James Beard Foundation Announces 2014 Chef And Restaurant Finalists
This morning in Chicago, the James Beard Foundation announced the chef and restaurant award finalists for their annual awards program, which will be presented at New York's David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center on Monday, May 5. This year's theme is Sounds of the City, exploring the connections between food and music. Ted Allen will be the Master of Ceremonies, while Mario Batali will act as Gala Chef Chair.
The Beard Awards have long been considered the most prestigious culinary awards presented in America, due both to its legacy (they've been given since 1990) and a judging panel made up of industry experts and peers — as opposed to say journalists or anonymous inspectors.
Congratulations to those who made this year's list, which will be updated as the announcements are made:
Outstanding Restaurant
Hearth, NYC
Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL
The Slanted Door, San Francisco
Spiaggia, Chicago
wd~50, NYC
Best New Restaurant
Betony, NYC
Carbone, NYC
Coqueta, San Francisco
Estela, NYC
Pêche, New Orleans
Outstanding Service
Blue Hill, NYC
Quince, San Francisco
The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Topolobampo, Chicago
Vetri, Philadelphia
Outstanding Chef
Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern, NYC
Sean Brock, McCrady's, Charleston, SC
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, West Hollywood, CA
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Jimmy Bannos Jr., The Purple Pig, Chicago
Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC
Jessica Largey, Manresa, Los Gatos
David Posey, Blackbird, Chicago
Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Lummi Island, WA
Best Chef: Great Lakes
Dave Beran, Next, Chicago
Curtis Duffy, Grace, Chicago
Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland
Paul Virant, Vie Restaurant, Western Springs, IL
Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia, Chicago
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore
Brad Spence, Amis, Philadelphia
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.
Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore
Best Chef: Midwest
Justin Aprahamian, Sanford, Milwaukee
Paul Berglund, The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis
Gerard Craft, Niche, Clayton, MO
Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart, Minneapolis
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe, St. Louis
Lenny Russo, Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market, St. Paul, MN
Best Chef: New York City
Jonathan Benno, Lincoln Ristorante
Fredrik Berselius, Aska
April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig
Dan Kluger, ABC Kitchen
Mark Ladner, Del Posto
Jonathan Waxman, Barbuto
Michael White, Marea
Best Chef: Northeast
Jamie Bissonnette, Coppa, Boston
Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Cafe, Boston
Gerry Hayden, The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold, NY
Matt Jennings, Farmstead Inc., Providence, RI
Michael Leviton, Lumière, Newton, MA
Barry Maiden, Hungry Mother, Cambridge, MA
Best Chef: Northwest
Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins, Seattle
Jason Franey, Canlis, Seattle
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast, Portland, OR
Ethan Stowell, Staple & Fancy, Seattle
Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Portland, OR
Best Chef: South
Vishwesh Bhatt, Snackbar, Oxford, MS
Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocery, New Orleans
Ryan Prewitt, Pêche Seafood Grill, New Orleans
Alon Shaya, Domenica, New Orleans
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's, New Orleans
Best Chef: Southeast
Kathy Cary, Lilly's, Louisville, KY
Ashley Christensen, Poole's Downtown Diner, Raleigh, NC
Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, KY
Steven Satterfield, Miller Union, Atlanta
Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville
Best Chef: Southwest
Kevin Binkley, Binkley's, Cave Creek, AZ
Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine, Austin
Hugo Ortega, Hugo's, Houston
Chris Shepherd, Underbelly, Houston
Justin Yu, Oxheart, Houston
Best Chef: West
Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles
Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal, Los Angeles
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Dominique Ansel, Dominique Ansel Bakery, NYC
Dana Cree, Blackbird, Chicago
Belinda Leong, b. patisserie, San Francisco
Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
Christina Tosi, Momofuku, NYC
Outstanding Restaurateur
Barbara Lynch, Barbara Lynch Gruppo, Boston (No. 9 Park, Menton, B&G Oysters, and others)
Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality Group, Chicago (Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, and others)
Cindy Pawlcyn, Napa Valley, CA (Mustards Grill, Cindy's Back Street Kitchen, and Cindy Pawlcyn's Wood Grill & Wine Bar)
Caroline Styne, West Hollywood, CA (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern, and others)
Phil Suarez, Suarez Restaurant Group, NYC (ABC Kitchen, Jean-Georges, wd~50, and others)
Outstanding Bar Program
Bar Agricole, San Francisco
The Bar at the NoMad Hotel, NYC
Clyde Common, Portland, OR
Maison Premiere, Brooklyn, NY
The Violet Hour, Chicago
Outstanding Wine Program
A16, San Francisco
Bar Boulud, NYC
The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
FIG, Charleston, SC
The Little Nell, Aspen, CO
Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional
Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM
Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY
David Wondrich, spirits educator, Brooklyn, NY