New York Wins Every Single James Beard Award!

Last night at its annual awards banquet, the James Beard Foundation announced it was dispensing with all future categories and henceforth, would be condensing its awards to a single, three foot, rotund statuette of its founding father, and would collectively award it each and every year to every New York City restaurateur, chef, writer, broadcaster and editor in the New York food media — so that they could all, continually, bask in its brilliance and career-enhancing powers.

David Chang (winner for Momofuku Ko as Best New Restaurant — a place that seats 12 customers a night and no one can get into) summed up the feelings of his fellow New Yorkers thusly: “This will save the Foundation a shitload of money and time and aggravation in having to count all those votes and consider all those unworthy nominees out in the boondocks — when everyone knows one of us is going to win anyway.”

Hosted by the beefy Emeril Lagasse, the diminutive Cat Cora, and the balding Stanley Tucci, (after plans had been nixed to exhume the corpse of Craig Claiborne to do the honors), the Lincoln Center gala banquet was attended by luminaries throughout the food world — almost all of whom went home empty handed.

In keeping with its tradition, the JBF spokesperson Seymour Britchky summed up the mood of the evening in his closing remarks: “We considered all the little people out there, but realized that we’re the best, and just wanted to keep reminding the food world of that fact.”

Plans are underway to see if next year, there’s a way to modify all of the regional prizes as well — so as to award all of them to New York City restaurateurs, chefs, writers, etc., because, in the words of JBF flack Sidney Falco: “…(E)ven chefs in Atlanta and Seattle recognize that we do their food better than they do.”

A complete list of winners is available after the jump, and CONGRATULATIONS PAUL BARTOLOTTA!

WINNERS
2009 James Beard Foundation Book Awards
Presented by Green & Black’s® Organic Chocolate
For cookbooks published in English in 2008

Cookbook of the Year

Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient,
with Recipes
Author: Jennifer McLagan
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Editor: Clancy Drake
Price: $32.50
Cookbook Hall of Fame

Jane Grigson for her entire body of work, including:
The Art of Charcuterie, Good Things, Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book, The Mushroom Feast, & English Food
Category: American Cooking

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook
Author: Martha Hall Foose
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Editor: Rica Allannic
Price: $32.50

Category: Baking and Dessert

Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking
Author: Shirley O. Corriher
Publisher: Scribner
Editor: Beth Wareham
Price: $40.00
Category: Beverage

WineWise: Your Complete Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Enjoying Wine
Authors: Steven Kolpan, Brian H. Smith, Michael A. Weiss, The Culinary Institute of America
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Editor: Pamela Chirls
Price: $29.95
Category: Cooking from a Professional Point of View

Alinea
Author: Grant Achatz
Publisher: Achatz LLC/Ten Speed Press
Editors: Nick Kokonas, Aaron Wehner
Price: $50.00

Category: General Cooking

How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition)
Author: Mark Bittman
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Editor: Linda Ingroia
Price: $35.00
Category: Healthy Focus

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life
Author: Ellie Krieger
Publisher: The Taunton Press, Inc.
Editor: Pamela Hoenig
Price: $28.00
Category: International

Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China
Authors: Jeffrey Alford, Naomi Duguid
Publisher: Artisan
Editor: Ann Bramson
Price: $40.00

Category: Reference and Scholarship

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs
Authors: Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Editor: Michael Sand
Price: $35.00
Category: Single Subject

Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient,
with Recipes
Author: Jennifer McLagan
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Editor: Clancy Drake
Price: $32.50
Category: Writing and Literature

In Defense of Food
Author: Michael Pollan
Publisher: The Penguin Press
Editor: Ann Godoff
Price: $21.95

Category: Photography

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook
Photographer: Dominic Davies
Artist: Dave McKean
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Editor: Nick Trautwein
Price: $250.00

WINNERS
2009 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards
For articles published in 2008

Category: MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

Aleksandra Crapanzano
Gourmet
“Benedictions”
09/08
Category: Multimedia Writing
on Food

Ruth Reichl
Gourmet.com
“The Test Kitchen”
Category: Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant,
or Nutrition

Epicurious.com
Tanya Steel

Category: Food Related Columns

Corby Kummer
The Atlantic
“A Papaya Grows in Holyoke”; “Beyond the McIntosh”; “Half a Loaf”
04/08, 05/08, 10/08
Category: Reporting on Nutrition or Consumer Issues

Rachael Moeller Gorman
EatingWell
“How to Feed Your Mind”
09/10/08
Category: Restaurant Reviews

Adam Platt
New York Magazine
“Faux French”; “The Mario of Midtown”; “Corton on Hudson”
07/14/08, 09/15/08, 11/24/08

Category: Newspaper Feature Writing With Recipes

Rebekah Denn
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“High on the Hairy Hogs: Super-Succulent Imports are Everything U.S. Pork Isn’t”
04/09/08
Category: Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes

Kristen Hinman
Riverfront Times
“The Pope of Pork”
11/27/08
Category: Writing on Spirits, Wine, or Beer

Alan Richman
GQ
“Viva La Revolucion!”
09/08

Category: Magazine Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs

Ruth Reichl
Gourmet
“The Last Time I Saw Paris…”
09/08
Category: Magazine Feature Writing With Recipes

Edna Lewis
Gourmet
“What is Southern?” *
01/08
*Published Posthumously
Category: Magazine Feature Writing Without Recipes

Alan Richman
GQ
“Made (Better) in Japan”
03/08

Category: Newspaper Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs

Katy McLaughlin
The Wall Street Journal
“Sushi Bullies”
10/24/08
Category: Newspaper Food Section

The Washington Post
Joe Yonan
Category: Blog Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant,
or Nutrition

Erika Ehmsen, Elizabeth Jardina, Rick LaFrentz, Amy Machnak, Johanna Silver, Margaret Sloan,
Margo True
Our One-Block Diet
Oneblockdiet.sunset.com

WINNERS
2009 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards
Presented by Viking Range Corporation
For television, webcast, and radio programs aired in 2008

Category: Audio Webcast or Radio Show

WNYC, The Leonard Lopate Show:
3-Ingredient Challenge
Hosts: Leonard Lopate, Rozanne Gold
Area: New York City Metro, Online
Producer: Sarah English
Category: Video Webcast

Savoring the Best of World Flavors, Volume III: Vietnam and the Island
of Sicily
Host: Jonathan Coleman
Website: Ciaprochef.com/WCA3/
Producers: John Barkley, Kenneth Wilmoth, Greg Drescher, Steve Jilleba, Janet Fletcher
Category: Television Food Show, National or Local

Lidia’s Italy: Sweet Napoli
Host: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Network: PBS
Air Date: 04/08/08
Producers: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich,
Julia Harrison, Shelly Burgess Nicotra

Category: Television Food Segment, National or Local

CBS News Sunday Morning: In a Pinch
Host: Martha Teichner
Network: CBS
Air Date: 10/26/08
Producers: Jon Carras, David Small

WINNERS
2009 James Beard Foundation Design and Graphics Awards

Category: Outstanding Restaurant Design
For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2006

Design Firm:
Design Bureaux, Inc.
Designer:
Thomas Schlesser
2 King Street, 7E
New York, NY 10012
212.414.3171

For Project:
The Publican
837 West Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
312-733-9555

Category: Outstanding Restaurant Graphics
For the best restaurant graphics executed in North America since January 1, 2006

Design Firm:
Korn Design
Art Direction: Denise Korn, Javier Cortés and Bryant Ross
116 Saint Botolph Street
Boston, MA 02115
617-266-8112

For Project:
The Corner Office
1401 Curtis Street
Denver, CO 80202
303-825-6500

WINNERS
2009 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards
For restaurants opened in 2008

Category: outstanding restaurateur award
A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past 10 years.

Drew Nieporent
Myriad Restaurant Group
249 W. Broadway, #2E
New York, NY 10013
212-219-9500
Category: outstanding chef award Presented by All-Clad metalcrafters
The working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Must have been a working chef for the past five years.

Dan Barber
Blue Hill
75 Washington Place
New York, NY 10011
212-539-1776
Category: outstanding restaurant award
The restaurant in the U.S. that serves as a national standard bearer of consistency of quality and excellence in food, atmosphere
and service. Restaurant must have been in operation for at least ten years.

Jean Georges
Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Owner: Phil Suarez
1 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023
212-299-3900

Category: best new restaurant presented by lexus
A restaurant opened in 2006 that already displays excellence in food, beverage and service, and is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.

Momofuku Ko
Chefs/Owners: David Chang and
Peter Serpico
163 1st Ave.
New York, NY 10003
http://momofuku.com/ko/
Category: rising star chef of the year
A chef, age 30 or younger, who displays an impressive talent, and who is likely to make a significant industry impact in years to come.

Nate Appleman
A16
2355 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
415-771-2216
Category: outstanding pastry chef award presented by All-clad metalcrafters
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries or breads, who serves as a national standard bearer of excellence.
Must have been a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Gina DePalma
Babbo
110 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10011
212-777-0303

Category: outstanding wine service award
A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, knowledgeable staff and efforts to educate customers about wine. Restaurant must have been in operation at least five years.

Le Bernardin
Wine Director: Aldo Sohm
155 W. 51st St.
New York, NY 10019
212-554-1515
Category: outstanding wine and spirits professional award presented by southern wine & spirits of New York
A winemaker, brewer or spirits professional who has made a significant national impact in the wine and spirits industry. Must have been in profession at least five years.

Dale DeGroff
Dale DeGroff Co.,
New York, NY
516-565-4981
Category: outstanding service award
PRESENTED BY STELLA ARTOIS
A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Must have been in operation for the past five years.

Daniel
Owner: Daniel Boulud
60 E. 65th St.
New York, NY 10065
212-288-0033

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA PRESENTED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Chefs may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been a working chef for the last five years. The three most recent years must have been spent in the region where chef is presently working.

Category: best chef: Great Lakes
(IL, IN, MI, OH)

Michael Symon
Lola
2058 E. 4th St.
Cleveland, OH 44115
216-621-5652
Category: best chef:
Mid-atlantic
(DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Jose Garces
Amada
217-219 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215- 625-2450
Category: best chef: Midwest
(IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Tim McKee
La Belle Vie
510 Groveland Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-874-6440

Category: best chef:
New York City
(FIVE BOROUGHS)

Gabriel Kreuther
The Modern
9 West 53rd St.
New York, NY 10019
212-333-1220
Category: best chef: Northeast
(CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)

Rob Evans
Hugo’s
88 Middle St.
Portland, ME 04101
207-774-8538
Category: best chef: northwest
(AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Maria Hines
Tilth
1411 N 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
206-633-0801

– more –
Category: best chef: Southwest
(AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)

Paul Bartolotta
Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-770-3305
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: SOUTH
(AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)

John Currence
City Grocery
152 Courthouse Square
Oxford, MS 38655
662-232-8080
CATEGORY: best chef: Southeast
(GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Mike Lata
Fig
232 Meeting St.
Charleston, SC 29401
843-805-5900

category: best chef: Pacific
(Ca, HI)

Douglas Keane
Cyrus
29 North St.
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-3311

Category: America’s Classics

Breitbach’s Country Dining
Owner: Mike Breitbach
563 Balltown Road
Sherrill, IA 52073
Totonno’s
Owner: Lawrence Cimineri
1524 Neptune Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-372-8606
Mustache Bill’s Diner
Owner: Bill Smith
8th and Broadway
Barnegat Light, NJ 08005
609-494-0155
Yank Sing
Owner: Vera Chan-Waller
101 Spear St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-957-9300
Arnold’s Country Kitchen
Owner: Jack and Rose Arnold
605 8th Ave. S.
Nashville, TN
615-256-4455

WINNERS

Category: Humanitarian of the Year
Feeding America

CATEGORY: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Ella Brennan

CATEGORY: WHO’S WHO OF FOOD & BEVERAGE IN AMERICA

David Burke
Chef/Entreprenuer, NYC
John T. Edge
Journalist, Director, Southern Foodways Alliance
Oxford, MS
Betty Fussell
Author, Culinary Historian, NYC
Dorothy Cann Hamilton
Founder, The French Culinary Institute, NYC
Clark Wolf
Clark Wolf Company, NYC

– ### –

4 thoughts on “New York Wins Every Single James Beard Award!

  1. I think in return every Las Vegas chef, hotel, restaurant should simply stop supporting the JBF . Think of the money to be saved by not flying to NY with chefs, food and drinks for zero reimbursement of all associated costs and expenses for the JBF house dinners. The only ones who benefit are the diners at JBF. The only ones who do not benefit in anyway are the hard working unrewarded talents of Las Vegas. And a question: since our chefs are never paid for the time and trouble flying to NYC where does all the money go thats charged for people to eat their incredible dinners ?

  2. Great piece ELV-your writing style is always most appreciated-and respected.

    Now I can’t resist giving one of Manny Pacquiao’s upper-cuts to the jaw of Falco, whom ELV cited above:

    “in the words of JBF flack Sidney Falco: “…(E)ven chefs in Atlanta and Seattle recognize that we do their food better than they do.”

    Reality check to Falco after you pick yourself up after the upper-cut. I’m a native of the Northwest. I spend 16 hours a day in Seattle. I love Seattle. And no, you don’t cook “our food” better than we do. We pluck a Dungeness Crab out of Elliot Bay and then we cook it for lunch. The same day. You eat our crabs the next day. Take that one for lunch!

  3. Pauls award was a long time coming. We at Great Chefs Television filmed
    him in Chicago years ago. Had dinner at his Vegas restaurant recently with
    Elizabeth Blau and it was awesome. Congrats Paul

  4. I don’t think boycotting is the answer – there just needs to be more clarity for the public as to how these awards are actually won. Maybe something akin to America’s Got Talent where they sit in front of a panel of three judges, cook a dish, and get a yes or no vote and move on?

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