2011 James Beard Award Winners Announced

Coveted James Beard Award Winners

Winners were announced at a gala on May 9, 2011 at Avery Fisher Hall Lincoln Center, New York City, NY.  It is estimated that over 2,000 were in attendance. This year’s theme was “The Ultimate Melting Pot.” The award winners, and many of their website links, in each category are listed below.

Awards were also presented for Book, Broadcast & Journalism on May 6, 2011 at a special invitation only dinner at Espace in New York City, NY. These awards are also listed below.

The following are the award categories and nominees for all categories (award category descriptions are per the James Beard Foundation):

 RESTAURANTS AND CHEFS AWARDS

Outstanding Restaurateur
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.

Chicago, IL: Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, (Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, Eiffel Tower, Everest, L2O, Mon Ami Gabi, Shaw’s Crab House, Tru, Wow Bao, and others)

Outstanding Chef
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Eligible candidates must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

Washington, D.C.: José Andrés, minibar by José Andrés

Outstanding Restaurant
A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard bearer of consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere and service. Eligible restaurants must have been in operation 10 or more consecutive years. The owner of the restaurant receives the award.

New York City, NY: Eleven Madison Park

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 impact on the industry in years to come.

Portland, OR: Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon
 

Best New Restaurant
A restaurant opened in the calendar year before the award will be given that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service, and that is likely to make a significant impact in years to come. The owner of the restaurant receives the award.

New York City, NY: ABC Kitchen, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez
 
Outstanding Pastry Chef
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads, and who serves as a national standard bearer of excellence.

New York City, NY: Angela Pinkerton, Eleven Madison Park 

Outstanding Service
A restaurant in operation five or more years that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. The owner of the restaurant receives the award.

New York City, NY: Per Se 
 

Outstanding Wines & Spirits Professional

A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has made a significant national impact on the wines and spirits industry.

Louisville, KY: Julian Van Winkle III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
 

Outstanding Wine Service
A restaurant in operation five or more years that serves as a standard bearer for excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine. The sommelier or wine director receives the award.

New York City, NY: The Modern, Belinda Chang
 

Best Chefs (10 Regions)
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Eligible candidates may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as a chef for at least five years with the three most recent years spent in the region.

The Regions

1. Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Alex Young, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI

2. Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia

3. Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery, Minneapolis, MN

4. New York City (can include the five boroughs)

Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune

5. Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT)

Tony Maws, Craigie On Main, Cambridge, MA

6. Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Andy Ricker, Pok Pok, Portland, OR

7. Pacific (CA, HI)

Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA

8. South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)

Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon, New Orleans, LA

9. Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC

10. Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)

Saipin Chutima, Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas, NV
Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin, TX
 

America’s Classics
A restaurant with timeless appeal, beloved in its region for quality food that reflects the character of its community. The establishment must have been in existence at least 10 years and be locally owned; preferably it is also informal and moderately priced.

The five winners are:

Chef Vola’s: 111 South Albion Place, Atlantic City – Owners: Louise Esposito, Michael Esposito, Michael Esposito Jr., Louis Esposito

Watts Tea Shop: 761 N. Jefferson Street, Milwaukee, WI -  President and CEO: Sam Watts

Le Veau d’Or: 129 East 60th Street, New York, NY – Owner: Robert Tréboux

Noriega Restaurant and Hotel: 525 Sumner St., Bakersfield, CA – Owner: Linda Elizalde McCoy and Rochelle Ladd

Crook’s Corner: 610 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC – Owner: Gene Hamer

Journalism Awards 

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

 Recognizes a single article of exceptional literary merit pertaining to food and/or drink published in any medium.

Jonathan Gold (LA Weekly) for “A Movable Beast”

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award

Recognizes discerning criticism of enduring value which contributes to the larger discourse on cuisine or restaurants. An entry consists of three restaurant reviews or critiques published in any medium, attached as one entry.

Patric Kuh (Los Angeles) for “Animal Magnetism,” “Making Their Move,” “Time for Redo”

Food Section of a General Interest Publication

Recognizes excellence in food writing, reporting, and packaging of a regularly-published food section in a non food focused publication. Entries may be from any medium and consist of three complete examples of the full section.

Jon Bonne and Miriam Morgan, San Francisco Chronicle

Food-related Feature

Recognizes excellence in a single food- or drink- related article published in any medium that demonstrates enterprise, curiosity, and rigor.

Dan Koeppel for Saveur “Fruit of the Future”

Personal Essay

Recognizes excellence in a first-person essay on any food or drink related topic, published in any medium. An entry consists of one eloquent essay that demonstrates a unique voice, perceptiveness and style.

 Tom Junod for Esquire, “My Mom Couldn’t Cook”

Humor

Recognizes a single piece of written and/or visual food- or drink-related satire, parody, or other form of humor, published in any medium.

@ruthbourdain, Twitter.com

Cooking, Recipes, or Instruction

Recognizes excellence and innovation in food service journalism. It honors originality and seeks fresh approaches—both written and visual—to make cooking methods, ingredient knowledge, and recipes accessible to a wide audience. An entry consists of three pieces published in any medium.

Amy Thielen for Minneapolis Star Tribune “A Good Catch,”Low-Tech Wonder,”From the Bean Patch: Plenty”

Profile

Recognizes a dramatic presentation that brings to life the world of a chef, restaurateur, grower, producer, or other figure or group of significance to food or drink, published in any medium.

Benjamin Wallace for New York, “The Restaurant Auteur”

Food Culture and Travel

Recognizes the importance of place, culture, and history in food journalism. An entry consists of a single piece, or series of related pieces or posts, published in any medium, that makes the connection of food to a community or location.

Rick Bragg, Francine Maroukian and Robb Walsh for Garden and Gun, “The Southerner’s Guide to Oysters”

Environment, Food Politics, and Policy

Recognizes excellence in investigative reporting, analysis, or other public service journalism on environmental, political, or policy-related issues regarding food or drink, published in any medium. An entry  consists of a single piece or a series of related pieces or posts.

Carl Safina for Eating Well “Sea Change”

Health and Nutrition

Recognizes enlightening journalism on food- or drink-related health or nutrition topics published in any medium. An entry consists of one definitive article or series of thematically-related pieces or posts.

Rachael Moeller Gorman of EatingWell for “Captain of the Happier Meal”

Food-related Columns and Commentary

Recognizes the work of an individual that demonstrates thought-provoking opinion and a compelling style. An entry consists of three examples, regularly published in any medium.

Tim Carman of the Washington City Paper for “Ignore the Pizza Police,” “Supply and Da Men,” “Schmeer Campaign”

Wine and Spirits

Recognizes distinctive style and innovative approach. An entry consists of a single article on wine, spirits, or other alcohol beverages, published in any medium.

Jon Fine of Food and Wine, ” Natural Wine: Weird or Wonderful”

Multimedia Food Feature

Recognizes excellence and innovation in storytelling or communication. Entries consist of an integrated package of one piece, or a series of up to three pieces, on food-or-drink-related topic which integrates multiple tools (such as video, audio, narrative, links, social media), published in any medium which allows for these tools.

Michael Gerbert and Julia Thiel of the Chicago Reader, Key Ingredient

Individual Food Blog

Recognizes individual enterprise and excellence in a single food or drink-related blog that is the product of one primary voice, or a small group of regular contributors. An entry consists of three days, weeks, or threads of posts, whichever best represents the publishing schedule of the work.

Politics of the Plate, politicsoftheplate.com, Barry Estabrook

Group Food Blog

Recognizes individual enterprise and excellence in a single food or drink-related blog that is the product of a group of regular contributors. An entry consists of three days, weeks, or threads of posts, whichever best represents the publishing schedule of the work.

Grub Street New York, Newyork.grubstreet.com, Daniel Mauer, Jenny Miller, and Alan Sytsma

Publication of the Year

Recognizes excellence in one magazine, newspaper, or website. It is awarded by the Journalism Committee of the James Beard Foundation and is based on nominations presented to them by the full roster of Journalism judges and by former James Beard Journalism Award winners.

Edible Communities Publications

Books

American Cooking

Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas (John Wiley & Sons)

Baking and Dessert

Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce (Stewart, Talbori & Chang)

General Cooking

The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century by Amanda Hesser (W.W. Norton & Co)

Beverage

Secrets of Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like Your World’s Top Wine Professionals by Jordan Mackay and Rejat Parr (Ten Speed Press)

Cooking from a Professional Point of View

Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by Rene Redzepi (Phaidon Press)

Healthy Focus

The Simple Art of EatingWell Cookbook by Jessie Price and the EatingWell Test Kitchen (The Countryman Press)

International

Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories by Grace Young (Simon and Schuster)

Writing and Literature

Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg (The Penguin Press)

Photography

Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine, Photographer: Ditte Isager (Phaidon Press)

Single Subject

Meat: A Kitchen Education by James Peterson (Ten Speed Press) 

Reference and Scholarship

Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes by Mark Bitterman (Ten Speed Press)

Cookbook Hall of Fame

On Food and Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
 

Cookbook of the Year

Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy by Diana Kennedy

Broadcast Media

Television Program - On Location: Avec Eric, Justin Barocas, Heather Brown, and Geoffrey Drummond

Television Program – In Studio or Fixed Location: Top Chef: Season 7

Television Segment: 60 Min: “Chef Jose Andres,” by Bill Owens and Kara Vaccaro

Television Special or Documentary: Milk War by Declan O’Driscoll and Kevin O’Keefe

TV Food Personality: Alton Brown, Good Eats on the Food Network

Radio Show or Audio Webcast: CBC Ideas “Pasta: The Long and Short of It,” by Megan Williams

Video Webcast:  Grape Radio by Jay Selman

Design and Graphics

Outstanding Restaurant Design

Project: Bar Agricole, San Francisco, CA. Design Firm: Aidlin Darling Design, Designers: Joshua Aidlin, Roslyn Cole, and David Darling

Outstanding Restaurant Graphics

Project: The National Bar and Dining Room, NYC, NY. Design Firm: Love and War, Designers: Katie Tully

Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America

Lee Jones, Farmer/Owner, Chef’s Garden in Huron, OH

Jonathan Gold, Writer for LA Weekly

Charles Phan, Chef/Owner, Slanted Door, San Francisco

Frank Stitt, Chef/Owner of Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, AL

Nick Valenti, CEO, Patina Restaurant Group, NYC

Lifetime Achievement

This award is indeed an honor. It is an achievement that few people in this industry attain. Why? Being special has something to do with it, but more importantly it means that you have spent a great deal of your time trying to reach a goal of perfection.

The winner of this award is Kevin Zraly. A wine educator and author of the book, “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course” and a former James Beard Award winner. Congratulations to Kevin Zraly.

Humanitarian of the Year

A new spin on culinary training and job placement in the food industry.

The winner of this award is FareStart. A Seattle, Washington organization that trains homeless and the disadvantaged for careers in the culinary industry. I say good going and well deserved!

To all the final winners, you have all achieved a great accomplishment. Congratulations!

Cheers then Enjoy!

All links on this page are from third party sites and these links are subject to change, downtime, URL changes, etc.