Tag: restaurants

HBO Max launches ‘Take Out,’ a culinary series hosted by Lisa Ling about Asian restaurants in the U.S.

April 22, 2021

Lisa Ling (Photo courtesy of HBO Max)

The following is a press release from HBO Max:

  • HBO Max has given a six-part series order to the Max Original, “Take Out,” a timely docuseries from Part2 Pictures that follows award-winning journalist Lisa Ling as she takes viewers behind the counter and into the lives of the people and families who run some of America’s over 45,000 Asian restaurants.
     
  • Logline: Asian restaurants representing the diverse people and cuisines of the continent are as ubiquitous as McDonald’s, and each one of them has a unique and compelling story. Lisa explores the storied and complicated journey of the Asian community, past and present, at a critical time, while zig-zagging the country celebrating the joy that the little white take-out box can bring. 
     
  • Lisa Ling quote: “It is time that we learn about a community that has been integral to America’s development but has largely been ignored by American history. My own family’s path to their American dream started in a Chinese restaurant, and I cannot wait to learn the stories of those whose journey paralleled mine throughout different parts of this country.” 
     
  • Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max quote: “With ‘Take Out,’ we will pay tribute to the hard work and countless contributions of Asian Americans whose restaurants helped shape the cultural tapestry and cuisines of America. Lisa is one of a few storytellers who could paint the trials and triumphs of a community as told through the lens of a restaurant.”
     
  • David Shadrack Smith quote: “This has been a long-standing passion project that feels as relevant as ever. It’s a chance to join Lisa on an especially personal exploration – and build on our long relationship together delving deep into the dynamics of America through the people that make it diverse and complex.”
     
  • Credits: “Take Out” is produced by Part2 Pictures with executive producers Ling and David Shadrack Smith. Part2 Pictures is currently producing the eighth season of “This Is Life With Lisa Ling.”

Review: ‘The Delicacy,’ starring Jim Marshall, Andrew Zimmern, Harry Liquornik, Stephanie Mutz, Ward Motyer, Haiwen Lu and Ray Isle

May 7, 2020

by Carla Hay

Harry Liquornik and Stephanie Mutz in “The Delicacy” (Photo courtesy of SOMM TV)

“The Delicacy”

Directed by Jason Wise

Culture Representation: This documentary examines the business behind the delicacy of sea urchin, with the film featuring interviews with a predominantly white cast (and some Asian representation) of sea urchin divers, chefs and journalists.

Culture Clash: “The Delicacy” addresses the controversies over fishing for sea urchins, including the environmental impact and what sea urchin divers have in response to people who are offended by their line of work.

Culture Audience: “The Delicacy” will appeal mostly to non-vegan/non-vegetarian people who are passionate about fine dining and are curious about the specifics of how sea urchin goes from the ocean to human consumption.

Sea urchin and caviar prepared at Aubergine restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in “The Delicacy” (Photo courtesy of SOMM TV)

“The Delicacy” takes a fascinating look at the business of making sea urchin a fine-dining item. Unlike other food TV shows that focus primarily on the end results of food preparation, “The Delicacy” takes a deep dive (literally) into the entire procedure of making sea urchin available to the public, including showing how sea urchin divers work, how sea urchin goes through processing plants, and how sea urchin is prepared for meals. The heart of this 70-minute movie is with the sea urchin divers, since the documentary shows a very human side to their line of risk-taking work.

Sea urchin is eaten for its center, which is called “uni” in Japanese, and is usually eaten raw. And sea urchin is considered among the top-tier of luxury seafood. Uni Diaries blogger Haiwen Lu, who’s interviewed in the documentary, comments on sea urchin: “A lot of other delicacies out there, like foie gras or caviar or oysters, I feel like they don’t have that buzz factor like uni has.”

Celebrity chef/restaurateur Andrew Zimmern says, “My relationship with sea urchin? Profound.” And he comments on preparing sea urchin: “It’s a simple process but a rare thing.” Yoon Ha, wine director of San Francisco restaurant Benu, adds: “There’s nothing like sea urchin. It’s eaten raw. It’s sweet. it’s briny. It’s incredibly luxurious in texture. It’s a perfect luxurious food item.”

Other restaurant chefs interviewed in the film are Justin Cogley, executive chef at Aubergine in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California; Kyle Connaughton, executive chef at Single Thread in Healdsburg, California; and Aaron Koseba, chef de cuisine at Single Thread.

It would have been very easy for “The Delicacy” filmmakers to keep the movie focused on glowing commentary about sea urchin and filling the documentary with glam shots of sea urchin being prepared. The film certainly shows those fine-dining aspects of sea urchin, but director Jason Wise also includes a history of why sea urchin became a delicacy and what kinds of people fish for sea urchin today.

The history of sea urchin being a delicacy is known to date as far back as the days of the Roman Empire. Archeologists have found evidence that after the upscale vacation city of Pompeii was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius erupting in the year 79 A.D., the upper-class people who lived in Pompeii used to frequently dine on sea urchin. Because sea urchins live in deep underwater environments, they were much harder to get in the days before deep-sea diving equipment was invented.

The documentary then veers off into a brief history of abalone and how it created a “gold rush” for abalone in California, beginning in the 1950s and peaking in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, abalone (which has a very slow reproductive rate) was being “picked almost to extinction,” says Food & Wine executive wine editor Ray Isle. And that scarcity led to a crackdown on fisheries that sold abalone and the rise of aquaculture businesses that work to grow aquatic life that’s harvested for food. Andrew Kim of Monterey Abalone in California is shown in the film giving a brief tour of his business.

Abalone is brought up as an example of what could happen to the sea urchin trade if there is too much fishing of sea urchin and not enough protection of the species. The documentary points out that illegal poaching of all endangered species will be a reality, but the goal is to not let valuable animals in the food chain reach the point of near-extinction.

Sea otters are mankind’s biggest competition in eating sea urchins. Lillian Carswell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s southern sea otter recovery coordinator, notes that sea otters were at the brink of extinction for decades, because they were hunted for their fur. But due to a fluke in nature, a part of the reef near Big Sur in California made it difficult for boats to dock there, so a small group of sea otter that lived there began to multiply and thrive. Generations of sea otter still live there today.

It’s in California, off the coast of Santa Barbara, that the documentary takes another turn, with an up-close look at some modern-day sea urchin divers. The movie focuses primarily on four of these rough-and-tumble group of adventurers: Jim Marshall, who is considered the respected elder; Harry Liquornik, an extrovert who considers Jim to be a like a mentor/father figure; Harry Liquornik, who is quiet and reserved; and Stephanie Mutz, who says she’s the only woman who’s a professional sea-urchin diver in California.

This quartet of sea urchin divers all know each other and have worked together at one time or another. Jim and Harry have a long history together, and they jokingly tease each other, with Jim saying that Harry is “cocky,” while Harry says that Jim is “grumpy.” Mutz considers Liquornik to be her mentor, and they work closely together.

Diving for sea urchin is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. There’s a constant threat of being injured in various ways, and being killed by a shark is also a very real possibility. (And true to his sense of humor, Liquornik jokes that as he gets older, it’s harder for him to fit into a wetsuit.) Sea urchin diver Billy Eggers is also interviewed, but the other four divers get most of the screen time in the segments that feature the divers.

Although the job can pay well (top divers have the potential to earn six-figure incomes), there are also huge risks involved in the work, such as the aforementioned on-the-job injuries and shark attacks, as well as bad weather and the unpredictability of when business might be slow. The divers also have to develop a keen knowledge of where to dive for sea urchin, because the quality of sea urchin depends on how much kelp that the sea urchins eat. The more kelp that a sea urchin can eat, the higher the quality of the sea urchin.

And for people who think that fishing for sea urchin will destroy the food chain, Marshall’s response is that letting sea urchin overpopulate the ocean would actually damage the food chain, since “too many sea urchins … would wipe out the kept forest.” Kelp is essential for ocean life, so the divers say that there needs to be a balance in not destroying a species but also not letting a species overpopulate the ocean.

One of the best aspects of “The Delicacy” is the cinematography from Jackson Myers and the underwater photography by director Wise. Regardless of how someone might feel about the ethics of eating animals, most people would agree with how life in the deep ocean can be stunning and awe-inspiring. Some of the underwater scenes in “The Delicacy” are absolutely gorgeous.

Full disclosure: “The Delicacy” director Wise (who is a producer, co-editor and co-writer of the film) is also the founder of SOMM TV, a subscription video-on-demand service for enthusiasts of food, wine and travel. “The Delicacy” can be viewed exclusively on SOMM TV, which was launched in 2019 by several of the filmmakers of the “Somm” documentary series. If “The Delicacy” is any indication of SOMM TV’s original documentaries, then SOMM TV is a good alternative to other food-centric networks that have programming appealing mostly to casual-dining audiences. “The Delicacy” is the kind of documentary that fine-dining foodies deserve.

The movie ends with sobering reminder of the human cost of diving for sea urchins. Throughout the movie’s segments on the sea urchin divers, there is archival footage of California diver Jim “Wiener” Robinson. He died of a shark attack in 1994, at the age of 42. Marshall, Liquornik and Motyer all give emotional testimonials about Robinson and how his death affected them.

Not everyone agrees with the idea that humans can kill animals for food. Mutz has this response to people who are opposed to her line of work: “I might go to urchin hell, but I’m okay with that. I don’t have any remorse.” Regardless of how people feel about animal rights or eating animal-based food, Marshall sums it up this way: “Fishing will always be around as long as people have to eat.”

SOMM TV premiered “The Delicacy” on May 7, 2020.

 

 

OpenTable waives fees and updates features to help restaurants prepare for re-openings after COVID-19

May 1, 2020

The following is a press release from OpenTable:

As restaurants look to reopen, the needs of each will change as government restrictions and safety recommendations evolve. Restaurants that have never taken reservations may find themselves looking for ways to adjust floor plans to allow more space between tables and manage capacity. To help restaurants reopen and adhere to these new norms, OpenTable is rolling out two new initiatives: an enhanced restaurant management platform and price cuts for 2020.

OpenTable’s technology has always enabled restaurants to connect with diners to manage reservations, prepare for shifts, and maximize table availability, but enhancements to the platform will provide added support for restaurants so they can adhere to social distancing guidelines while providing updated health and safety information to diners for when it is safe to eat out again.

These advanced features are now paired with discounted pricing to reduce the reopening costs of our customers and to encourage new restaurants to join OpenTable. Beginning in May, restaurants that sign up for our “Open Door” pricing program will enjoy: no OpenTable subscription fees through the end of 2020, no cover fees through September 30, 2020 and a 50% discount on cover fees through 2020. OpenTable’s standard subscription and cover pricing will resume only in January 2021.

“Restaurants need help to reopen quickly, safely, and successfully as local restrictions lift.  We’re doing our part to help them by waiving fees and updating features with the post-COVID-19 dining experience in mind,” said Andrea Johnston, COO, OpenTable.

Restaurants interested in the Open Door Program can receive follow-up information and first-access to participate here. Over the past few weeks, OpenTable has rolled out a number of efforts to support the restaurant industry from releasing data on the staggering decline in seated diners, to launching OpenTable for groceries to help manage overcrowding and long lines, to hosting weekly webinar series providing expert support for restaurants during this time. For a summary of all the efforts that OpenTable has done to support restaurants during this time, please visit https://restaurant.opentable.com/news/.

About OpenTable
OpenTable, part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, with nearly 60,000 restaurants globally using its software to seat over 134 million diners monthly. OpenTable helps diners discover and book the perfect table and helps restaurants deliver personalized hospitality to keep guests coming back.

Coronavirus pandemic devastates the restaurant industry

March 16, 2020

by Katy Kitsch

The coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) pandemic is having devastating effects on the restaurant industry worldwide, as more countries are now ordering that restaurants be shut down until further notice. France, Italy and China are among the countries that have had these widespread restaurant closures. And now, the United States will be affected by similar mandates which, for now, are being handled by individual cities.

New York City, the capital of the restaurant industry in North America, has ordered the closure of all restaurants and other dining establishments (such as bars, nightclubs and theaters) that do not have take-out or delivery services, as of March 17, 2020, until further notice. This mandate will hit luxury dining especially hard, since top-tier fine-dining restaurants do not do take-out or delivery for customers.

Catering is a separate service, since it’s for groups of people. However, since most places in the United States and other countries have now banned until further notice any gatherings of more than 50 people per gathering (for gatherings taking place in March 2020), any catering services offered by restaurants have also been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Most restaurants are small businesses that can’t afford to pay employees during the shutdown. Many of these restaurants won’t be able to survive because of the shutdown. The impact is wide-reaching and will be felt for a long time to come.

Several cuisine-related events are expected to be cancelled or postponed this year, if they were scheduled taking place over the next several months. Major food events in the U.S. that will be affected in 2020 include the James Beard Awards, The Los Angeles Times Food Bowl and Vegas Uncork’d, which are each usually held every May.

In addition, Restaurant Weeks in several U.S. cities have now been cancelled or postponed. They include:

Arizona Restaurant Week, which was scheduled for May 15 to May 24, 2020.

Buffalo, New York/ Western New York  Local Restaurant Week, which was scheduled for March 30 to April 5, 2020.

Cincinnati Downtown Restaurant Week, which was scheduled for April 2 to April 26, 2020.

Exeter, New Hampshire Restaurant Week(Eat Local), which was scheduled for March 19 to March 29, 2020.

Hamptons East End Restaurant Week (in New York state), which was scheduled for March 29 to April 5, 2020.

Hudson Valley, New York Restaurant Week, which was scheduled for March 16 to March 29, 2020.

Ocean City, Maryland Restaurant Week, which was scheduled for April 29 to May 3, 2020.

Palm Springs,  California Restaurant Week, which was scheduled for May 29 to June 7, 2020.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Restaurant Week, which was scheduled for April 16 to April 25, 2020.

This article will be updated with breaking news that affects the restaurant industry.

2019 James Beard Awards: complete list of winners

May 6, 2019

James Beard Awards

The 2019 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards took place May 6 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. The 2019 James Beard Media Awards, which honor those in the media who cover the culinary industry, took place April 26 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. The awards were streamed live on Twitter.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.

*=winner

2019 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

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.

Angler
San Francisco

Atomix
NYC

Bavel
Los Angeles

Frenchette*
NYC

Majordomo
Los Angeles

Outstanding Baker
A pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a retail bakery. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Zachary Golper
Bien Cuit
NYC

Maura Kilpatrick
Sofra Bakery and Café
Cambridge, MA

Lisa Ludwinski
Sister Pie
Detroit

Avery Ruzicka
Manresa Bread
Los Gatos, CA

Greg Wade*
Publican Quality Bread
Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates exceptional care and skill in the selection, preparation, and serving of cocktails, spirits, and/or beer.

Bar Agricole*
San Francisco

Dead Rabbit
NYC

Kimball House
Decatur, GA

Lost Lake
Chicago

Ticonderoga Club
Atlanta

Outstanding Chef (Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters)
A chef who sets high culinary standards and who has served as a positive example for other food professionals. Must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

Ashley Christensen*
Poole’s Diner
Raleigh, NC

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Corey Lee
Benu
San Francisco

Donald Link
Herbsaint
New Orleans

Marc Vetri
Vetri Cucina
Philadelphia

Outstanding Pastry Chef (Presented by Lavazza)
A pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a restaurant. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Juan Contreras
Atelier Crenn
San Francisco

Kelly Fields*
Willa Jean
New Orleans

Meg Galus
Boka
Chicago

Margarita Manzke
République
Los Angeles

Pichet Ong
Brothers and Sisters
Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurant (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
A restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, service, and operations. Must have been in business 10 or more consecutive years.

Balthazar
NYC

FIG
Charleston, SC

Jaleo
Washington, D.C.

Quince
San Francisco

Zahav*
Philadelphia

Outstanding Restaurateur (Presented by Magellan Corporation)
A restaurateur who demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship and integrity in restaurant operations. Must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past five years.

Hugh Acheson
Empire State South, Five & Ten, The National, and others
Atlanta

Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz*
Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro, and others)
Chicago

JoAnn Clevenger
Upperline
New Orleans

Ken Oringer
Little Donkey, Toro, Uni, and others
Boston

Alex Raij and Eder Montero
La Vara, Txikito, Saint Julivert Fisherie, and others
NYC

Ellen Yin
High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, High Street on Market, High Street on Hudson)
Philadelphia

Outstanding Service
A restaurant in operation for five or more years that demonstrates consistency and exceptional thoughtfulness in hospitality and service.

Brigtsen’s
New Orleans

Canlis
Seattle

Frasca Food and Wine*
Boulder, CO

Saison
San Francisco

Swan Oyster Depot
San Francisco

Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Ann Arbor, MI

Outstanding Wine Program (Presented by Robert Mondavi Winery)
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in wine service through a carefully considered wine list and a well-informed approach to helping customers choose and drink wine.

Bacchanal
New Orleans

Benu*
San Francisco

Miller Union
Atlanta

Night + Market
Los Angeles

Spiaggia
Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer
A beer, wine, or spirits producer who demonstrates consistency and exceptional skill in his or her craft.

Cathy Corison
Corison Winery
St. Helena, CA

Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell
High Wire Distilling Co.
Charleston, SC

Steve Matthiasson
Matthiasson Wines
Napa, CA

Rob Tod*
Allagash Brewing Company
Portland, ME

Lance Winters
St. George Spirits
Alameda, CA

Rising Star Chef of the Year (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
A chef age 30 or younger who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability, and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.

Ana Castro
Coquette
New Orleans

Alisha Elenz
MFK
Chicago

Alexander Hong
Sorrel
San Francisco

Jesse Ito
Royal Izakaya
Philadelphia

Kwame Onwuachi*
Kith and Kin
Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Yao
Kato
Los Angeles

Best Chefs in America
Chefs who set high culinary standards and also demonstrate integrity and admirable leadership skills in their respective regions. A nominee may be from any kind of dining establishment but must have been working as a chef for at least five years, with the three most recent years spent in the region.

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Diana Dávila
Mi Tocaya Antojería
Chicago

Jason Hammel
Lula Café
Chicago

Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark*
Parachute
Chicago

David Posey and Anna Posey
Elske
Chicago

Noah Sandoval
Oriole
Chicago

Lee Wolen
Boka
Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Amy Brandwein
Centrolina
Washington, D.C.

Tom Cunanan*
Bad Saint
Washington, D.C.

Rich Landau
Vedge
Philadelphia

Cristina Martinez
South Philly Barbacoa
Philadelphia

Cindy Wolf
Charleston
Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Michael Corvino
Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room
Kansas City, MO

Michael Gallina
Vicia
St. Louis

Ann Kim*
Young Joni
Minneapolis

Jamie Malone
Grand Café
Minneapolis

Christina Nguyen
Hai Hai
Minneapolis

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)

Sean Gray
Momofuku Ko

Brooks Headley
Superiority Burger

Daniela Soto-Innes
Atla

Alex Stupak
Empellón Midtown

Jody Williams and Rita Sodi*
Via Carota

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT)

Tiffani Faison
Tiger Mama
Boston

James Mark
North
Providence

Tony Messina*
Uni
Boston

Cassie Piuma
Sarma
Somerville, MA

Benjamin Sukle
Oberlin
Providence

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Peter Cho
Han Oak
Portland, OR

Katy Millard
Coquine
Portland, OR

Brady Williams*
Canlis
Seattle

Justin Woodward
Castagna
Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi
Joule
Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)

Vishwesh Bhatt*
Snackbar
Oxford, MS

Jose Enrique
Jose Enrique
San Juan, PR

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus
Coquette
New Orleans

Slade Rushing
Brennan’s
New Orleans

Isaac Toups
Toups’ Meatery
New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Mashama Bailey*
The Grey
Savannah, GA

Katie Button
Cúrate
Asheville, NC

Cassidee Dabney
The Barn at Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN

Ryan Smith
Staplehouse
Atlanta

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
Memphis

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)

Charleen Badman*
FnB
Scottsdale, AZ

Kevin Fink
Emmer & Rye
Austin

Michael Fojtasek
Olamaie
Austin

Bryce Gilmore
Barley Swine
Austin

Steve McHugh
Cured
San Antonio

Best Chef: West (CA, HI, NV)

Michael Cimarusti*
Providence
Los Angeles

Jeremy Fox
Rustic Canyon
Santa Monica, CA

Jessica Koslow
Sqirl
Los Angeles

Travis Lett
Gjelina
Venice, CA

Joshua Skenes
Saison
San Francisco

2019 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Design Awards

75 Seats and Under
Firms: Heliotrope Architects and Price Erickson Interior Design
Project: Willmott’s Ghost, Seattle

Firm: Roman and Williams
Project: La Mercerie, NYC

Firm: Studio Writers*
Project: Atomix, NYC*

76 Seats and Over
Firm: Land and Sea Dept.
Project: Lonesome Rose, Chicago

Firm: studio razavi architecture
Project: Boqueria, NYC

Firm: Parts and Labor Design*
Project: Pacific Standard Time, Chicago*

Other Eating and Drinking Places
Firm: AvroKO
Project: China Live, San Francisco

Firm: Schwartz and Architecture (S^A)*
Project: El Pípila, San Francisco*

Firm: Summer Ops
Project: Island Oyster, NYC

Design Icon
Canlis
Seattle

The following previously announced honorees accepted their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 6 at Lyric Opera of Chicago:

2019 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics

(Presented by American Airlines)

Pho 79
Garden Grove, CA
Owners: Tong Trần and Liễu Trần

Jim’s Steak & Spaghetti House
Huntington, WV
Owners: Jimmie Carder, Larry Tweel and Ron Tweel

A&A Bake & Double Roti Shop
Brooklyn, NY
Owners: Noel and Geeta Brown

Sehnert’s Bakery & Bieroc Café
McCook, NE
Owners: Matt and Shelly Sehnert

Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse
Washington, D.C.
Owner: Paul Katinas

2019 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

The Giving Kitchen
Non-profit that provides emergency assistance to food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.

2019 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Patrick O’Connell
Multiple James Beard Award-Winning Chef; Chef & Owner, The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA

2019 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

For cookbooks and other non-fiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2018. Winners will be announced on April 26, 2019.

American

A Common Table: 80 Recipes and Stories from My Shared Cultures
Cynthia Chen McTernan
(Rodale)

Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day*
JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers
(Flatiron Books)

Sweet Home Café Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking
Albert G. Lukas and Jessica B. Harris
(Smithsonian Books)

Baking and Desserts
Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing
Jerrelle Guy
(Page Street Publishing Co.)

Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies
Cathy Barrow
(Grand Central Publishing)

SUQAR: Desserts & Sweets from the Modern Middle East*
Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf
(Hardie Grant Books)

Beverage
Apéritif: Cocktail Hour the French Way
Rebekah Peppler
(Clarkson Potter)

The Aviary Cocktail Book
Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas, Micah Melton, Allen Hemberger, and Sarah Hemberger
(The Alinea Group)

Cocktail Codex
Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan, with Devon Tarby
(Ten Speed Press)

Wine Folly: Magnum Edition*
Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack
(Avery)

General
Everyday Dorie
Dorie Greenspan
(Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Milk Street: Tuesday Nights*
Christopher Kimball
(Little, Brown and Company)

Ottolenghi Simple
Yotam Ottolenghi
(Ten Speed Press)

Health and Special Diets
The Complete Diabetes Cookbook
Editors at America’s Test Kitchen
(America’s Test Kitchen)

Eat a Little Better*
Sam Kass
(Clarkson Potter)

More with Less
Jodi Moreno
(Roost Books)

International
Feast: Food of the Islamic World*
Anissa Helou
(Ecco)

The Food of Northern Thailand
Austin Bush
(Clarkson Potter)

I Am a Filipino
Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad
(Artisan Books)

Photography
Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food
Nik Sharma
(Chronicle Books)

Tokyo New Wave*
Andrea Fazzari
(Ten Speed Press)

Wild: Adventure Cookbook
Luisa Brimble
(Prestel Publishing)

Reference, History, and Scholarship
Canned: The Rise and Fall of Consumer Confidence in the American Food Industry*
Anna Zeide
(University of California Press)

Catfish Dream: Ed Scott’s Fight for His Family Farm and Racial Justice in the Mississippi Delta
Julian Rankin
(University of Georgia Press)

Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Culture
Justin Nystrom
(University of Georgia Press)

Restaurant and Professional
Chicken and Charcoal: Yakitori, Yardbird, Hong Kong*
Matt Abergel
(Phaidon Press)

From the Earth: World’s Great, Rare and Almost Forgotten Vegetables
Peter Gilmore
(Hardie Grant Books)

Rich Table
Evan Rich and Sarah Rich
(Chronicle Books)

Single Subject
Bread & Butter: History, Culture, Recipes
Richard Snapes, Grant Harrington, and Eve Hemingway
(Quadrille Publishing)

Goat: Cooking and Eating*
James Whetlor
(Quadrille Publishing)

Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces
Bill Kim with Chandra Ram
(Ten Speed Press)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking
Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta: A Vegetarian Cookbook, Kind Of
Cal Peternell
(William Morrow Cookbooks)

Saladish*
Ilene Rosen
(Artisan Books)

Vegetarian Viet Nam
Cameron Stauch
(W. W. Norton & Company)

Writing
Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine*
Edward Lee
(Artisan Books)

Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat
Jonathan Kauffman
(William Morrow)

Pasta, Pane, Vino: Deep Travels Through Italy’s Food Culture
Matt Goulding
(Harper Wave/Anthony Bourdain)

Cookbook Hall of Fame

Jessica B. Harris

2019 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards

For radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts, and documentaries appearing in 2018. Winners will be announced on April 26, 2019.

Documentary
Chef Flynn
Airs on: Hulu, iTunes, and YouTube

Funke
Airs on: LA Film Festival and Tastemade

Modified*
Airs on: Film festivals and Vimeo

Online Video, Fixed Location and/or Instructional
Handcrafted – How to Make Handmade Soba Noodles
Airs on: Bon Appétit

Mad Genius – Crispy Cheese Sticks; Waffled Okonomiyaki; and Puff Pastry
Airs on: Food & Wine, YouTube, and Facebook

MasterClass – Dominique Ansel Teaches French Pastry Fundamentals*
Airs on: MasterClass

Online Video, on Location
First We Feast’s Food Skills – Mozzarella Kings of New York*
Airs on: YouTube

Kitchen Unnecessary – Fire Morels
Airs on: YouTube, Facebook

NPR Foraging – Eating Wild Sea Creatures; You Can Eat Dandelions; and The Hunt for Morels
Airs on: NPR

Outstanding Personality
Samin Nosrat
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Airs on: Netflix

Marcus Samuelsson*
No Passport Required
Airs on: PBS

Molly Yeh
Girl Meets Farm
Airs on: Food Network

Outstanding Reporting
Deep Dive and Food for Thought, 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics*
Reporter: David Chang
Airs on: NBC, NBCSN

In Real Life – Why You MUST Try Native American Cuisine
Reporter: Yara Elmjouie
Airs on: YouTube, AJ+

The Sporkful – Yewande Finds Her Super Power
Reporter: Dan Pashman
Airs on: Stitcher

Podcast
Copper & Heat – Be a Girl*
Airs on: Copper & Heat, iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher

The Feed – Paletas and Other Icy Treats
Airs on: PodcastOne

Racist Sandwich – Erasing Black Barbecue
Airs on: iTunes, Racist Sandwich, and Stitcher

Radio Show
California Foodways – Providing a Taste of Oaxaca to Central Valley; Can Ag and Wildlife Co-Exist? Rice Farmers Think So; and Frozen Burrito Royalty in the Central Valley
Airs on: KQED, California Foodways

The Food Chain – Raw Grief and Widowed*
Airs on: BBC World Service

KCRW’s Good Food – Remembering Jonathan Gold
Airs on: KCRW

Special (on TV or Online)
Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown – Little Los Angeles
Airs on: CNN, Explore Parts Unknown, Roads & Kingdoms

Spencer’s BIG Holiday
Airs on: Gusto

Taste Buds – Chefsgiving
Airs on: ABC

Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location
Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro – Mary Poppins Show
Airs on: Food Network

Good Eats: Reloaded – Steak Your Claim
Airs on: Cooking Channel

Pati’s Mexican Table – Tijuana: Stories from the Border*
Airs on: WETA Washington; Distributed Nationally by American Public Television

Television Program, on Location
The Migrant Kitchen – Man’oushe
Airs on: KCET and Link TV

Salt Fat Acid Heat – Salt*
Airs on: Netflix

Ugly Delicious – Fried Chicken
Airs on: Netflix

Visual and Technical Excellence
Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown*
Sarah Hagey, August Thurmer, and Kate Kunath
Airs on: CNN, Explore Parts Unknown, Roads & Kingdoms

Chef’s Table
Will Basanta, Adam Bricker, and Danny O’Malley
Airs on: Netflix

From The Wild – Season 4
Kevin Kossowan
Airs on: Vimeo

2019 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards

For articles published in English in 2018.

Columns
America’s Best Worst Cook: “Hi, I’m America’s Best Worst Cook”; “Dear Chefs, Will Eating This Kill Me?” and “How to Roast a Chicken? The Answers Are Horrifying.”
JJ Goode
Taste

Local Fare: “The Question of Dinner”; “Dixie Vodka”; and “Folk Witness”
John T. Edge
Oxford American

What We Talk About When We Talk About American Food: “The Pickled Cucumbers That Survived the 1980s AIDS Epidemic”; “A Second Look at the Tuna Sandwich’s All-American History”; and “Freedom and Borscht for Ukrainian-Jewish Émigrés”*
Mari Uyehara
Taste

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award
Counter Intelligence: “The Hearth & Hound, April Bloomfield’s New Los Angeles Restaurant, Is Nothing Like a Gastropub”; “There’s Crocodile and Hog Stomach, but Jonathan Gold Is All About the Crusty Rice at Nature Pagoda”; and “At Middle Eastern Restaurants, It All Starts with Hummus. Jonathan Gold says Bavel’s Is Magnificent”*
Jonathan Gold
Los Angeles Times

“The Fire Gods of Washington, D.C.”; “David Chang’s Majordomo Is No Minor Feat”; and “North America’s Best Cantonese Food Is in Canada”
Bill Addison
Eater

“The Four Seasons Returns. But Can It Come Back?” “Why David Chang Matters”; and “A Celebration of Black Southern Food, at JuneBaby in Seattle”
Pete Wells
The New York Times

Dining and Travel
Chau Down: “A New Orleans Food Diary”; “A Portland Food Diary”; and “A Chicago Food Diary”
Danny Chau
The Ringer

“Dim Sum Is Dead, Long Live Dim Sum”
Max Falkowitz
Airbnb Magazine

“Many Chinas, Many Tables”*
Jonathan Kauffman and Team
San Francisco Chronicle

Feature Reporting
“Big in Japan”
Tejal Rao
The New York Times Magazine

“A Kingdom from Dust”*
Mark Arax
The California Sunday Magazine

“Shell Game: Saving Florida’s Oysters Could Mean Killing a Way of Life”
Laura Reiley and Eve Edelheit
Tampa Bay Times

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication
New York Magazine*
Robin Raisfeld, Rob Patronite, Maggie Bullock, and the Staff of New York Magazine

Roads & Kingdoms
Nathan Thornburgh, Matt Goulding, Anup Kaphle, and the Roads & Kingdoms Team

T: The New York Times Style Magazine
Kurt Soller, Hanya Yanagihara, and the Staff of T Magazine

Foodways
“Back to Where It All Began: I Had Never Eaten in Ghana Before. But My Ancestors Had.”
Michael W. Twitty
Bon Appétit

“A Hunger for Tomatoes”*
Shane Mitchell
The Bitter Southerner

“What is Northern Food?”
Steve Hoffman
Artful Living

Health and Wellness
“Clean Label’s Dirty Little Secret”*
Nadia Berenstein
The New Food Economy

“The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right” and “The Last Conversation You’ll Need to Have on Eating Right: The Follow-ups”
Mark Bittman and David L. Katz
New York Magazine / Grub Street

“‘White People Food’ Is Creating An Unattainable Picture Of Health”
Kristen Aiken
HuffPost

Home Cooking
“Melissa Clark’s Thanksgiving”
Melissa Clark
The New York Times

“The Subtle Thrills of Cold Chicken Salad”*
Cathy Erway
Taste

“Top Secret Ingredients”
Kathleen Purvis
Garden & Gun

Innovative Storytelling
“In Search of Water-Boiled Fish”*
Angie Wang
Eater

“100 Most Jewish Foods”
Alana Newhouse, Gabriella Gershenson, and Stephanie Butnick
Tablet Magazine

“What’s in a Food Truck?”
Bonnie Berkowitz, Seth Blanchard, Aaron Steckelberg, and Monica Ulmanu
The Washington Post

Investigative Reporting
“‘It’s Not Fair, Not Right’: How America Treats Its Black Farmers”
Debbie Weingarten and Audra Mulkern
The Guardian and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project

“A Killing Season”*
Boyce Upholt
The New Republic

“Victims Blame FDA for Food-Recall Failures”
Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan
Politico

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award

“Storied Ovens”; “Food Outside the U.S. Open Gates”; and “A New Destination for Chinese Food: Not Flushing, but Forest Hills”
Max Falkowitz
The New York Times; Plate Magazine

“My Dinner at the Playboy Club”; “Curry and Roti Destination Singh’s Lights Up Queens”; and “Where New Yorkers Actually Eat in Times Square”
Robert Sietsema
Eater NY

“Yes Indeed, Lord: Queen’s Cuisine, Where Everything Comes from the Heart”; “Top 10 New Orleans Restaurants for 2019”; and “Sexual Harassment Allegations Preceded Sucré Co-Founder Tariq Hanna’s Departure”*
Brett Anderson
Nola.com | The Times-Picayune

M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award
“A Kingdom from Dust”
Mark Arax
The California Sunday Magazine

“The Poet’s Table”
Mayukh Sen
Poetry Foundation

“What Is Northern Food?”*
Steve Hoffman
Artful Living

Personal Essay, Long Form
“I Made the Pizza Cinnamon Rolls from Mario Batali’s Sexual Misconduct Apology Letter”*
Geraldine DeRuiter
Everywhereist.com

“Need to Find Me? Ask My Ham Man”
Catherine Down
The New York Times

“Writing an Iranian Cookbook in an Age of Anxiety”
Naz Deravian
The Atlantic

Personal Essay, Short Form
“Doritos is Developing Lady-Friendly Chips Because You Should Never Hear a Woman Crunch”
Maura Judkis
The Washington Post

“I’m a Chef with Terminal Cancer. This Is What I’m Doing with the Time I Have Left”*
Fatima Ali
Bon Appétit

“Savoring the School Lunch”
Rebekah Denn
The Seattle Times

Profile
“Heaven Was a Place in Harlem”
Vince Dixon
Eater

“The Short and Brilliant Life of Ernest Matthew Mickler”*
Michael Adno
The Bitter Southerner

“‘You Died’: The Resurrection of a Cook in the Heart of SF’s Demanding Culinary Scene”
Jonathan Kauffman
San Francisco Chronicle

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages
“The Gulp War”
Dave Stroup
Eater

“‘Welch’s Grape Jelly with Alcohol’: How Trump’s Horrific Wine Became the Ultimate Metaphor for His Presidency”*
Corby Kummer
Vanity Fair

“Why Is the Wine World So Un-Woke?”
Jon Bonné
Punch

Publication of the Year 

The New York Times

2019 Tribeca Film Festival movie review: ‘A Taste of Sky’

April 26, 2019

by Carla Hay

"A Taste of Sky"
“A Taste of Sky” (Photo by Jeff Louis Peterman)

“A Taste of Sky”

Directed by Michael Y. Lei

International premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on April 26, 2019.

Award-winning restaurants and chefs around the world have gotten a lot of exposure, thanks to non-fiction shows like “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and “Chef’s Table.” So when there’s a documentary about a risk-taking restaurant started by a world-renowned chef, that movie better deliver something extraordinary. Unfortunately, “A Taste of Sky” falls short of those expectations and ends up being a conventional documentary with some serious flaws.

“A Taste of Sky,” the first feature film from director Michael Y. Lei, is about the creation of Gustu, a fine-dining restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia. What made Gustu different from other Bolivian restaurants is that it was founded by Danish restaurateur Claus Meyer, whose Noma restaurant in Copenhagen was named Best Restaurant in the World by Restaurant magazine from 2010 to 2012 and in 2014. Meyer also had the idea of making Gustu a culinary school for underprivileged youth who could train to become chefs. “A Taste of Sky” focuses on two of those students: Kenzo, an ambitious hunter who was raised in the Bolivian Amazon, and Maria Claudia, who is from the Andes high plains.

To its credit, the movie doesn’t shy away from the “white savior”/colonialism issue. Meyer talks about it and is fully aware that he can be perceived as an arrogant European who thinks he can tell Bolivians how to run a successful restaurant in their own country. There’s a sequence in the movie showing Bolivian chefs or restaurateurs sitting at a table, essentially saying the same thing, as they criticize Meyer for founding Gustu to boost his own ego.

Meyer denies that his intentions are driven by his ego and a “white savior” mentality, but his denials don’t ring true when viewers see that the top managers he’s hired to get Gustu up and running are Europeans. A restaurant owner who cared more about cultural inclusivity would have hired at least one qualified local Bolivian to be one of the first managers of the restaurant. Instead, the Bolivians shown working in the restaurant are all subservient to their European teachers/supervisors. Unfortunately, director Lei does not question this ethnic inequality in the film. Perhaps he was too star-struck by Meyer to ask why Bolivians were excluded from Gustu’s initial management team. The film’s written epilogue mentions that a Bolivian employee of Gustu was eventually promoted to general manager about a year after the restaurant launched. Unfortunately, the viewers of this movie don’t get to see any Bolivians in positions of power at Gustu.

And that’s not the only problem with this film. “A Taste of Sky” has a lengthy interview with Meyer telling his life story, but there’s a corny gimmick that tries to be cute: His pre-teen daughter Augusta asks the questions in the interview. It’s unknown if Augusta came up with the questions herself or if an adult provided her with the questions, but the gimmick guarantees that Meyer would be asked very easy questions. There is virtually no investigative journalism in “A Taste of Sky.”

The movie has some footage of Kenzo and Maria Claudia learning chef skills and visiting their families back in their hometowns, but it’s all framed with the tone that they would be poor, downtrodden Bolivian people with a dismal future if not for this restaurant run by Europeans who have saved them from a life of misery. Kenzo’s brother, who was also enrolled in the chef school, had to drop out, in order to help their family take care of their farm. It’s not the catastrophe that the movie wants us to think it is, mainly because Kenzo’s brother doesn’t have the passion for cooking that Kenzo has. Kenzo’s family is poor, but they’re happy, they’re close-knit, and they live comfortably off of their land. Money can’t buy that type of family happiness.

Kenzo is seen as a bright and confident pupil, and his story is given more weight than Maria Claudia’s story. There is brief mention of sexism, as Maria Claudia talks about how her family didn’t think it was appropriate for her to be enrolled in the school because she’s a woman. It’s clear that not having the emotional support of her family has affected Maria Claudia’s confidence. But sexism in the restaurant industry overall— the industry has a long history of giving male chefs more power and better opportunities than female chefs—is barely acknowledged in the movie. It’s not too much of a surprise when a male chef at a prestigious restaurant in Spain invites Kenzo to be an apprentice. Maria Claudia doesn’t get a similar opportunity. One could argue that Kenzo is simply more talented than Maria Claudia, but the movie doesn’t really go into specifics about who are the most talented students in the program.

Worst of all, for a documentary about the opening of a restaurant, there is hardly any mention of the restaurant’s first menu or how the restaurant was marketed to customers. There are brief glimpses of food after it’s been plated, but what’s actually on the plate isn’t really explained. Crocodile is mentioned as a popular Bolivian entrée, but the movie never details what makes Gustu’s menu so special from the menus at other Bolivian restaurants.

In the movie, Bolivia is described as a third-world country that’s the poorest in South America, and Meyer wanted to launch Gustu as a fine-dining restaurant to help uplift the Bolivian economy. But the movie doesn’t even mention how pricing was chosen in order to market a “luxury” restaurant in a “poor” country. Customers aren’t interviewed, so there’s no sense of who goes to this restaurant. There are some lovely shots of the Bolivian terrain, and plenty of scenes that take place in the kitchen, but viewers don’t get to experience Gustu’s inner ambience from a customer’s point of view. In the end, “A Taste of Sky” could have been a fascinating documentary about a groundbreaking restaurant. Instead, it seems as if the filmmakers bent too far backwards to accommodate Meyer’s ego, and the whole movie looks like a superficial vanity project.

2019 James Beard Awards: complete list of nominees

March 27, 2019

James Beard Awards

The 2019 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards will take place May 6 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. The 2019 James Beard Media Awards, which honor those in the media who cover the culinary industry, will take place April 26 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. The awards will be streamed live on Twitter.

Here is the complete list of  nominations for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.

2019 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

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.

Angler
San Francisco

Atomix
NYC

Bavel
Los Angeles

Frenchette
NYC

Majordomo
Los Angeles

Outstanding Baker
A pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a retail bakery. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Zachary Golper
Bien Cuit
NYC

Maura Kilpatrick
Sofra Bakery and Café
Cambridge, MA

Lisa Ludwinski
Sister Pie
Detroit

Avery Ruzicka
Manresa Bread
Los Gatos, CA

Greg Wade
Publican Quality Bread
Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates exceptional care and skill in the selection, preparation, and serving of cocktails, spirits, and/or beer.

Bar Agricole
San Francisco

Dead Rabbit
NYC

Kimball House
Decatur, GA

Lost Lake
Chicago

Ticonderoga Club
Atlanta

Outstanding Chef (Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters)
A chef who sets high culinary standards and who has served as a positive example for other food professionals. Must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

Ashley Christensen
Poole’s Diner
Raleigh, NC

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Corey Lee
Benu
San Francisco

Donald Link
Herbsaint
New Orleans

Marc Vetri
Vetri Cucina
Philadelphia

Outstanding Pastry Chef (Presented by Lavazza)
A pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a restaurant. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Juan Contreras
Atelier Crenn
San Francisco

Kelly Fields
Willa Jean
New Orleans

Meg Galus
Boka
Chicago

Margarita Manzke
République
Los Angeles

Pichet Ong
Brothers and Sisters
Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurant (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
A restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, service, and operations. Must have been in business 10 or more consecutive years.

Balthazar
NYC

FIG
Charleston, SC

Jaleo
Washington, D.C.

Quince
San Francisco

Zahav
Philadelphia

Outstanding Restaurateur (Presented by Magellan Corporation)
A restaurateur who demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship and integrity in restaurant operations. Must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past five years.

Hugh Acheson
Empire State South, Five & Ten, The National, and others
Atlanta

Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz
Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro, and others)
Chicago

JoAnn Clevenger
Upperline
New Orleans

Ken Oringer
Little Donkey, Toro, Uni, and others
Boston

Alex Raij and Eder Montero
La Vara, Txikito, Saint Julivert Fisherie, and others
NYC

Ellen Yin
High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, High Street on Market, High Street on Hudson)
Philadelphia

Outstanding Service
A restaurant in operation for five or more years that demonstrates consistency and exceptional thoughtfulness in hospitality and service.

Brigtsen’s
New Orleans

Canlis
Seattle

Frasca Food and Wine
Boulder, CO

Saison
San Francisco

Swan Oyster Depot
San Francisco

Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Ann Arbor, MI

Outstanding Wine Program (Presented by Robert Mondavi Winery)
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in wine service through a carefully considered wine list and a well-informed approach to helping customers choose and drink wine.

Bacchanal
New Orleans

Benu
San Francisco

Miller Union
Atlanta

Night + Market
Los Angeles

Spiaggia
Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer
A beer, wine, or spirits producer who demonstrates consistency and exceptional skill in his or her craft.

Cathy Corison
Corison Winery
St. Helena, CA

Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell
High Wire Distilling Co.
Charleston, SC

Steve Matthiasson
Matthiasson Wines
Napa, CA

Rob Tod
Allagash Brewing Company
Portland, ME

Lance Winters
St. George Spirits
Alameda, CA

Rising Star Chef of the Year (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
A chef age 30 or younger who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability, and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.

Ana Castro
Coquette
New Orleans

Alisha Elenz
MFK
Chicago

Alexander Hong
Sorrel
San Francisco

Jesse Ito
Royal Izakaya
Philadelphia

Kwame Onwuachi
Kith and Kin
Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Yao
Kato
Los Angeles

Best Chefs in America
Chefs who set high culinary standards and also demonstrate integrity and admirable leadership skills in their respective regions. A nominee may be from any kind of dining establishment but must have been working as a chef for at least five years, with the three most recent years spent in the region.

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Diana Dávila
Mi Tocaya Antojería
Chicago

Jason Hammel
Lula Café
Chicago

Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark
Parachute
Chicago

David Posey and Anna Posey
Elske
Chicago

Noah Sandoval
Oriole
Chicago

Lee Wolen
Boka
Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Amy Brandwein
Centrolina
Washington, D.C.

Tom Cunanan
Bad Saint
Washington, D.C.

Rich Landau
Vedge
Philadelphia

Cristina Martinez
South Philly Barbacoa
Philadelphia

Cindy Wolf
Charleston
Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Michael Corvino
Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room
Kansas City, MO

Michael Gallina
Vicia
St. Louis

Ann Kim
Young Joni
Minneapolis

Jamie Malone
Grand Café
Minneapolis

Christina Nguyen
Hai Hai
Minneapolis

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)

Sean Gray
Momofuku Ko

Brooks Headley
Superiority Burger

Daniela Soto-Innes
Atla

Alex Stupak
Empellón Midtown

Jody Williams and Rita Sodi
Via Carota

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT)

Tiffani Faison
Tiger Mama
Boston

James Mark
North
Providence

Tony Messina
Uni
Boston

Cassie Piuma
Sarma
Somerville, MA

Benjamin Sukle
Oberlin
Providence

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Peter Cho
Han Oak
Portland, OR

Katy Millard
Coquine
Portland, OR

Brady Williams
Canlis
Seattle

Justin Woodward
Castagna
Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi
Joule
Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)

Vishwesh Bhatt
Snackbar
Oxford, MS

Jose Enrique
Jose Enrique
San Juan, PR

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus
Coquette
New Orleans

Slade Rushing
Brennan’s
New Orleans

Isaac Toups
Toups’ Meatery
New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Mashama Bailey
The Grey
Savannah, GA

Katie Button
Cúrate
Asheville, NC

Cassidee Dabney
The Barn at Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN

Ryan Smith
Staplehouse
Atlanta

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
Memphis

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)

Charleen Badman
FnB
Scottsdale, AZ

Kevin Fink
Emmer & Rye
Austin

Michael Fojtasek
Olamaie
Austin

Bryce Gilmore
Barley Swine
Austin

Steve McHugh
Cured
San Antonio

Best Chef: West (CA, HI, NV)

Michael Cimarusti
Providence
Los Angeles

Jeremy Fox
Rustic Canyon
Santa Monica, CA

Jessica Koslow
Sqirl
Los Angeles

Travis Lett
Gjelina
Venice, CA

Joshua Skenes
Saison
San Francisco

2019 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Design Awards

Winners will be announced on May 6, 2019.

75 Seats and Under
Firms: Heliotrope Architects and Price Erickson Interior Design
Project: Willmott’s Ghost, Seattle

Firm: Roman and Williams
Project: La Mercerie, NYC

Firm: Studio Writers
Project: Atomix, NYC

76 Seats and Over
Firm: Land and Sea Dept.
Project: Lonesome Rose, Chicago

Firm: studio razavi architecture
Project: Boqueria, NYC

Firm: Parts and Labor Design
Project: Pacific Standard Time, Chicago

Other Eating and Drinking Places
Firm: AvroKO
Project: China Live, San Francisco

Firm: Schwartz and Architecture (S^A)
Project: El Pípila, San Francisco

Firm: Summer Ops
Project: Island Oyster, NYC

Design Icon
Canlis
Seattle

The following honorees will accept their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 6 at Lyric Opera of Chicago:

2019 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics

(Presented by American Airlines)

Pho 79
Garden Grove, CA
Owners: Tong Trần and Liễu Trần

Jim’s Steak & Spaghetti House
Huntington, WV
Owners: Jimmie Carder, Larry Tweel and Ron Tweel

A&A Bake & Double Roti Shop
Brooklyn, NY
Owners: Noel and Geeta Brown

Sehnert’s Bakery & Bieroc Café
McCook, NE
Owners: Matt and Shelly Sehnert

Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse
Washington, D.C.
Owner: Paul Katinas

2019 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

The Giving Kitchen
Non-profit that provides emergency assistance to food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.

2019 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Patrick O’Connell
Multiple James Beard Award-Winning Chef; Chef & Owner, The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA

2019 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

For cookbooks and other non-fiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2018. Winners will be announced on April 26, 2019.

American
A Common Table: 80 Recipes and Stories from My Shared Cultures
Cynthia Chen McTernan
(Rodale)

Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day
JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers
(Flatiron Books)

Sweet Home Café Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking
Albert G. Lukas and Jessica B. Harris
(Smithsonian Books)

Baking and Desserts
Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing
Jerrelle Guy
(Page Street Publishing Co.)

Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies
Cathy Barrow
(Grand Central Publishing)

SUQAR: Desserts & Sweets from the Modern Middle East
Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf
(Hardie Grant Books)

Beverage
Apéritif: Cocktail Hour the French Way
Rebekah Peppler
(Clarkson Potter)

The Aviary Cocktail Book
Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas, Micah Melton, Allen Hemberger, and Sarah Hemberger
(The Alinea Group)

Cocktail Codex
Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan, with Devon Tarby
(Ten Speed Press)

Wine Folly: Magnum Edition
Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack
(Avery)

General
Everyday Dorie
Dorie Greenspan
(Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Milk Street: Tuesday Nights
Christopher Kimball
(Little, Brown and Company)

Ottolenghi Simple
Yotam Ottolenghi
(Ten Speed Press)

Health and Special Diets
The Complete Diabetes Cookbook
Editors at America’s Test Kitchen
(America’s Test Kitchen)

Eat a Little Better
Sam Kass
(Clarkson Potter)

More with Less
Jodi Moreno
(Roost Books)

International
Feast: Food of the Islamic World
Anissa Helou
(Ecco)

The Food of Northern Thailand
Austin Bush
(Clarkson Potter)

I Am a Filipino
Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad
(Artisan Books)

Photography
Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food
Nik Sharma
(Chronicle Books)

Tokyo New Wave
Andrea Fazzari
(Ten Speed Press)

Wild: Adventure Cookbook
Luisa Brimble
(Prestel Publishing)

Reference, History, and Scholarship
Canned: The Rise and Fall of Consumer Confidence in the American Food Industry
Anna Zeide
(University of California Press)

Catfish Dream: Ed Scott’s Fight for His Family Farm and Racial Justice in the Mississippi Delta
Julian Rankin
(University of Georgia Press)

Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Culture
Justin Nystrom
(University of Georgia Press)

Restaurant and Professional
Chicken and Charcoal: Yakitori, Yardbird, Hong Kong
Matt Abergel
(Phaidon Press)

From the Earth: World’s Great, Rare and Almost Forgotten Vegetables
Peter Gilmore
(Hardie Grant Books)

Rich Table
Evan Rich and Sarah Rich
(Chronicle Books)

Single Subject
Bread & Butter: History, Culture, Recipes
Richard Snapes, Grant Harrington, and Eve Hemingway
(Quadrille Publishing)

Goat: Cooking and Eating
James Whetlor
(Quadrille Publishing)

Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces
Bill Kim with Chandra Ram
(Ten Speed Press)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking
Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta: A Vegetarian Cookbook, Kind Of
Cal Peternell
(William Morrow Cookbooks)

Saladish
Ilene Rosen
(Artisan Books)

Vegetarian Viet Nam
Cameron Stauch
(W. W. Norton & Company)

Writing
Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine
Edward Lee
(Artisan Books)

Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat
Jonathan Kauffman
(William Morrow)

Pasta, Pane, Vino: Deep Travels Through Italy’s Food Culture
Matt Goulding
(Harper Wave/Anthony Bourdain)

The winner of the Book of the Year Award and the Cookbook Hall of Fame inductee will be announced on April 26, 2019.

2019 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards

For radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts, and documentaries appearing in 2018. Winners will be announced on April 26, 2019.

Documentary
Chef Flynn
Airs on: Hulu, iTunes, and YouTube

Funke
Airs on: LA Film Festival and Tastemade

Modified
Airs on: Film festivals and Vimeo

Online Video, Fixed Location and/or Instructional
Handcrafted – How to Make Handmade Soba Noodles    
Airs on: Bon Appétit

Mad Genius – Crispy Cheese Sticks; Waffled Okonomiyaki; and Puff Pastry
Airs on: Food & Wine, YouTube, and Facebook

MasterClass – Dominique Ansel Teaches French Pastry Fundamentals
Airs on: MasterClass

Online Video, on Location
First We Feast’s Food Skills – Mozzarella Kings of New York
Airs on: YouTube

Kitchen Unnecessary – Fire Morels
Airs on: YouTube, Facebook

NPR Foraging – Eating Wild Sea Creatures; You Can Eat Dandelions; and The Hunt for Morels
Airs on: NPR

Outstanding Personality
Samin Nosrat
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Airs on: Netflix

Marcus Samuelsson
No Passport Required
Airs on: PBS

Molly Yeh
Girl Meets Farm
Airs on: Food Network

Outstanding Reporting
Deep Dive and Food for Thought, 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Reporter: David Chang
Airs on: NBC, NBCSN

In Real Life – Why You MUST Try Native American Cuisine
Reporter: Yara Elmjouie
Airs on: YouTube, AJ+

The Sporkful – Yewande Finds Her Super Power
Reporter: Dan Pashman
Airs on: Stitcher

Podcast
Copper & Heat – Be a Girl
Airs on: Copper & Heat, iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher

The Feed – Paletas and Other Icy Treats
Airs on: PodcastOne

Racist Sandwich – Erasing Black Barbecue
Airs on: iTunes, Racist Sandwich, and Stitcher

Radio Show
California Foodways – Providing a Taste of Oaxaca to Central Valley; Can Ag and Wildlife Co-Exist? Rice Farmers Think So; and Frozen Burrito Royalty in the Central Valley
Airs on: KQED, California Foodways

The Food Chain – Raw Grief and Widowed
Airs on: BBC World Service

KCRW’s Good Food – Remembering Jonathan Gold
Airs on: KCRW

Special (on TV or Online)
Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown – Little Los Angeles
Airs on: CNN, Explore Parts Unknown, Roads & Kingdoms

Spencer’s BIG Holiday
Airs on: Gusto

Taste Buds – Chefsgiving
Airs on: ABC

Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location
Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro – Mary Poppins Show
Airs on: Food Network

Good Eats: Reloaded – Steak Your Claim
Airs on: Cooking Channel

Pati’s Mexican Table – Tijuana: Stories from the Border
Airs on: WETA Washington; Distributed Nationally by American Public Television

Television Program, on Location
The Migrant Kitchen – Man’oushe
Airs on: KCET and Link TV

Salt Fat Acid Heat – Salt
Airs on: Netflix

Ugly Delicious – Fried Chicken
Airs on: Netflix

Visual and Technical Excellence
Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown
Sarah Hagey, August Thurmer, and Kate Kunath
Airs on: CNN, Explore Parts Unknown, Roads & Kingdoms

Chef’s Table
Will Basanta, Adam Bricker, and Danny O’Malley
Airs on: Netflix

From The Wild – Season 4
Kevin Kossowan
Airs on: Vimeo

2019 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards

For articles published in English in 2018. Winners will be announced on April 26, 2019.

Columns
America’s Best Worst Cook: “Hi, I’m America’s Best Worst Cook”; “Dear Chefs, Will Eating This Kill Me?” and “How to Roast a Chicken? The Answers Are Horrifying.”
JJ Goode
Taste

Local Fare: “The Question of Dinner”; “Dixie Vodka”; and “Folk Witness”
John T. Edge
Oxford American

What We Talk About When We Talk About American Food: “The Pickled Cucumbers That Survived the 1980s AIDS Epidemic”; “A Second Look at the Tuna Sandwich’s All-American History”; and “Freedom and Borscht for Ukrainian-Jewish Émigrés”
Mari Uyehara
Taste

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award
Counter Intelligence: “The Hearth & Hound, April Bloomfield’s New Los Angeles Restaurant, Is Nothing Like a Gastropub”; “There’s Crocodile and Hog Stomach, but Jonathan Gold Is All About the Crusty Rice at Nature Pagoda”; and “At Middle Eastern Restaurants, It All Starts with Hummus. Jonathan Gold says Bavel’s Is Magnificent”
Jonathan Gold
Los Angeles Times

“The Fire Gods of Washington, D.C.”; “David Chang’s Majordomo Is No Minor Feat”; and “North America’s Best Cantonese Food Is in Canada”
Bill Addison
Eater

“The Four Seasons Returns. But Can It Come Back?” “Why David Chang Matters”; and “A Celebration of Black Southern Food, at JuneBaby in Seattle”
Pete Wells
The New York Times

Dining and Travel
Chau Down: “A New Orleans Food Diary”; “A Portland Food Diary”; and “A Chicago Food Diary”
Danny Chau
The Ringer

“Dim Sum Is Dead, Long Live Dim Sum”
Max Falkowitz
Airbnb Magazine

“Many Chinas, Many Tables”
Jonathan Kauffman and Team
San Francisco Chronicle

Feature Reporting
“Big in Japan”
Tejal Rao
The New York Times Magazine

“A Kingdom from Dust”
Mark Arax
The California Sunday Magazine

“Shell Game: Saving Florida’s Oysters Could Mean Killing a Way of Life”
Laura Reiley and Eve Edelheit
Tampa Bay Times

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication
New York Magazine
Robin Raisfeld, Rob Patronite, Maggie Bullock, and the Staff of New York Magazine

Roads & Kingdoms
Nathan Thornburgh, Matt Goulding, Anup Kaphle, and the Roads & Kingdoms Team

T: The New York Times Style Magazine
Kurt Soller, Hanya Yanagihara, and the Staff of T Magazine

Foodways
“Back to Where It All Began: I Had Never Eaten in Ghana Before. But My Ancestors Had.”
Michael W. Twitty
Bon Appétit

“A Hunger for Tomatoes”
Shane Mitchell
The Bitter Southerner

“What is Northern Food?”
Steve Hoffman
Artful Living

Health and Wellness
“Clean Label’s Dirty Little Secret”
Nadia Berenstein
The New Food Economy

“The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right” and “The Last Conversation You’ll Need to Have on Eating Right: The Follow-ups”
Mark Bittman and David L. Katz
New York Magazine / Grub Street

“‘White People Food’ Is Creating An Unattainable Picture Of Health”
Kristen Aiken
HuffPost

Home Cooking
“Melissa Clark’s Thanksgiving”
Melissa Clark
The New York Times

“The Subtle Thrills of Cold Chicken Salad”
Cathy Erway
Taste

“Top Secret Ingredients”
Kathleen Purvis
Garden & Gun

Innovative Storytelling
“In Search of Water-Boiled Fish”
Angie Wang
Eater

“100 Most Jewish Foods”
Alana Newhouse, Gabriella Gershenson, and Stephanie Butnick
Tablet Magazine

“What’s in a Food Truck?”
Bonnie Berkowitz, Seth Blanchard, Aaron Steckelberg, and Monica Ulmanu
The Washington Post

Investigative Reporting
“‘It’s Not Fair, Not Right’: How America Treats Its Black Farmers”
Debbie Weingarten and Audra Mulkern
The Guardian and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project

“A Killing Season”
Boyce Upholt
The New Republic

“Victims Blame FDA for Food-Recall Failures”
Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan
Politico

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award

“Storied Ovens”; “Food Outside the U.S. Open Gates”; and “A New Destination for Chinese Food: Not Flushing, but Forest Hills”
Max Falkowitz
The New York Times; Plate Magazine

“My Dinner at the Playboy Club”; “Curry and Roti Destination Singh’s Lights Up Queens”; and “Where New Yorkers Actually Eat in Times Square”
Robert Sietsema
Eater NY

“Yes Indeed, Lord: Queen’s Cuisine, Where Everything Comes from the Heart”; “Top 10 New Orleans Restaurants for 2019”; and “Sexual Harassment Allegations Preceded Sucré Co-Founder Tariq Hanna’s Departure”
Brett Anderson
Nola.com | The Times-Picayune

M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award
“A Kingdom from Dust”
Mark Arax
The California Sunday Magazine

“The Poet’s Table”
Mayukh Sen
Poetry Foundation

“What Is Northern Food?”
Steve Hoffman
Artful Living

Personal Essay, Long Form
“I Made the Pizza Cinnamon Rolls from Mario Batali’s Sexual Misconduct Apology Letter”
Geraldine DeRuiter
Everywhereist.com

“Need to Find Me? Ask My Ham Man”
Catherine Down
The New York Times

“Writing an Iranian Cookbook in an Age of Anxiety”
Naz Deravian
The Atlantic

Personal Essay, Short Form
“Doritos is Developing Lady-Friendly Chips Because You Should Never Hear a Woman Crunch”
Maura Judkis
The Washington Post

“I’m a Chef with Terminal Cancer. This Is What I’m Doing with the Time I Have Left”
Fatima Ali
Bon Appétit

“Savoring the School Lunch”
Rebekah Denn
The Seattle Times

Profile
“Heaven Was a Place in Harlem”
Vince Dixon
Eater

“The Short and Brilliant Life of Ernest Matthew Mickler”
Michael Adno
The Bitter Southerner

“‘You Died’: The Resurrection of a Cook in the Heart of SF’s Demanding Culinary Scene”
Jonathan Kauffman
San Francisco Chronicle

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages
“The Gulp War”
Dave Stroup
Eater

“‘Welch’s Grape Jelly with Alcohol’: How Trump’s Horrific Wine Became the Ultimate Metaphor for His Presidency”
Corby Kummer
Vanity Fair

“Why Is the Wine World So Un-Woke?”
Jon Bonné
Punch

Publication of the Year will be decided by the members of the James Beard Awards Journalism Committee and will be announced at the awards ceremony.

2018 James Beard Awards: ABC to air ‘JBFA: Stories From the 2018 James Beard Awards’

June 20, 2018

2018 James Beard Awards, hosted by Carla Hall

The following is a press release from ABC:

A one-hour special from the James Beard Foundation (JBF) and Intersport, “JBFA: Stories from the 2018 James Beard Awards,” showcasing the prestigious James Beard Awards for culinary excellence in a way that has never been seen before on network television – through the lens of a documentarian – will premiere on The ABC Television Network, Sunday, June 24 (4:00–5:00 p.m. EDT/3:00–4:00 p.m. PDT).

The television special will feature many of the meaningful stories of the night from the 2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Gala. The show includes profiles on the Outstanding Chef Award nominees, as well as the winning moments and background stories of the winners of Rising Star (Camille Cosgrove), Outstanding Restaurant (Highlands), Humanitarian (José Andrés) and Lifetime Achievement (Paula Wolfert) awards.

In addition, the special highlighting the importance of the James Beard Awards to the American culinary industry features entertaining soundbites from Carla Hall, Gail Simmons, Martha Stewart, Marcus Samuelsson, Mourad Lahlou, Andrew Zimmern, Michael Solomonov, Rick Bayless and the JBF’s Chief Executive Officer Clare Reichenbach, Executive Vice President Mitchell Davis and Vice President Kris Moon.

The unique backstories of the five Outstanding Chef Nominees and their wide-ranging and diverse connections to the winners of the night’s other major awards will emphasize the supportive and close-knit culinary community in the United States in this special celebration of their culinary achievements.

About the James Beard Foundation (JBF)
The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. For more than 30 years, the Foundation has accomplished this mission through programs that highlight food’s central role in our lives. In addition to hosting guest-chef dinners throughout the year at the historic James Beard House in New York City, the Foundation administers the James Beard Awards; grants scholarships for culinary students; produces national events that include our Taste America tour; and creates educational programs for the culinary community and food lovers. The Foundation addresses the growing challenges facing our food system through its Impact Programs, which include the Leadership Awards; Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change; Issue Summits; and Culinary Labs. Industry issues, such as gender imbalance and diversity in culinary leadership, are addressed through our Industry Programs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org and follow @beardfoundation on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Retail Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Property Creation, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps its clients engage consumers with compelling ideas, content and experiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersportnet.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

IHOP changes its brand name and menu to IHOb, focusing on burgers

June 11, 2018

(Photo courtesy of IHOb)

IHOb
New Ultimate Steakburgers from IHOb (Photo courtesy of IHOb)

The following is a press release from IHOb:

IHOP® Restaurants announces that it is going by a new name – IHOb. For burgers. Since the news broke last week on the brand’s social media sites, fans can’t get enough with more than 30,000* people speculating what the change could “b”, guessing everything from bacon to brunch to bananas. The change, in fact, celebrates the debut of the brand’s new Ultimate Steakburgers, a line-up of seven mouth-watering, all-natural burgers. Each Ultimate Steakburger starts with 100% USDA Choice, Black Angus ground beef that is smashed on the grill to sear in the juices and flavor before being topped with premium ingredients and sandwiched between a buttered and grilled Brioche bun. According to a company spokesburger, “These burgers are so burgerin’ good, we re-burgered our name to the International House of Burgers!”

 

To show the brand is as serious about burgers as it is about its world-famous pancakes, it’s flipped the “p” to a “b” in their iconic name for the time being, including its Twitter handle. A flagship IHOb restaurant in Hollywood, CA, has also been completely re-burgered and will play host to the VIB launch party the evening of June 11. But even those who aren’t near Los Angeles can get in on burgermania at IHOb — new Ultimate Steakburgers are available nationwide and for a limited time, come with unlimited fries and a drink starting at $6.99 at participating locations**.

IHOb’s Ultimate Steakburgers come in seven varieties that will satisfy burger cravings morning, noon and night. The line-up, which includes both distinctive and classic flavors, is available at IHOb restaurants nationwide starting today:

  • Big Brunch – IHOb knows how to put breakfast on a burger. The Big Brunch Steakburger includes IHOP’s custom-cured, hickory-smoked bacon, a fried egg, a crispy browned potato, American cheese and a delicious new signature burger sauce that compliments the savory flavors.
  • Cowboy BBQ – This may be how the West was won. This sky-high Steakburger includes two thick, crispy onion rings, custom-cured hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mouthwatering tangy BBQ sauce.
  • Jalapeño Kick – For those who like a little excitement in their lives, there’s the Jalapeño Kick Steakburger with a spicy blend of sautéed jalapeños, Serrano peppers and onion, custom-cured hickory-smoked bacon, Pepper-Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and jalapeño mayo.
  • Mushroom & Swiss – A match made in burger heaven with a blend of sautéed mushrooms and onions, Swiss cheese and creamy mayo.
  • The Classic – Truly a burger classic…melting American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and the brand’s new signature Steakburger sauce.
  • The Classic with Bacon – Only bacon can improve on an American classic, which is made with custom-cured hickory-smoked bacon, melting American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and the brand’s signature burger sauce.
  • Mega Monster – No need to fear this monster…two premium Steakburger patties, American and White Cheddar cheeses, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and the brand’s signature sauce.

“Burgers are a quintessential, American menu item so it makes perfect sense that IHOP, one of the most iconic, all-American comfort-food brands in the world, would go over the top to create a delicious line-up of quality burgers that hit the spot any time of day,” said Chef Nevielle Panthaky, Head of Culinary at IHOb. “Our new Ultimate Steakburgers are made with all-natural, 100% USDA Choice, Black Angus ground beef that is smashed on the grill to create a sear that locks in the juices and flavor. With seven different burger builds, all Steakburgers are custom built and piled high with premium quality ingredients and unique, signature sauces in between a buttered and grilled Brioche bun. There’s definitely a juicy Steakburger for whatever you might be craving at any time of day! The IHOP Culinary team took the creation of these Steakburgers as seriously as we take innovation around our pancakes, which means they’re soon to become world famous, too.”

To spread the news about their new burgers and their new name, IHOb is shouting it from the rooftops. Literally. Droga5’s latest creative campaign for the brand puts an overly-excited IHOb manager atop IHOP’s iconic and slightly dangerous blue rooftop. From this precarious position, the manager risks life and limb to spread the word… or should we say, the letter, b. For burgers. The spot will air nationally on TV, online and on social media beginning today, and can be viewed here.

“Everyone knows that IHOP makes world-famous pancakes so we felt like the best way to convince them that we are as serious about our new line of Ultimate Steakburgers as we are about our pancakes, was to change our name to IHOb,” said Brad Haley, Chief Marketing Officer for IHOb restaurants. “We’ve pancaked pancakes for 60 years now so it’s the perfect time to start burgerin’ burgers, and we’re kicking it off by flipping the ‘p’ in IHOP to a ‘b’ for burgers. And, when you try them, I think you’ll agree with me that IHOb’s new line of Ultimate Steakburgers are so good that I’d put them up against anyone’s … just like our pancakes.”

Guests can visit IHOP.com to learn more about the new Ultimate Steakburgers, the IHOb flip, and the flagship burger location, and find their nearest restaurant.

*Based on the number of Tweets responding to the IHOb post

**Bundle offer for a limited time only. Price and participation may vary by location.

“IHOb” is a slogan mark of IHOP Restaurants.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC
For 60 years, IHOP has been a leader, innovator and expert in all things breakfast, any time of day. The chain offers 65 different signature, fresh, made-to-order breakfast options, a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items as well as meals under 600 calories. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. Today, there are more than 1,750 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam as well as Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Thailand, India and The Philippines. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates of Glendale, Calif.-based Dine Brands Global,Inc. (NYSE:  DIN).

2018 James Beard Awards: complete list of winners

May 7, 2018

James Beard Awards

The 2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, hosted by Carla Hall, took place May 7 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. The 2018 James Beard Media Awards, which honor those in the media who cover the culinary industry, took place April 27 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Tamron Hall hosted the show. For the first time this year, the awards were streamed live on Twitter.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.

*=winner

2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

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 Charter Oak
St. Helena, CA

Empellón Midtown
NYC

Felix Trattoria
Venice, CA

JuneBaby*
Seattle

Kismet
Los Angeles

Outstanding Baker (Presented by Taylor Precision Products)
A chef or baker who prepares breads, pastries, or desserts in a retail bakery, and who serves as a national standard-bearer of excellence. Must have been a baker or pastry chef for at least five years.

Dianna Daoheung
Black Seed Bagels
NYC

Zachary Golper
Bien Cuit
Brooklyn, NY

Maura Kilpatrick
Sofra Bakery and Café
Cambridge, MA

Belinda Leong and Michel Suas*
B. Patisserie
San Francisco

Alison Pray
Standard Baking Co.
Portland, ME

Greg Wade
Publican Quality Bread
Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program (Presented by Woodford Reserve Bourbon)
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktail, spirits, and/or beer service.

Anvil Bar & Refuge
Houston

Bar Agricole
San Francisco

Clyde Common
Portland, OR

Cure*
New Orleans

Kimball House
Decatur, GA

Trick Dog
San Francisco

Outstanding Chef (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. Eligible candidates must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

Ashley Christensen
Poole’s Diner
Raleigh, NC

Gabrielle Hamilton*
Prune
NYC

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Christopher Kostow
The Restaurant at Meadowood
St. Helena, CA

Donald Link
Herbsaint
New Orleans

Outstanding Pastry Chef (Presented by Lavazza)
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads in a restaurant, and who serves as a national standard bearer of excellence. Must have been a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Kelly Fields
Willa Jean
New Orleans

Meg Galus
Boka
Chicago

Margarita Manzke
République
Los Angeles

Dolester Miles*
Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, AL

Diane Yang
Spoon and Stable
Minneapolis

Outstanding Restaurant (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
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.

Balthazar
NYC

Canlis
Seattle

Frasca Food and Wine
Boulder, CO

Highlands Bar & Grill*
Birmingham, AL

Quince
San Francisco

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 five years.

Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz
Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, GT Fish & Oyster, Girl & the Goat, and others)
Chicago

JoAnn Clevenger
Upperline
New Orleans

Ken Oringer
Uni, Little Donkey, Toro, and others
Boston

Caroline Styne*
The Lucques Group (Lucques, a.o.c., Tavern, and others)
Los Angeles

Ellen Yin
High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, High Street on Market, High Street on Hudson, and others)
Philadelphia

Outstanding Service 
A restaurant in operation five or more years that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service.

Boka
Chicago

Saison
San Francisco

Zahav
Philadelphia

Zingerman’s Delicatessen
Ann Arbor, MI

Zuni Café*
San Francisco

Outstanding Wine Program (Presented by Robert Mondavi Winery)
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.

a.o.c.
Los Angeles

Bacchanal
New Orleans

Benu
San Francisco

FIG*
Charleston, SC

The Little Nell
Aspen, CO

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional 
A beer, wine, or spirits professional who has made a significant national impact on the restaurant industry.

Cathy Corison
Corison Winery
St. Helena, CA

Diane Flynt
Foggy Ridge Cider
Dugspur, VA

Miljenko Grgich*
Grgich Hills Estate
Rutherford, CA

Steve Matthiasson
Matthiasson Wines
Napa, CA

Lance Winters
St. George Spirits
Alameda, CA

Rising Star Chef of the Year (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
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.

Camille Cogswell*
Zahav
Philadelphia

Clare de Boer
King
NYC

Sarah Rinkavage
Marisol
Chicago

Miles Thompson
Michael’s
Santa Monica, CA

Kevin Tien
Himitsu
Washington, D.C.

Best Chefs in America
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.

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Andrew Brochu
Roister
Chicago

Abraham Conlon*
Fat Rice
Chicago

Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark
Parachute
Chicago

David Posey and Anna Posey
Elske
Chicago

Lee Wolen
Boka
Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Amy Brandwein
Centrolina
Washington, D.C.

Tom Cunanan
Bad Saint
Washington, D.C.

Rich Landau
Vedge
Philadelphia

Jeremiah Langhorne*
The Dabney
Washington, D.C.

Cindy Wolf
Charleston
Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Karen Bell
Bavette La Boucherie
Milwaukee

Steven Brown
Tilia
Minneapolis

Justin Carlisle
Ardent
Milwaukee

Gavin Kaysen*
Spoon and Stable
Minneapolis

Ann Kim
Young Joni
Minneapolis

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
Amanda Cohen
Dirt Candy

Ignacio Mattos
Estela

Missy Robbins*
Lilia
Brooklyn, NY

Alex Stupak
Empellón Midtown

Jody Williams
Buvette Gastrothèque

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)
Karen Akunowicz*
Myers + Chang
Boston

Tiffani Faison
Tiger Mama
Boston

Tony Messina
Uni
Boston

Cassie Piuma
Sarma
Somerville, MA

Benjamin Sukle
Oberlin
Providence

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)
Edouardo Jordan*
Salare
Seattle

Katy Millard
Coquine
Portland, OR

Bonnie Morales
Kachka
Portland, OR

Justin Woodward
Castagna
Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi
Joule
Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
Vishwesh Bhatt
Snackbar
Oxford, MS

Nina Compton*
Compère Lapin
New Orleans

Jose Enrique
Jose Enrique
San Juan, PR

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus
Coquette
New Orleans

Brad Kilgore
Alter
Miami

Slade Rushing
Brennan’s
New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Mashama Bailey
The Grey
Savannah, GA

Katie Button
Nightbell
Asheville, NC

Cassidee Dabney
The Barn at Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN

Rodney Scott*
Rodney Scott’s BBQ
Charleston, SC

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
Memphis

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)
Michael Fojtasek
Olamaie
Austin

Bryce Gilmore
Barley Swine
Austin

Steve McHugh
Cured
San Antonio

Martín Rios
Restaurant Martín
Santa Fe

Alex Seidel*
Mercantile Dining & Provision
Denver

Best Chef: West (CA, HI, NV)
Michael Cimarusti
Providence
Los Angeles

Dominique Crenn*
Atelier Crenn
San Francisco

Jeremy Fox
Rustic Canyon
Santa Monica, CA

Jessica Koslow
Sqirl
Los Angeles

Travis Lett
Gjelina
Venice, CA

2018 James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America Inductees

These recipients will accept their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 7 at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Jody Adams
Chef/Owner, TRADE, Porto, and Saloniki
Boston

Lally Brennan and Ti Adelaide Martin
Co-Proprietors, Commander’s Palace
New Orleans

Allison Hooper
Co-Founder, Vermont Creamery
Websterville, VT

Daniel Johnnes
Wine Director, The Dinex Group
New York City, NY

The following honorees will accept their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 7 at Lyric Opera of Chicago

2018 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics (Presented by TABASCO® Sauce)

Sun Wah
Chicago, IL
Owners: Kelly Cheng, Laura Cheng, and Michael Cheng

Galleria Umberto
Boston, MA
Owners: Paul Deuterio and Ralph Deuterio

Los Hernandez
Union Gap, WA
Owner: Felipe Hernandez

El Guero Canelo
Tucson, AZ
Owner: Daniel Contreras

Dong Phuong Bakery
New Orleans, LA
Owner: Linh Tran Garza

2018 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

José Andrés
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Chef; Owner, ThinkFoodGroup; Founder, World Central Kitchen

2018 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Paula Wolfert
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Author

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