Having pared down its list of semifinalists, the James Beard Foundation has announced this year’s final award nominees. Of note: Corton fails to get gets the nod for Best New Restaurant (Ko and Scarpetta will also represent New York), and Drew Nieporent is up for Best Restaurateur along with Keith McNally. No New Yorkers will be up for Rising Star chef this year (Ryan Skeen had made the long list), and in an ironic twist, Pichet Ong gets a nod just days after the closing of P*ong. The list of Best New York City Chefs consists mostly of seasoned veterans like Michael Anthony, Terrance Brennan and Wylie Dufresne. Here’s the entire rundown, with additional congrats to our own Adam Platt for his nomination in the Restaurant Review category, and also to Robin Raisfeld, Rob Patronite, and the other authors of “What Good Is Breakfast?”, nominated for a reporting award. Winners will be announced May 4.
Restaurant and Chef Awards
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 ten years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past ten years.
Tom Douglas
Tom Douglas Restaurants
Seattle
Keith McNally
Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Morandi, Pastis, Pravda, and Schiller’s Liquor Bar
NYC
Richard Melman
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Chicago
Drew Nieporent
Myriad Restaurant Group
NYC
Stephen Starr
Starr Restaurant Organization
Philadelphia
OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD
Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as chefs for at least the past five years.
José André
Minibar
Washington, D.C.
Dan Barber
Blue Hill
NYC
Tom Colicchio
Craft
NYC
Suzanne Goin
Lucques
Los Angeles
Paul Kahan
Blackbird
Chicago
OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD
A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least ten or more consecutive years.
Babbo
NYC
Chef/Owner: Mario Batali
Owner: Joe Bastianich
Boulevard
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes
Owner: Pat Kuleto
Fore Street
Portland, Maine
Chef/Owner: Sam Hayward
Owner: Victor Leon and Dana Street
Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, Ala.
Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt
Jean Georges
NYC
Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Owner: Phil Suarez
RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD
A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.
Nate Appleman
A16
San Francisco
Sean Brock
McCrady’s
Charleston, S.C.
Johnny Monis
Komi
Washington, D.C.
Gabriel Rucker
Le Pigeon
Portland, Ore.
Michael Solomonov
Zahav
Philadelphia
Sue Zemanick
Gautreau’s
New Orleans
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Presented by Lexus
A restaurant opened in 2008 that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service and is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.
The Bazaar by José Andrés at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
Los Angeles
Chef/Owner: José Andrés
Owners: Sam Narian and Philippe Starck
Corton
NYC
Chef/Owner: Paul Liebrandt
Owner: Drew Nieporent
L2O
Chicago
Chef: Laurent Gras
Owner: Richard Melman
Momofuku Ko
NYC
Chef/Owner: David Chang
Scarpetta
NYC
Chef/Owner: Scott Conant
OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD
Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads and who serves as a national standard-bearer for excellence. Candidates must have been pastry chefs or bakers for at least the past five years.
Gina DePalma
Babbo
NYC
Kamel Guechida
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas
Pichet Ong
P*ong
NYC
Nicole Plue
Redd
Yountville, Calif.
Mindy Segal
Mindy’s HotChocolate
Chicago
OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD
A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine. Candidates must have been in operation for at least five years.
Bin 36
Chicago
Wine Director: Brian Duncan
Blackberry Farm
Walland, Tenn.
Wine Director: Andy Chabot
Le Bernardin
NYC
Wine Director: Aldo Sohm
Patina
Los Angeles
Wine Director: Eric Espuny
Picasso at Bellagio
Las Vegas
Wine Director: Robert Smith
OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL AWARD
Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits
A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for at least five years.
Dale DeGroff
Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.
NYC
Merry Edwards
Merry Edwards Wines
Sebastopol, Calif.
Garrett Oliver
The Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn
John Shafer and Doug Shafer
Shafer Vineyards
Napa, Calif.
Julian P. Van Winkle, III
Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
Louisville, Ky.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
Presented by Stella Artois
A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least the past five years.
Daniel
NYC
Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow
Emeril’s New Orleans
New Orleans
Owner: Emeril Lagasse
La Grenouille
NYC
Owners: Charles Masson and Giséle Masson
Spiaggia
Chicago
Owner: Larry Levy
Vetri
Philadelphia
Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin
BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA
Presented by American Express
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Candidates must have been working as chefs in any type of dining establishment for at least the past five years. The three most recent years must have been spent in the region where the chef is presently working.
Best Chef: Pacific (Calif., Hawaii)
Jeremy Fox
Ubuntu
Napa, Calif.
Douglas Keane
Cyrus
Healdsburg, Calif.
Loretta Keller
Coco500
San Francisco
David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, Calif.
Daniel Patterson
Coi
San Francisco
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., Del., Md., N.J., Penn., Va.)
Cathal Armstrong
Restaurant Eve
Alexandria, Va.
Jose Garces
Amada
Philadelphia
Peter Pastan
Obelisk
Washington, D.C.
Maricel Presilla
Cucharamama
Hoboken, N.J.
Vikram Sunderam
Rasika
Washington, D.C.
Best Chef: Midwest (Iowa, Kan., Minn., Mo., Neb., N.D., S.D., Wis.)
Isaac Becker
112 Eatery
Minneapolis
Gerard Craft
Niche
St. Louis, Mo.
Colby Garrelts
Bluestem
Kansas City, Mo.
Tim McKee
La Belle Vie
Minneapolis
Alexander Roberts
Restaurant Alma
Minneapolis
Best Chef: Great Lakes (Ill., Ind., Mich., Ohio)
Koren Grieveson
Avec
Chicago
Arun Sampanthavivat
Arun’s
Chicago
Bruce Sherman
North Pond
Chicago
Michael Symon
Lola
Cleveland
Alex Young
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
Michael Anthony
Gramercy Tavern
Terrance Brennan
Picholine
Wylie Dufresne
WD-50
Gabrielle Hamilton
Prune
Gabriel Kreuther
The Modern
Best Chef: Northeast (Conn., Mass., Maine, N.H., N.Y. STATE, R.I., Vt.)
Rob Evans
Hugo’s
Portland, Maine
Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier
Arrows
Ogunquit, Maine
Michael Leviton
Lumiére
West Newton, Mass.
Tony Maws
Craigie on Main
Cambridge, Mass.
Marc Orfaly
Pigalle
Boston
Best Chef: Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Mont., Ore., Wash., Wyo.)
Maria Hines
Tilth
Seattle
Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez
The Harvest Vine
Seattle
Ethan Stowell
Union
Seattle
Cathy Whims
Nostrana
Portland, Ore.
Jason Wilson
Crush
Seattle
Best Chef: Southeast (Ga., Ky., N.C., S.C., Tenn., W.Va.)
Hugh Acheson
Five and Ten
Athens, Ga.
Linton Hopkins
Restaurant Eugene
Atlanta
Mike Lata
Fig
Charleston, S.C.
Bill Smith
Crook’s Corner
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Bob Waggoner
Charleston Grill
Charleston, S.C.
Best Chef: Southwest (Ariz., Colo., N.M., Nev., Okla., Tex., Utah)
Paul Bartolotta
Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas
Sharon Hage
York Street
Dallas
Ryan Hardy
Montagna at the Little Nell
Aspen, CO
Claude Le Tohic
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas
Andrew Weissman
Le Rêve
San Antonio
Best Chef: South (Ala., Ark., Fla., La., Miss.)
Zach Bell
Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court
Palm Beach, Fla.
John Currence
City Grocery
Oxford, Miss.
John Harris
Lilette
New Orleans
Douglas Rodriguez
Ola
Miami Beach, Fla.
Michael Schwartz
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Miami
Correction: An earlier version of the Beard website left Corton off the list of Best New Restaurant nominees, but it is in fact a finalist.
