Best Chocolate and Best Truffles
Godiva is the winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award in the best chocolate and best truffle categories.

Of all the names associated with fine chocolate, there are few as iconic as Godiva. Founded in 1926 by Joseph Draps, the Belgian company has since blossomed into one of the world's most celebrated chocolatiers. Today there are over 450 Godiva stores in 80 countries around the globe.

Though Godiva is famous for its truffles, the chocolatier also produces a wide range of fine chocolate candy. Delectable offerings include milk chocolate pretzels ($22 per can), caramel pecan bark ($25 per tin) and chocolate bars ranging from white chocolate to almond to raspberry ($70 per 24-piece box). Unlike the original Lady Godiva, all sweets come wrapped in gold foil packaging. Godiva's chocolates can be ordered at its online store.

Best Cupcake
Los Angeles, Ca.-based Sprinkles is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Cupcake.

Sprinkles is a favorite of Hollywood stars from Tyra Banks, Russell Crowe and Paris Hilton to Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey and Teri Hatcher, all of who proclaim love for the sumptuous treats.

Sprinkles offers more than 20 tantalizing flavors (15 or so of which are on sale on any given day), from simple vanilla to creative chai latte. Topped with Sprinkles' trademark modern dots, rich chocolate sprinkles from France or seasonal sugar decorations, Sprinkles Cupcakes are perfect for occasions of any kind.

Sprinkles also offers signature cupcake mixes in red velvet, vanilla, dark chocolate and lemon. The mixes are made from the same high quality ingredients used in Sprinkles bakeries and are complete with Sprinkle's trademark modern dots. In addition to Sprinkles shops, the mixes are sold at Williams-Sonoma's 250 stores nationwide and in Canada.

Its original store is two blocks west of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, but today, Sprinkles has six additional locations in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Newport Beach, Scottsdale and Palo Alto. More locations will be opening soon in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Kansas City, London, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.

Best Cookie
Tate's Bake Shop is the winner of a Luxist Readers' Choice Award in the Best Cookie category.

This award will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever tasted the signature cookie of one of the country's leading independent bakers.

The company was founded by Kathleen King, who has been baking professionally since she was eleven. Born and raised on North Sea Farms in Southampton, she started to baking cookies to earn spending money. Packaged simply at first, Kings' cookies came in plastic bags with twist ties.

Twenty eight years later, King is still baking and her award-winning cookies are made fresh daily with no artificial ingredients. Her signature cookie style is thin, buttery and crisp (the chocolate chip cookies continue to be a favorite), but Tate's also makes chewy varieties as well as coffee cakes, fruit bars, muffins, pies, scones and breads. Many of King's recipes have been published in her book: Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook (St Martin Press, $24.95). The book catalogues King's no nonsense approach to cooking which has made her a favorite among bakers-from amateurs to pros.

Tate's Bake Shop is named after King's father who still operates the North Sea Farm where she was raised. Her cookies, muffins, and cakes are sold throughout the United States as well as by mail order. Be sure to check out the site, as King shares a new recipe monthly on her website with friends and fans.

Click here to view the list of all the Readers' Choice nominees in each of these categories.