The votes (thousands, we counted) are in! It brings us great joy to share with you the winners of our Readers’ Choice Best Restaurants 2012 ballot. While a handful of perennial all-stars have held their rank, a number of noteworthy new-on-the-scene establishments have also made the list. Cheers to San Diego’s palate pleasers!   MIA STEFANKO

Best Charcuterie: Quality Social
This self-proclaimed “Bar. With food.” offers an impressive charcuterie selection that rotates each evening and is attached to the nightly menu. On the mark of the restaurant’s two-year anniversary, it just announced a newly assembled dream team of all-stars who will join chef Jared Van Camp in 2012. They include Jeff Manno (GM), Dustin Beckner (chef du cuisine), Nicole Novak (promotions director), Dustin Haarstad (mixology program), and Jason Wagner (sommelier). Stay tuned for many more great things from Quality Social. (619/501-7675, www.qualitysocial.com)

Best Oysters (Tie): The Brigantine & The Oceanaire
The Del Mar Brigantine Seafood Restaurant is a North County staple with its lively oyster bar, glass-enclosed patio, and elegant dining room. Enjoy oysters as shooters, Rockefeller style, or on the half shell. Call before you head to the Del Mar location, though — the hot spot will soon undergo a renovation. (858/481-1166, www.brigantine.com)

Sleek and sophisticated, The Oceanaire provides the perfect setting to enjoy the freshest seafood flown in daily from around the world. At the grand beverage and oyster bar, savor Fanny Bay, Barron Point, Kumamoto, and Bristol Bay oysters (among many others). (619/858-2277, www.theoceanaire.com)

Best Seafood: The Fish Market
In 1976, a sport fisherman, boat captain, and gourmet cook teamed up to open The Fish Market with one thought in mind — to serve the freshest, highest-quality seafood available, simply prepared and served up at an honest price. Today, the restaurant’s multiple locations do just that with an extensive menu featuring fresh fish broiled just inches over the mesquite wood, shellfish specialties, chowders and cioppino, seafood cocktails, smoked fish, and more. (858/755-2277, www.thefishmarket.com) A Close 2nd: Pacifica Del Mar (858/792-0476, www.pacificadelmar.com)

Best Steak: Ruth’s Chris
On the way to celebrating its 50th anniversary, Ruth’s Chris Steak House satisfies carnivorous cravings with its Filet, Ribeye, New York Strip, Porterhouse for Two, and T-Bone steaks, as well as tasty sides. Whether a romantic dinner for two or a business luncheon, the Del Mar steakhouse provides guests with a warm, and inviting atmosphere. (858/755-1454, www.ruthschris.com) A Close 2nd: Donovan’s (858/450-6666, www.donovanssteakhouse.com)

Best Asian Cuisine & Best Gluten-Free Offerings: Del Mar Rendezvous
Del Mar Rendezvous features dishes that utilize prime ingredients and represent many regions of China and select Asian countries. An impressive array of gluten-free menu items includes everything from tapas and soups to noodle and rice dishes, entrees, and desserts. Half-priced bottles of wine are offered Wednesday and Sunday nights. (858/755-2669, www.delmarrendezvous.com)

Best Sushi: Sushi Ota
When natives of Japan are visiting San Diego, they head to one place for sushi — Sushi Ota. A repeat readers’ favorite and editor’s pick, this hidden gem is worth the wait. Open for lunch and dinner. (858/270-5670, www.sushiota.com)

Best French Cuisine: Mille Fleurs
For nearly three decades, Mille Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe has been a favorite with locals and visitors alike. Chef Martin Woesle continually blends European traditions with California ingredients in daily-changing menus. Mille Fleurs has received many local and national honors, including being cited by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the top 25 restaurants in America. (858/756-3085, www.millefleurs.com)

Best California Cuisine: Sbicca
Located in the heart of downtown Del Mar, Sbicca offers the perfect setting for any occasion — brunch, lunch, or dinner — amid indoor and outdoor seating, a private room, ocean views, and more. Proprietor Dan Sbicca notes, “In all of our dishes, we strive to offer the finest ingredients and new, surprising flavors in an intimate environment that feels just a bit like home.” (858/481-1001, www.sbiccabistro.com)

Best Pasta: Bencotto
Little Italy’s Bencotto offers home-style Italian dishes in a relaxed, urban setting. A traditional menu emphasizes pasta crafted by hands with 20 years of experience, along with regional specialties. With “Pasta Your Way,” select from pasta fatta a mano (daily hand-made) or pasta artigianale (artisanal) — as well as eight different sauces. (619/450-4786, www.lovebencotto.com)

Best Pizza (Tie): Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza & Bronx Pizza
Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza & Grill has just introduced 20 new offerings including vegan and gluten-free alternatives. Try the Tabouli & Quinoa salad, the Redwood Hill Farms Smoked Goat Cheddar artisan thin-crust pizza, or the Oak Roasted Asparagus with vegan mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The expansion also brings with it the addition of a full bar and cocktail menu at the recently renovated location in Del Mar Highlands Town Center. (858/259-6600, www.sammyspizza.com)

Operating since 1997, Bronx Pizza on Washington Street has created quite the buzz for its New York-style thin-crust pizza. Select from up to 18 different kinds of sliced pies, or opt for a whole pizza. Fancy pants take note: this joint is cash only and doesn’t offer ham, chicken, pineapple, jalapeños, or Canadian bacon as toppings. (619/291-3341, www.bronxpizza.com)

Best Burger: Smashburger
Its hand-crafted burgers are made with fresh, never frozen, 100 percent Certified Angus Beef that is “smashed”, seared, and seasoned on the grill to juicy perfection. Smashburger’s signature recipes include a unique burger for every local market. And that’s not all — the ever-growing company was recently ranked No. 1 on Forbes’ inaugural America’s Most Promising Companies list. (858/461-4105, www.smashburger.com)

Best Fast Casual (Tie): Luna Grill & Urban Plates
With locations in Torrey Highlands, Carlsbad, and Mission Valley, to name a few, Luna Grill offers Mediterranean cuisine utilizing the choicest meats, freshest produce, and finest spices available. Kabobs are grilled to order over an open flame, and feature meats that are cut, marinated in sauces made from scratch, and skewered fresh each day. (760/438-5862, www.lunagrill.com)

Urban Plates, located in Del Mar Highlands Town Center, proudly serves up “farm to plate cuisine that won’t break the bank.” Executive chef and general manager Zachary Lennox notes, “You can watch everything being made. All of our food ingredients are beautifully displayed in front of you — simply order as you walk through and we will prepare your meal immediately as you watch. Virtually all of our food is prepared from scratch throughout the day using the finest ingredients.” (858/509-1800, www.urbanplates.com)

Best Burrito (Tie): Fidel’s & Lucha Libre
Repeatedly a readers’ favorite, Fidel’s sure knows how to put together a mean burrito, not to mention a wide array of Mexican specialty dishes. Try the crab, shrimp, machaca, or carnitas burrito — you can’t go wrong with any one of them. (858/755-5292, www.fidelslittlemexico.com)

Lucha Libre, new to the list this year, is a gourmet taco shop located in Mission Hills dedicated to serving up fresh, delicious Mexican food in an environment that represents the same vibrant, high spirits of its namesake wrestling tradition. Try the Surfin’ California, which boasts grilled steak, shrimp, fresh French fries, avocado, pico de gallo, cheese, and “super secret chipotle sauce” (as featured on Man Vs. Food). (619/296-8226, www.tacosmackdown.com)

Best Appetizers: Flavor Del Mar
This Del Mar Plaza restaurant offers panoramic ocean views and “simple yet sophisticated” California coastal cuisine perfect for sharing. Consider the Lobster Tempura, Mexican Bay Scallop Ceviche, Pickled Fingerling Potatoes, Alaksan King Crab Hand Roll, or the daily soup selection, to name but a few. Enjoy happy hour from 2:30-6:30pm and all day Sunday. (858/755-3663, www.flavordelmar.com)

Best Craft Beer: Stone Brewery
A readers’ favorite for the third year in a row, there will soon be more to sip on at Stone Brewing Co. — the Escondido brewery will welcome a sister location. Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station will boast several outdoor courtyards and dining areas, a bocce court, and its very own brewhouse. Stay tuned for further details. (760/294-7866, www.stonebrew.com)

Best Wine List: The 3rd Corner
With three locations to choose from — San Diego, Encinitas and its newest Wine Shop & Bistro in Palm Desert — The 3rd Corner offers a wide selection of wines from hard-to-find collectibles to everyday quaffers in addition to a full menu available from 11:30am until 1am. Try the newly launched bottomless Champagne mimosas —
 $15.95 on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm. (760/942-2104, www.the3rdcorner.com)

Best Specialty Cocktails: Craft & Commerce
Reservations can’t be made at this favorite on West Beech Street. Just as noteworthy as the shaken or stirred cocktails (with names like the British Firing Squad and Tequila Gumption), Champagne or beer creations, and punch bowls (yes, to serve you and several of your friends) is Craft & Commerce’s unique aesthetic, which earned the 2011 Grand Orchid award. Hundreds of hardbound classic novels are stacked on ceiling-high bookshelves, while handwritten passages from John Steinbeck and David Foster Wallace are scrawled on wooden-slat walls and lime green booths. (619/269-2202, www.craft-commerce.com)

Best Bar Scene: Burlap
Where have all the barflies gone? The answer is Burlap, the brainchild of Brian Malarkey of Bravo’s Top Chef fame and nightclub leader James Brennan, which has proven to be a smash hit. In addition to craving Malarkey’s playful “Asian cowboy” cuisine, R&C readers flock to the Del Mar restaurant to see and be seen, and for the creative vision of nationally-acclaimed interior designer Thomas Schoos (Searsucker, Koi Restaurant, Tao Las Vegas). Think multiple Koi ponds, fire pits, a large outdoor bar, reclaimed wood, Asian influences, and — yep — burlap. (858/369-5700, www.burlapeats.com)

Best Late Night Happy Hour: Harney Sushi
Having a late night craving? Head to Harney Sushi, with locations in Oceanside and Old Town, where from 10pm to midnight you can keep the party going while enjoying Crispy Salmon Skin Salad for just $5, Sunomono Salad ($3.50), or a variety of creative sushi rolls for just $3-$6. (760/967-1820, www.harneysushi.com)

Best Wine Bar: Wine Steals
Wine Steals’ four locations perfectly blend wine buying with wine tasting in a casual yet upbeat atmosphere. (760/230-2657, www.winestealssd.com)

Best Gastropub: Jaynes Gastropub
A winner in this category two years in a row, Jaynes Gastropub is owned and operated by Jayne Battle and husband Jon, and offers a cozy and dimly-lit Europe-meets-San-Francisco ambience that serves up such delights as bangers and mash, fish and chips with sugar snap peas, juicy Niman Ranch burgers, and grilled Moroccan lamb meatballs, along with a sophisticated list of wines and ales. (619/563-1011, www.jaynesgastropub.com)

Best Breakfast: Hash House A Go Go
A repeat readers’ favorite, as the name implies, Hash House A Go Go serves up house hashes, farm scrambles and  benedicts, flapjacks, waffles, and Indiana favorites including the “O’Hare of the dog” — a 24-ounce Budweiser in a bag with a side of bacon. (619/298-4646. www.hashhouseagogo.com)

Best Coffee: The Pannikin
Since 1968, the family-owned and operated Pannikin Coffee & Tea has served the community with all its coffee and tea needs, roasting coffee daily to offer the freshest selection of single origin brews and proprietary blends from around the globe. (858/481-8007, www.pannikincoffeeandtea.com)

Best Bloody Mary: The Tractor Room
Open at 9am on the weekends, The Tractor Room, on Fifth Avenue, offers “honest cocktails and meats,” and a Bloody Mary worthy of praise. While you’re there, try the Free Range Wild Boar Hash, complete with crispy potatoes, pancetta, fresh tomato, and goat cheese — all topped with two eggs. (619/543-1007, www.thetractorroom.com) A Close 2nd: West Coast Tavern (619/295-1688, www.westcoasttavern.com)

Best Farmers’ Market: Little Italy
Every Saturday, from 9am-1:30pm in Little Italy at Date and India Streets, the Little Italy Mercato offers residents and visitors more than 100 farm fresh produce, artisan foods, and specialty item booths. But it doesn’t end there — the one-stop shopping destination also features plants, coffee drinks, live music, crafts, and a pet place. (619/233-3769, www.littleitalysd.com)

Best Sandwich Spot: Board & Brew
Open since 1979, Board & Brew in coastal Del Mar offers favorites like the Turkado, California Delight, or Tub O’ Tuna, which can be prepared on your choice of squaw bread, sourdough, or French baguette. Ask for the original house secret sandwich sauce. A variety of salads and a daily soup round out this tasty spot’s menu. (858/481-1021, www.boardnbrewdelmar.com)

Eco-Friendly: Claire’s On Cedros
Taking the cake in this category again, Claire’s On Cedros is a breakfast and lunch cafe with an in-house bakery. Straightforward bistro classics are crafted with the finest ingredients available including locally-farmed organic produce. Meats and dairy are sourced from farmers who raise their animals humanely without hormones. (858/259-8597, www.clairesoncedros.com)

Best Vegetarian: Lotus Cafe
Lotus Cafe in downtown Encinitas delivers fresh, natural, and healthy food prepared with “love and a joyful heart.” Ingredients are sourced with care and are always natural. Try the Cosmic Cobb and the Peacha Colada smoothie. A second location also recently opened in Hillcrest. (760/479-1977, www.lotuscafeandjuicebar.com)

Best Dog-Friendly Spot: The Wine Pub
While kiddos aren’t allowed, Fido certainly is. Dogs happily laze on the patio while owners sip wine and savor tasty bites. Owned by wine connoisseur Sandy Hanshaw, The Wine Pub was born of a love for fine vino, locally-brewed craft beer, and exquisite menu items including the colorful bruschetta trio, Kobe beef meatloaf, and herb roasted chicken. (619/758-9325, www.thewinepubsd.com)

Best Baked Goods: Bread & Cie
Bread & Cie’s distinctive breads are baked fresh seven days a week using age-old artisan bread-making techniques, premium ingredients, and a stone-hearth oven imported from Europe. Stop in to the café to sip a cappuccino and savor a vast array of bread or pastries, croissants, and sweet baked goods. A breakfast and lunch menu also offers specialty sandwiches, fresh salads, and soups made from scratch. (619/683-9322, www.breadandcie.com) A Close 2nd: Champagne French Bakery Café (760/944-9446, www.champagnebakery.com)

Best Desserts: Extraordinary Desserts
Is there anything Karen Krasne can’t do? The “Queen of Cakes,” according to Gourmet magazine, is the owner and executive chef of Extraordinary Desserts, R&C readers’ go-to destination for top-notch desserts. Her cakes have graced our cover (as well as Bon Appetit’s), and Forbes recognized her as one of the country’s ten best pastry chefs. Courageous types should pick up her first book, Extraordinary Cakes: Recipes For Bold And Sophisticated Desserts, which details assembly and decorating instructions, as well as tips from her more than 22 years as a pastry chef. (619/294-7001, www.extraordinarydesserts.com)

Best Daily Specialties & Best Catering: Waters Fine Catering
Planning a special event? Waters Fine Catering will bring your vision to life with impeccable cuisine that suits your every taste. And for those consistently on the move, Waters Fine Foods To Go on South Highway 101 in Solana Beach offers a bevy of mouth-watering entrees, salads, sandwiches, and sides (gluten-free and vegan options also available). Sign up for Waters' e-newsletter to stay informed about daily specials. Sometimes it's best to let the pros do all the cooking. (858/509-9400, www.waterscatering.com)

Best Al Fresco Dining & Best Place To Take Out-Of-Towners: George’s at the Cove
A repeat winner year after year, at George’s, tourists and locals alike sip and savor the San Diego lifestyle and executive chef/partner Trey Foshee’s award-winning modern California cuisine high atop the La Jolla Cove. (858/454-4244, www.georgesatthecove.com)

Best First Date Spot: Kitchen 1540
Break the ice and set the mood to get hearts racing in the wine bar, dining room, or your own private cabana at Kitchen 1540, located in L’Auberge Del Mar, a resort getaway right here in our own backyard. The award-winning signature restaurant blends energy and intrigue, and just welcomed the culinary talents of Scott Thomas Dolbee in his new role as executive chef. (858/793-6460, www.kitchen1540.com)

Most Unassuming: Urban Solace
The original restaurant that preceeded the now uber-popular Solace & The Moonlight Lounge in downtown Encinitas, Urban Solace in North Park, under the helm of chef/owner Matt Gordon, continues to wow guests with its homemade New American comfort food — think Warm Cheese Biscuits with Orange-Honey Butter, “Not Your Momma’s Meatloaf,” and Kitchen Sink Biscuits and Gravy — mmm. Reservations strongly suggested. (619/295-6464, www.urbansolace.net)

Best Hotel Restaurant: Addison
What’s not to love about Addison at The Grand Del Mar? There’s a reason the restaurant continues to receive prestigious award after award. Under the direction of Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef William Bradley, the 80-seat Addison features contemporary French cuisine and an impressive wine list amid old-world grandeur and glamour. (858/314-1900, www.addisondelmar.com)

Best Kept Secret: Kitchen 4140
Tucked away on Morena Boulevard, Kitchen 4140, run by award-winning chef Kurt Metzger, prides itself on serving fresh ingredients, and herbs picked from its own garden. An eclectic brunch menu offers Atlantic smoked salmon benedict, red velvet pancakes, and a tender blackened steak sandwich loaded with grilled hanger steak and finished with avocado crème fraiche. Not open for dinner — this hot spot is for daytime diners only. (858/483-4140, www.kitchen4140.com)