The film industry has the Oscars, the music industry has the Grammy Awards. If you're a chef or restaurateur, you want a James Beard Award medal around your neck.
Since 1990, the not-for-profit James Beard Foundation named after "the father of American cuisine," has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry.
There is no cash reward, but a win – or even a nomination – can substantially increase the buzz for business, according to foundation President Susan Ungaro.
Tuesday morning, the nominees for Journalism, Broadcast, Books, Chefs and Restaurants were announced at Publican restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. We are thrilled to note that Jeremy Harlan and Tom Foreman of CNN and Sarah LeTrent of CNN's Eatocracy are finalists in the Broadcast category for Television Segment.
Catch up on two of their nominated videos, Targeting consumers' beef with veal and Veterans find a new way to serve – in the kitchen.
Chef and restaurant winners will be announced on Monday, May 5 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City and Journalism, Books and Broadcast will be announced Friday, May 2 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
See all the chef and restaurant nominees below, and explore the gallery above for pictures and color from last year's awards.
Best New Restaurant
Betony (New York City)
Carbone (New York City)
Coqueta (San Francisco, California)
Estela (New York City)
Pêche (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Outstanding Bar Program
Bar Agricole (San Francisco, California)
The Bar at the NoMad Hotel (New York City)
Clyde Common (Portland, Oregon)
Maison Premiere (Brooklyn, New York)
The Violet Hour (Chicago, Illinois)
Outstanding Chef
Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern (New York City)
Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Suzanne Goin, Lucques (Los Angeles, California)
David Kinch, Manresa (Los Gatos, California)
Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza (Los Angeles, California)
Marc Vetri, Vetri (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Dominique Ansel, Dominique Ansel Bakery (New York City)
Dana Cree, Blackbird (Chicago, Illinois)
Belinda Leong, b. patisserie (San Francisco, California)
Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles, California)
Christina Tosi, Momofuku (New York City)
Outstanding Restaurant
Hearth (New York City)
Highlands Bar and Grill (Birmingham, Alabama)
The Slanted Door (San Francisco, California)
Spiaggia (Chicago, Illinois)
wd~50 (New York City)
Outstanding Restaurateur
Barbara Lynch, Barbara Lynch Gruppo, Boston, Massachusetts (No. 9 Park, Menton, B&G Oysters, and others)
Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality Group, Chicago, Illinois (Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, and others)
Cindy Pawlcyn, Napa Valley, California (Mustards Grill and Cindy’s Back Street Kitchen)
Caroline Styne, The Lucques Group, Los Angeles, California (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern, and others)
Phil Suarez, Suarez Restaurant Group, New York City (ABC Kitchen, Jean-Georges, wd~50, and others)
Outstanding Service
Blue Hill (New York City)
Quince (San Francisco, California)
The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, California
Topolobampo, (Chicago, Illinois)
Vetri (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Outstanding Wine Program
A16 (San Francisco, California)
Bar Boulud, NYC
The Barn at Blackberry Farm (Walland, Tennessee)
FIG (Charleston, South Carolina)
The Little Nell (Aspen, Colorado)
Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional
Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware)
Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal (Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico)
Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, New York)
Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery (Frankfort, Kentucky)
David Wondrich, spirits educator (Brooklyn, New York)
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Jimmy Bannos Jr., The Purple Pig (Chicago, Illinois)
Katie Button, Cúrate (Asheville, North Carolina)
Jessica Largey, Manresa (Los Gatos, California)
David Posey, Blackbird (Chicago, Illinois)
Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn on Lummi Island (Lummi Island, Washington)
Best Chef: Great Lakes
Dave Beran, Next (Chicago, Illinois)
Curtis Duffy, Grace (Chicago, Illinois)
Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern (Cleveland, Ohio)
Paul Virant, Vie Restaurant (Western Springs, Illinois)
Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia (Chicago, Illinois)
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve (Alexandria, Virginia)
Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen (Baltimore, Maryland)
Brad Spence, Amis (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika (Washington, D.C.)
Cindy Wolf, Charleston (Baltimore, Maryland)
Best Chef: Midwest
Justin Aprahamian, Sanford (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Paul Berglund, The Bachelor Farmer (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Gerard Craft, Niche (Clayton, Missouri)
Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe (St. Louis, Missouri)
Lenny Russo, Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Best Chef: Northeast
Jamie Bissonnette, Coppa (Boston, Massachusetts)
Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Cafe (Boston, Massachusetts)
Gerry Hayden, The North Fork Table & Inn (Southold, New York)
Matt Jennings, Farmstead Inc. (Providence, Rhode Island)
Michael Leviton, Lumière (Newton, Massachusetts)
Barry Maiden, Hungry Mother (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Best Chef: Northwest
Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins (Seattle, Washington)
Jason Franey, Canlis (Seattle, Washington)
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast (Portland, Oregon)
Ethan Stowell, Staple & Fancy (Seattle, Washington)
Cathy Whims, Nostrana (Portland, Oregon)
Best Chef: NYC
April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig
Dan Kluger, ABC Kitchen
Mark Ladner, Del Posto
Jonathan Waxman, Barbuto
Michael White, Marea
Best Chef: South
Vishwesh Bhatt, Snackbar (Oxford, Mississippi)
Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocery (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Ryan Prewitt, Pêche Seafood Grill (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Alon Shaya, Domenica (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Best Chef: Southeast
Kathy Cary, Lilly's (Louisville, Kentucky)
Ashley Christensen, Poole's Downtown Diner (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia (Louisville, Kentucky)
Steven Satterfield, Miller Union (Atlanta, Georgia)
Tandy Wilson, City House (Nashville, Tennessee)
Best Chef: Southwest
Kevin Binkley, Binkley’s (Cave Creek, Arizona)
Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine (Austin, Texas)
Hugo Ortega, Hugo’s (Houston, Texas)
Chris Shepherd, Underbelly (Houston, Texas)
Justin Yu, Oxheart (Houston, Texas)
Best Chef: West
Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, State Bird Provisions (San Francisco, California)
Michael Cimarusti, Providence (Los Angeles, California)
Corey Lee, Benu (San Francisco, California)
Daniel Patterson, Coi (San Francisco, California)
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal (Los Angeles, California)
Editor's note: Eatocracy Editor Kat Kinsman is the vice chair of the James Beard Journalism Committee, the group that oversees the journalism category's awards. These awards are entirely separate from the restaurant awards. An independent accounting firm oversees the process.
Congrats SLT!
I live in Florida, Tampa to be more specific. I move here from New York City and I know why none of the categories include anyone or any place in Florida. What passes for restaurant food here is nothing more than dog food on a plate. It is ALL trash and no one here knows how to cook (in a restaurant or in their homes).
If you want good food, do not, I repeat, do not go to Florida. Forget what I said, just skip Florida all together, a wasted state with nothing to offer anyone.
Move along.
http://ioneglobalgrind.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/bugs-bunny-cutting-florida-state-off-gif.gif?w=630&h=348
why is it that every New Yorker thinks they are, have been, will be, have had, smell like, look like, eat like the best in the world............are they aware that the rest of the world thinks they are criminally arrogant, dishonest, cut throat, bottom feeders and their city smells like feet....................
Because they've never spent time in San Francisco?
Another stereotypical "Know-it-all" New Yorker who moves to the beautiful South, but constantly complains about how "EVERYTHING" here is SO AWFUL and how New York is the Center of the known universe! LOL! Hilarious!
Funny, that nearly every one of you sorry SOBs CONTINUE to live in our beatiful Southern US instead of your "FAR SUPERIOR" cesspool named New York!
If you hate it so much, why are you still here? HMMMMM?
Another "know-it-all" New Yorker who moves to the beautiful South to escape their hell hole of New York, but cannot stop complaining about how everything in the South is so AWFUL and how New York is the center of the known universe!
Hilarious!
So, if the South is SO BAD and New York is So Great, why are YOU still living here?
We have far too many hypocrites already! Please go home.
Aspen for best wine? Hope CO wins it's only entry!
San Francisco rocked it alll!
Niners!
Oh geez.....let it go ;)
Oh NO!!!! Best service: Topo in Chicago?? God no!! I went there for an anniversary (and they new this) and I had two course and my girlfriend had three.... we were there from 7-11pm. No joke....this is one of the worst restaurants in Chicago!!
Also Rick Balis is a pompous piece of sh*it!! He is creating a new restaurant in the west loop in chicago and kicked out a produce vendor that was in this building for over 40 years! No chance to get find a new location, no chance to for anything... just threw him out in the street. To hell with rick and his restaurants....
GMAFB,
Troll much?
Under your Midwest chef category you're missing the state. Milwaukee is the city in Wisconsin....Sanford is the restaurant.
Note that there is no compet!tion in the category of food blog because Eatocracy has no conpet!tion.
Outstanding char-grilled steaks: Jdizzle McHammerpants ♫♫
Cool to see a VA nominee for best chef.
You from the DC area?