York City, NY).