Jim Caruso, Lisa Lambert, Cherry Jones and More Win at the 2014 Joey Awards

Winners of the 2014 Joey Awards were announced last weekend at a formal evening ceremony at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Organized and overseen by the Joe Allen Academy of Arts & Bitching (JAAAB), "The Joeys" are a set of awards given annually for excellence in food service and patronage at New York's City's famous Times Square celebrity hot-spots: Joe Allen, Orso and Bar Centrale.

There are two types of Joey Awards: the "competitive" Awards of Merit and the "honorary" Governor Awards. The Awards of Merit consist of 22 different categories that are voted upon by the Academy's membership which includes restaurant staff and patrons, many of whom are celebrated film and theatre artists. The honorary Governor Awards are presented to deserving recipients decided upon by the Academy's officers and the Board of Governors.

The variety show-styled ceremony was hosted by Academy Vice President, Matt Stevens, with Erin Sullivan as trophy girl "Miss Joe Allen". Award winners from previous years and other persons of Academy interest such as Jim Caruso, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Tony Award winner Lisa Lambert, Christine Pedi, and Richie Ridge graced the stage as category presenters. Audience members were treated to four musical performances that showcased the immense talent of the restaurant's staff. There was also an "In Memoriam" video presentation that paid tribute to all of the employees who were fired or quit since last year's Joey Awards ceremony.

2014 Joey Award Nominees/Winners:

BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT
"Been There, Done That!"
"The Crass Monkey Sketch Comedy Show!" (Winner)
"Fancy Mantelpiece Says Thank You: A Tribute To Gerrard Spencer"
"Syvia @ Pianos: The First Show Of 2013!"

BEST LEADING WAITER (Dinner - JA)
KC Comeaux, Saturday Dinner
Jeffrey Gift, Friday Dinner (Winner)
Dean Jones, Friday Dinner
Danny Visconti, Friday Dinner

BEST LEADING WAITRESS (Dinner - JA)
Devon Buchanan, Thursday Dinner (Winner)
Alece DeLuca-Demaray, Wednesday Dinner
Aisha Gearig, Wednesday Dinner
Meara Levezow, Saturday Dinner

BEST LEADING BARTENDER (Dinner - JA)
Devon Buchanan, Friday Dinner
Tathiana Montes De Oca, Saturday Dinner
Jesse Robinson, Saturday Dinner (Winner)
Jason Woodruff, Thursday Dinner

BEST LEADING REGULAR CUSTOMER (Dinner - JA)
David Bruson
Bobby Cannavale
Pat Galloway & Peter Webb James Hamilton
Margo Lawless
Tim O'Neal Lorah (Winner)
Al Pacino
Richie Ridge
Jerry & Mary Saviola
Jason Strangfeld & Jon Weston

BEST SUPPORTING WAITER (Lunch - JA)
Dan Conway, Sunday Long Lunch
Michael Angelo Haler, Friday Long Lunch
Rich Moyle, Saturday Short Lunch (Winner)
Jesse Robinson, Sunday Short Lunch

BEST SUPPORTING WAITRESS (Lunch - JA)
Kristen Balzano, Thursday Long Lunch
Emily Green, Wednesday Long Lunch
Marina Salazar, Friday Short Lunch
Erin Sullivan, Saturday Short Lunch (Winner)

BEST SUPPORTING BARTENDER (Lunch - JA)
Aisha Gearig, Tuesday Lunch
Rich Moyle, Saturday Lunch
Chris Rozanski, Sunday Lunch (Winner)
Kevin Skinner, Thursday Lunch

BEST SUPPORTING REGULAR CUSTOMER (Lunch - JA)
Andrew/Andrew
Jeff Berger & Rebecca Faulkenberry
Jeff Calhoun
Jim Caruso (Winner)
Steve Guttenberg
Larry Moss
Arthur Sherman
Leonard Soloway
Lenny Triola
Larry Young

BEST MANAGER (JA)
Devon Buchanan, Saturday Lunch
John Gray, Monday Dinner
Veronica Mittenzwei, Friday Dinner (Winner)
Willow Osborn, Tuesday Dinner
Gerrard Spencer, Wednesday Lunch

BEST MAITRE D (Door Shift - JA)
Alece DeLuca-Demaray, Saturday Lunch
Chris Johnson, Sunday Double
Chris Rozanski, Thursday Dinner (Winner)
Erin Sullivan, Friday Dinner

BEST COAT CHECK (JA)
Jermaine Blackwell, Tuesday Dinner
Elissa Desani, Thursday Dinner (Winner)
Thom O'Connor, Wednesday Lunch

BEST NEWCOMER (Run Shift - JA)
Kristen Balzano, Tuesday Dinner (Winner)
Christina Landrum, Thursday Dinner
Colin Lee, Friday Dinner
Randy Warshaw, Saturday Dinner
Will Wilkinson, Wednesday Dinner

BEST FOREIGN WAITER (OR/BC)
Gip Clark, Sunday Nights at Bar Centrale (Winner)
Mike Clark, Saturday Dinner at Orso
Tom Compton, Wednesday Dinner at Orso
James Rubio, Wednesday Dinner at Orso
Ron Sims, Friday Dinner at Orso

BEST FOREIGN WAITRESS (OR/BC)
Monique Alhaddad, Wednesday Nights at Bar Centrale
Tracy Barker, Sunday Dinner at Orso
Yvonne Edwardsen, Tuesday Nights at Bar Centrale
Cheryl Orsini, Tuesday Dinner at Orso
Kristen Timothy, Wednesday Dinner at Orso
Tessa Zugmeyer, Friday Dinner at Orso (Winner)

BEST FOREIGN BARTENDER (OR/BC)
Jeremey Chase, Friday Nights at Bar Centrale (Winner)
Josh Gough, Tuesday Dinner at Orso
Gina Masotto, Saturday Lunch at Orso
Paul O'Halloran, Thursday Nights at Bar Centrale
Stephen Tickner, Saturday Nights at Bar Centrale
Ron Ward, Tuesday Nights at Bar Centrale

BEST FOREIGN REGULAR CUSTOMER (OR/BC)
Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson
Randy Hartley & Roger McDonald
Dann Fink
Cherry Jones (Tie)
Lisa Lambert (Tie)
Rick Miramontez
Jesse Oxfeld
Zachary Quinto
Jordan Roth
David & Barbara Salz
Kate Weinstein

BEST FOREIGN MANAGER (OR/BC)
Kevin Albert, Saturday Dinner at Orso
Ryan Ghysels, Tuesday Dinner at Orso
Mary Hattman, Friday Nights at Bar Centrale
Sean Kent, Wednesday Lunch at Orso
Dana Mierlak, Sunday Dinner at Orso
Valerie Snow, Tuesday Nights at Bar Centrale (Winner)

BEST FOREIGN MAITRE D (Door Shift - OR/BC)
Joel Bisonette, Saturday Dinner at Orso
Glenn English, Wednesday Dinner at Orso
Erin Mailath, Thursday Nights at Bar Centrale (Winner)
Kevin Stevens, Friday Dinner at Orso

BEST FOREIGN COAT CHECK (OR/BC)
Maria Cullati, Friday Dinner at Orso
Nicola Iervasi, Thursday Dinner at Orso
Kilty Reidy, Wednesday Nights at Bar Centrale (Winner)
Joe Torello, Sunday Lunch at Orso
Lem Wade, Thursday Nights at Bar Centrale

BEST REGULAR FROM OUT OF TOWN (JA/OR/BC)
Brian Hampton & Keith Huckabay (Winner)
John Glover
Bradley K. Jackson
Larry Schafer (with special appearances by: Doug & John)
Eileen Small

BEST RETURNING SERVER (JA/OR/BC)
Gip Clark, Bar Centrale
Ryan Ghysels, Orso
Paul O'Halloran, Bar Centrale
Jesse Robinson, Joe Allen (Winner)
Erin Sullivan, Joe Allen

THE VIVIENNE MITTENZWEI HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Rich Moyle
For founding and administrating the Joe Allen Fantasy Football League (JAFFL); an annual event for the staff that promotes camaraderie, rivalry and fantasy (the three main tenets on which our beloved JAAAB was founded). In addition, Moyle stepped for in 2013, more than any other scheduled bartender, to cover Kevin Skinner's bar shifts while Skinner recuperated from major knee surgery.

Cheryl Orsini & James Rubio
For providing consistently outstanding baked goods on a semi-regular basis to needy Orso staff members.

THE FREDDIE LUGO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Joseph C. Allen

THE LILY PALMER BLESS HER HEART AWARD
Tom Compton (Orso)
Sean Kent (Orso)

THE JESSE ROBINSON HONORARY MEAN GIRL AWARD
Mary "The Queen Bitch of Broadway" Hattman (Bar Centrale)
Paul O'Halloran (Bar Centrale)

THE JOE ALLEN SPORTS NETWORK MVP AWARD
Sarah Osterberger Springer
Team: "The `Ain'ts"

THE PRESIDENTIAL VANGUARD AWARD

Colin Snow, Former Academy President
For stepping forward to lead the Academy out of its darkest days and instituting the JAAAB's new Board of Governors to ensure that such neglectful leadership may never plague our fair organization again. In addition, President Snow also bravely implemented the tradition of presenting the Academy's Awards of Merit at a live, formal ceremony open to (and in honor of) all its members.

David Bruson
For his generous and unsolicited contributions to the publicity and production of the 2014 Joey Awards ceremony.

For all information and latest news, visit the official JAAAB website at www.jaaab.org

ABOUT THE JOEY AWARDS: The Joe Allen Academy Of Arts & Bitching (JAAAB) is an honorary organization dedicated to celebrating the unique camaraderie among the staff and patrons of the historic New York City theater district eatery known as Joe Allen Restaurant (Est. 1965) as well as its two sister restaurants Orso (est. 1983) and Bar Centrale (est 2005).

JAAAB® was founded in 2010 by a Joe Allen Restaurant coat check (and failed musical theater writer) Joe Major.

Fueled by sheer boredom and an obsession with Oscar trivia, Major aimed to create, like Hollywood, a system for his colleagues to pat themselves on the back with equally meaningless awards of industry merit.

Major also began publishing an online newsletter called "Orso Foreign Press Association®" (OFPA) in which he roasts the honorees with A-List celebrity tabloid attention. This creates the illusion of rivalries among the nominees in order to heighten anticipation for the impending ceremony. It also provides a rather snarky yin to the cheesy yang of handing out awards of excellence for no legitimate reason.

The Academy's general policies are overseen by an acting President as well as a Board of Governors, which includes representatives from each of the three affiliated establishments.

Membership is open to the general public, any and all patrons, and front-of-house staff members (past and present) of Joe Allen Restaurant and/or any of its subsidiaries.

The Academy is most known for its annual bestowal of such Awards of Merit, informally known as "The Joeys®".

Pictured: Jim Caruso, Lisa Lambert, John West, David Bruson. Photo by Scott Gries.