Chicago's Frontera Grill won Outstanding Restaurant of the Year and Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle in Washington, D.C. was named Outstanding Chef at the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony. Hosted by CBS Early Show anchor Hannah Storm, the Beard Awards were held May 7 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York's Lincoln Center. More than 60 awards were presented by the country's pre-eminent nonprofit culinary organization, in its 20th anniversary celebration, and more than 1,600 industry leaders attended the ceremony. Other top awards went to: New York's L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, named Best New Restaurant; Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca.) received the award for Outstanding Restaurateur; and David Chang (Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York) received the Rising Star Chef of the Year award. Celebrity and culinary superstar attendees included Stephanie March, Ted Allen, Katie Lee Joel, Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Jose Andres, Tom Colicchio, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Padma Lakshmi, and Marcus Samuelsson. The Foundation's Media Awards took place at a separate event at the Hudson Theatre at Millennium Broadway Hotel on May 6. All Award winners received a bronze medallion etched with the image of the late James Beard, the esteemed chef, cookbook author, and food journalist. There are no cash awards. Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognizes outstanding achievement within the fine food and beverage industry in North America. For full awards results, please visit http://www.jamesbeard.org.
Beard Award highlights are:
AMERICA'S CLASSICS: Primanti Brothers, Demetrios Patrinos, Pittsburgh, Pa.; The Pickwick, Christopher Wisocki, Duluth, Minn.; Doe's Eat Place, The Signa Family, Greenville, Miss.; Aunt Carrie's, Elsie Foy, Narragansett, R.I.; I
Brookville Hotel, Mark and Connie Martin, Abilene, Kan.; Weaver D's, Dexter Weaver, Athens, Ga.
BEST CHEF, GREAT LAKES: Grant Achatz, Alinea, Chicago
BEST CHEF, MID-ATLANTIC: R.J. Cooper, III, Vidalia, Washington, DC
BEST CHEF, MIDWEST: Celina Tio, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.
BEST CHEF, NEW YORK CITY: David Waltuck, Chanterelle, New York, NY
BEST CHEF, NORTHEAST: Frank McClelland, L'Espalier, Boston
BEST CHEF, NORTHWEST: John Sundstrom, Lark, Seattle
BEST CHEF, PACIFIC: Traci Des Jardins, Jardinière, San Francisco
BEST CHEF, SOUTH: Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans
BEST CHEF, SOUTHEAST: Scott Peacock, Watershed, Decatur, Ga.
BEST CHEF, SOUTHWEST: Nobuo Fukuda, Sea Saw, Scottsdale, Ariz.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Chef-Owner: Joël Robuchon, New York, NY
OUTSTANDING CHEF: Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC
OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF: Michael Laskonis, Le Bernardin, New York, NY
OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT: Frontera Grill, chef-owner: Rick and Deann Bayless, Chicago
OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman, Tru, Chicago
OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL: Paul Draper, Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, Calif.
OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE: Mark Slater, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC
RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR: David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York, NY
IN THE NEWS: USA Today's May 4 story on the ethical eating movement -- which is driven by customers who seek out food that is produced locally, organically and in a manner that has minimal effect on animals and the environment -- includes mention of these restaurants: Red Avocado, Iowa City, Iowa; T'afia, Houston; Sage's Cafe, Salt Lake City; Early Girl Eatery, Asheville, N.C.; Chez Panisse, Berkeley, Calif.; Restaurant Nora, Washington, D.C. ... Orlando-based Darden Restaurants shut down more than 50 of its Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill locations across the country on May 5 and said it will sell the remaining 73, The Orlando Sentinel reported. The closings include a Houston-area store in Willowbrook ... Houston Chronicle Alison Cook reviews: Nidda Thai Cuisine, 1226 Westheimer; and Riverside Terrace Café, 2515 Riverside. ... Houston Press critic Robb Walsh considers the Mexican restaurant Armandos, 2630 Westheimer, while Paul Galvani spotlights the pork chop at Lucio's, 905 Taft. ... H Texas magazine reviews: Piatto Ristorante, 4925 W. Alabama and 11693 Westheimer; and Cafe Red Onion, 3910 Kirby. ... The Blog Food in Houston looks at Laurenzo's 1308 Cantina, the restaurant formerly called Sabor. ... Houston Business Journal reports Baker Bros American Deli is planning to open 10 locations in the Houston area over the next five years. Meanwhile, the Journal's mystery dining critic HBJ Gourmet picks Glass Wall and Chez Georges as new favorites.
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