People are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to food. Given how consistently Seven Days readers rate certain restaurants, it’s a wonder any new ones bother to open. But, happily, they do, because we’re a curious — and frequently hungry — species, too.

Enduring establishments include five-time winners Penny Cluse and River Run (Breakfast); Nectar’s (Late-night Food); Stone Soup (Vegetarian); Mirabelles (Bakery); and City Market (Natural Foods). In Chittenden County, A Single Pebble has been hard to beat for dinner, while beyond the county line, Sarducci’s in Montpelier has slipped ahead of Vergennes’ Black Sheep Bistro. (Sarducci’s also won Best Lunch this year, perhaps because former fave Eat Good Food, also of Vergennes, no longer exists.) Is it that Hansel-and-Gretel-sized wood-fired oven?

Works for American Flatbread, which for the past three years — since the Burlington restaurant opened — has dominated the crowded pizza field. Seven Days readers can’t seem to get enough of that thin crust and those tantalizing toppings.

Speaking of thin, that describes the margin between Street Eats winner Hong’s Dumplings and runner-up The Skinny Pancake, both served from carts on the Church Street Marketplace. First-timer Tiny Thai of Winooski squeaked past New World Tortilla for Takeout triumph.

“Landslide” winners include the Vermont Pub & Brewery (Brew Pub), Magic Hat (Vermont-made Beer), Muddy Waters (Coffeehouse) and Cheese Traders — the Williston Road shop is a first-time winner for “wine seller.” And by the way, those of you still voting for Wine Works need to know that it changed hands two years ago. Now the Burlington Wine Shop, the St. Paul Street retailer slipped to runner-up for the first time.

It’s hard to avoid Chittenden County due to the population advantage, but when it comes to après-ski, Burlington is not even on the radar. The Shed is. It has come out slightly ahead of The Matterhorn four years out of five. Stowe itself is a perennial winner, but that’s another category . . .