James Beard Awards Finalists [and semi-finalists]

Notables in our region:

Best New Restaurant
Brindille
Nico Osteria

Outstanding Bar Program
The Violet Hour

Outstanding Chef
Carrie Nahabedian, Naha

Outstanding Pastry Chef (probably going to Dominique "Cronut" Ansel)
Dana Cree, Blackbird

Outstanding Restaurant
Spiaggia, Chicago

Outstanding Restaurateur
Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality Group, Chicago (Blackbird, Avec, Publican, etc.)

Outstanding Service
L2O
Topolobampo

Outstanding Wine Program
Sepia

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional
(no Chicago nominees)

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Jimmy Bannos Jr., The Purple Pig,
Matthew Kirkley, L2O
David Posey, Blackbird

Best Chef, Great Lakes
Myles Anton, Trattoria Stella, Traverse City, MI
Dave Beran, Next, Chicago
Neal Brown, The Libertine Liquor Bar, Indianapolis
Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo, Fat Rice, Chicago
Curtis Duffy, Grace, Chicago
Paul Fehribach, Big Jones, Chicago
Phillip Foss, EL Ideas, Chicago
Greg Hardesty, Recess, Indianapolis
Douglas Katz, Fire Food & Drink, Cleveland
Anne Kearney, Rue Dumaine, Dayton, OH
Ryan McCaskey, Acadia, Chicago
Regina Mehallick, R Bistro, Indianapolis
Brian Polcyn, Forest Grill, Birmingham, MI
Iliana Regan, Elizabeth, Chicago
Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland
David Tallent, Restaurant Tallent, Bloomington, IN
Jason Vincent, Nightwood, Chicago
Paul Virant, Vie Restaurant, Western Springs, IL
Erling Wu-Bower, Nico Osteria, Chicago
Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia, Chicago

Full semifinalists list at the Eater

Not technically "Chicago" but close enough to be a GNR...
Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional: Mike Floyd, Nick Floyd, and Simon Floyd, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN

boudreaulicious wrote:Not technically "Chicago" but close enough to be a GNR...
Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional: Mike Floyd, Nick Floyd, and Simon Floyd, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN

Thanks -- I missed that, scanning by eye.

JoelF wrote:Notables in our region:

Best New Restaurant
Brindille
Nico Osteria

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Gee, that's kind of fast. (Brindille's been open what, 8 months longer?)

Not meaning to bash Nico. I haven't been there yet. (In fact a lot of people haven't been there yet, let alone by whenever the semifinalists were decided upon.) Just struck me funny.

Roger Ramjet wrote:

JoelF wrote:Notables in our region:

Best New Restaurant
Brindille
Nico Osteria

Gee, that's kind of fast. (Brindille's been open what, 8 months longer?)

Not meaning to bash Nico. I haven't been there yet. (In fact a lot of people haven't been there yet, let alone by whenever the semifinalists were decided upon.) Just struck me funny.

The semi-finalists can be nominated by anyone. I'm not saying these 2 relatively new places won't eventually make the cut but there is some actual vetting done down the line when the semi-finalists are narrowed down to finalists.

=R=

boudreaulicious wrote:Not technically "Chicago" but close enough to be a GNR...
Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional: Mike Floyd, Nick Floyd, and Simon Floyd, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN

Chicagoland!

My point was that Brindille has been around less than a year, so it may reasonably still be counted as "new," but it has been around long enough that it can claim to have proven itself.

By contrast, Nico is a very new restaurant - it opened in December 2013. Only a very few weeks (days? less???) can have elapsed between its opening and its nomination for the "best new restaurant in Chicago" award.

More concisely, Brindille earned its nomination in a way that Nico simply did not have time to do. Some might wonder exactly what Nico's ownership did do to earn a nomination.

Even if they don't win, Nico can now use "Voted one of the 2 best new restaurants in Chicago 2013" as a tag line; which might be an asset worth pursuing, if a corporation were so inclined ....

And now the finalists are announced (source: The Eater). I don't recognize any of the journalists and cookbook writers as Chicago, so my apologies if I missed someone. Two Rising Star nominees, is a pretty good sign of the quality of Chicago's dining, or perhaps just that they've been underestimating us for too long.

Here's the Chicago-related stuff, at least:
* Lawton Stanley Architects, on Grace, for Outstanding Restaurant Design 75 seats and under
* The Violet Hour, Outstanding Bar Program
* Topolobampo, Outstanding Service
* Dana Cree, Blackbird, Outstanding Pastry Chef (tough crowd, including Tosi of Milk Bar, and Dominique "Cronut" Ansel)
* Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality Group, Outstanding Restauranteur
* Jimmy Bannos Jr., The Purple Pig, Rising Star Chef of the Year
* David Posey, Blackbird, Rising Star Chef of the Year
* Spiaggia, Outstanding Restaurant

Best chef, Great Lakes:
* Dave Beran, Next, Chicago
* Curtis Duffy, Grace, Chicago
* Paul Virant, Vie Restaurant, Western Springs, IL
* Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia, Chicago

Here's a full list of this year's finalists at the JBF's website:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/complete ... d-nominees

=R=

How does Jimmy Banos get a nom for Rising Star Chef of the Year? Maybe Veteran Chef of the Year, but doesn't Rising Star imply that he's new to the scene?

stevez wrote:How does Jimmy Banos get a nom for Rising Star Chef of the Year? Maybe Veteran Chef of the Year, but doesn't Rising Star imply that he's new to the scene?

It's JB Jr.

=R=

Junior.

Scooped by Ronnie.

JeffB wrote:Junior.

Scooped by Ronnie.

My comment stands. Jr. is a veteran by now, don't you think? Don't get me wrong, I like Purple Pig a lot. All love, respect and best wishes to JB Jr. I just think it's a strange category for him.

It's based solely on being under age 30. Comparatively, their top award for chefs requires being a chef for at least five years. So theoretically you could be both.

JoelF wrote:And now the finalists are announced (source: The Eater). I don't recognize any of the journalists and cookbook writers as Chicago, so my apologies if I missed someone.

Jacquy Pfeiffer, one of the co-founders of The French Pastry School here in Chicago, is a finalist for the Baking and Dessert book category. His book, The Art of French Pastry, is excellent and one that I would highly recommend for anyone interested in pastry.

Meet the 2014 America's Classics: Any prior mentions on LTH are linked to:

Hansen’s Sno Bliz, New Orleans
Owner: Ashley Hansen

Nick’s Italian Café, McMinnville, OR
Owners: Nick Peirano, Carmen Peirano, and Eric Ferguson

Olneyville New York System, Providence, RI
Owners: Stephanie Stevens Turini and Greg Stevens

Perini Ranch Steakhouse, Buffalo Gap, TX
Owners: Lisa and Tom Perini

Sokolowski’s University Inn, Cleveland
Owners: Bernard Sokolowski, Mary Balbier, and Michael Sokolowski

Cathy2 wrote:Hansen’s Sno Bliz, New Orleans
Owner: Ashley Hansen

Man! I used to love this place when I lived in New Orleans. It was unlike anything I'd ever had before (and since, for that matter). It's nice to see them getting some more recognition.

=R=

This American Life's Doppleganger episode's calamari/hog bung story just won a Beard award!!!

Ben Calhoun's win!

The episode that will make you never eat restaurant calamari again....

Congrats to Jimmy Bannos Jr on the award, PP continues to put out great, unpretentious food.

mamagotcha wrote:This American Life's Doppleganger episode's calamari/hog bung story just won a Beard award!!!

Ben Calhoun's win!

The episode that will make you never eat restaurant calamari again....

That was a great story.

A quick word about Chef Neal Brown: one of the most accommodating, personable auteurs I have ever had the pleasure in the culinary realm. His Explorateur was a wonderful experiment in Indianapolis. His Pizzology empire is by all accounts what the city needs. Best, tho' is his Libertine pub in the heart of downtown, I was welcomed along with my friends again and again, the design is reminiscent of Proof in Louisville, but the bartenders are fucking awesome, at hand to make something special, bullets waiting just for you.

The James Beard Foundation Awards, considered the Oscars of the American restaurant scene, is moving its ceremony to Chicago in 2015, multiple sources confirmed to the Tribune. It will be held at the Civic Opera House next May and would be the first time since the awards’ inception in 1990 the ceremony is hosted outside New York.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... 1720.story

It is very cool that the Beard Awards will bring a bunch of food journalists into town. Chicago might gain the reputation it deserves as a serious culinary destination. I just hope it doesn't have a negative impact on pricing and availability of reservations.

The James Beard Foundation will hold part of its annual culinary awards ceremony in Chicago again in 2016 and 2017, lending further credence to the city's reputation as a top-tier dining destination.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... rough-2017

FYI - Culinary Historians is hosting Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation on May 2nd. You can fine more information here.

10 Chicago restaurants, restaurateurs among James Beard Award finalists for 2017

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/re ... story.html

James Beard Awards name Topolobampo nation's Outstanding Restaurant

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/restaurants/ct-james-beard-award-winners-2017-20170501-story.html

Congratulations to the Baylesses and Topolobampo!

Boka Group, North Pond, Mi Tocaya Highlight Chicago’s 2018 James Beard Award Semifinalists

https://chicago.eater.com/2018/2/15/170 ... lists-2018

Chicago scores 14 James Beard Award finalists, sweeping best chef Great Lakes for 3rd year

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html