Who Will Be the Eater of the Year?

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to start thinking about our next favorite end-of-year ritual: The Second Annual Endless Simmer Eater of the Year Awards!!!

Last year, Tony Bourdain was crowned the inaugural Eater of the Year, beating out such luminaries as hot dog eating champ Joey Chestnut, amuse bouche eating champ Padma Lakshmi, Chocolate Jesus, Al Gore, and the Locavore Four.

But which eater made the most impact in 2008? Is Bourdain primed for a repeat? Was this the year Michael Pollan ruled them all? Or should it be Sarah Palin and her moose meat? Duffy Lyon and her cow sculptures? Will 2007 runner-up Joey Chestnut rise to the top? Or will long underexposed chef Rachael Ray finally get her due?

The only thing we know for sure is that it’s all up up to you. Once again, Endless Simmer readers will get to choose who deserves this highly coveted title. But first, we need to figure out the nominees. Have ideas? Hit us up in the comments. Finalists will be announced next week.