Monday, October 26 was a wild night of praise and celebration for all of our favorite businesses in the Gaslamp Quarter. 

The Gaslamp Quarter Association hosted the 15th annual Lamplighter Awards at the Omni Hotel San Diego. The evening began with a cocktail hour featuring flowing spirits and appetizer stations provided by La Puerta, Soleil @k, Confidential and more. We tasted the best bites in town while perusing the Silent Auction, biding on our favorite items, and mingling among the Who’s Who of San Diego industry, media and supporting fans. 

In the Omni ballroom, we all took our seats and witnessed hot ticket items soar through the crowd during the Live Action. The DiscoverSD.com prize was won by The Shout House, the newest member of our family. And, we couldn’t be happier! Before, during and after dinner, we enjoyed live music by David Patrone, flamenco dancing and guitar from Café Sevilla, and a circus performance from Mango & Dango (he swallowed swords!).

The Awards Ceremony honored Chef of the Year, Best New Nightclub, Favorite Shopping, Restaurateur of the Year and many more categories to celebrate the best of the Gaslamp Quarter. Here are some of the 2009 Lamplighter Award winners:

Best New Retailer: Downtown Ace Hardware
Best New Nightclub: Side Bar (pictured)
Favorite Sushi: Nobu San Diego at Hard Rock Hotel
Chef of the Year: Brian Malarkey – The Oceanaire
Favorite Bar / Lounge: ALTITUDE Sky Lounge
Favorite Hotel: The Ivy Hotel
Favorite Shopping: M.A.C. Cosmetics
Favorite Contemporary Cuisine: The Restaurant at Stingaree
Restaurateur of the Year: David Cohn, Cohn Restaurant Group
Favorite Nightclub: Stingaree

For a complete list of winners, visit Gaslamp.org.

Following the Awards Ceremony, party-goers headed to Sway at The Keating Hotel and Red Circle for the two-headed industry after party that kept the Gaslamp Quarter aglow all night long. Congratulations to the 2009 Lamplight Award winners!

Discover more of the best Gaslamp restaurants and nightclubs.