The 4th Annual 8it Awards Honor NYC’S Top Pop-Up Chefs
8it Award Trophies
8it is NYC’s app for food pop-ups, limited drops and trusted chef recommendations
NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, January 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 8it, NYC’s app for food pop-ups, limited drops and trusted chef recommendations kicked off 2026 with the 4th annual 8it Awards ceremony. The evening honored and celebrated the hardest working individuals in NYC's most unrecognized part of the culinary industry: pop-up chefs.
Hosted at Drai’s Supper Club, awards were given out in categories including, Best New Pop-up, Collab of the Year, Drop of the Year, among others. The full list of winners is included below. “The 8it Awards exist to spotlight the chefs shaping New York’s pop-up culture long before it reaches the mainstream. These are cooks working across borrowed kitchens, late nights, and tight margins, building real followings through consistency and hustle. Our job is to make that work visible and to make finding great food in NYC simpler for everyone.” said Steve Raggiani, CEO of 8it.
Unlike traditional industry awards, 8it Award nominees were submitted by the public through open online submissions, reflecting what diners, cooks, and operators actually paid attention to this year. From there, finalists and winners were selected by an expert panel of judges spanning food media, prior 8it Award winners, chefs, operators, and deeply plugged-in eaters; people who understand the scene because they’re actively part of it.
Event Highlights:
Date and Time: Monday, January 26, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 1:30 AM
Location: Drai’s Supper Club
Attendees: Invite-only; NYC F&B industry tastemakers were in attendance
Nominees & winners were treated to a Thai feast served by the featured Chef Oak of Kam Rai Thai, with a specialty cocktail program by Pop-Uplifter Nominee Lise & Vito. Following the award ceremony, guests were welcomed by a party of more industry friends downstairs with a stacked DJ lineup of Amores, Ultra Violet, That Girl Né, DJ Matthew Law and SMURFOUDIRTY, as well as a late-night food drop by Poppin’ Off nominee, Nishaan.
Photos of the evening shot by BFA live here
Photo credits can be given to Dante Crichlow from BFA.
4th Annual 8it Awards Winners:
Best New Pop-Up: M’Maht — Pauline Buth
Hustler of the Year: DM Dinners — Dan Mollitor
Most Consistently Delicious: Piscator — Mason Acevedo
Collab of the Year: Jerk Chicken Patacon by CMarty’s Jerk x Titi’s Empanadas
Drop of the Year: Knafeh Pancake by Hen House — Tony Nassif
Poppin’ Off (Pop-Up Gone Brick & Mortar): Bong — Chakriya Un & Alexander Chaparro
Best Pastry Pop-Up: Loser’s Eating House — Lizzy Koury
Pop-Up Lifter (Best Pop-Up Venue): Lise & Vito — Brittany Myrick
Best of the Fests: BagelFest — Sam Silverman
Best Pop-Up Marketing: CMarty’s Jerk — Christopher Martin
Family Meal of the Year (8it’s Industry Event Series): Carmen Miranda
People’s Choice Award: Papi Tropical — Tamarindo
Dishwasher of the Year: Juan Lopez – Bar Americano & Arroces
Each winner took home a HULKEN Rolling Tote filled with premium goods from brand partners supporting NYC’s underground food culture, including Campari Group, San Pellegrino, Partanna, Hotplate, Mike’s Hot Honey, Rovagnati, Prisinzano Products, Broc Cellars, and more.
About 8it: 8it is NYC’s go-to source for food pop-ups, new dish drops and trusted industry recommendations. The 8it app aggregates the top recommended dishes in and around NYC from trusted industry sources, chefs, food writers and industry tastemakers, helping everyone stay hungry, but never hangry.
For more information about the awards & the 8it app, media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
McKenzie Raggiani
Co-Founder & Head of Operations, 8it
mac@8it.world
McKenzie Raggiani
8it, Inc.
email us here
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