James Beard Awards honor industry's best

Nation's Restaurant News, May 19, 2003 by Bret Thorn

NEW YORK -- Despite a sluggish economy and what many restaurateurs throughout the country, especially at the high end, have said is the worst year in memory for business, this year's 13th annual James Beard Foundation Awards gala was a festive celebration of the culinary arts.

While last year's occasion was melancholy in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the gathering here earlier this month kicked off a year-long celebration of James Beard's 100th birthday at which the fine-dining world ate, drank and danced the night away.

"We're going to party hard today, hard," declared Aquavit co-owner Marcus Samuelsson as he accepted the James Beard Foundation Award for best chef in New York City, voicing a goal his peers embraced happily.

Zuni Cafe in San Francisco was the big winner this year, taking the coveted award for outstanding restaurant, beating out Chanterelle in New York, Galatoire's in New Orleans, Topolobampo in Chicago and Valentino in Santa Monica, Calif. "The Zuni Cafe Cookbook," by chef Judy Rodgers, also won for best book in the category of "cooking from a professional point of view" as well as for best cookbook of the year.

Eric Ripert, executive chef of Le Bernardin in New York, was named this year's outstanding chef The other nominees in that category were Mario Batali of Babbo, Tom Colicchio of Gramercy Tavern and Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar and Grill, all in New York, and Nobu Matsuhisa of Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, Calif.

"I feel very lucky to live off my passion," Ripert said, and he thanked his mentors, Joel Robuchon, Gilbert Le Coze and Jean-Louis Palladin.

"I'm just glad that we got this before I got too old to look good," said Zuni Cafe co-owner Vince Calcagno, as he accepted the restaurant's award, noting that the restaurant opened 25 years ago as a $10,000 investment.

Referring to San Francisco's history of economic and social roller-coaster rides, he said the restaurant had been through great times and hard times in this country, and people at Zuni Cafe have wanted to be well fed whether they were there for a celebration or a demonstration.

Actress Swoosie Kurz was this year's master of ceremonies, a position she said she was "thrilled and honored" to have. Standing on stage at New York's Marriott Marquis, with rows of pictures of James Beard behind her, she said the only chef she knew in New York when she was a struggling actress was Chef Boyardee. But she bought Beard's cookbook and taught herself to cook from that, she said.

Karen Barker of Magnolia Grill in Durham, N.C., was picked as Outstanding Pastry Chef from a field of nominees that included New York pastry chefs Karen DeMasco of Craft, Gina DePalma of Babbo and Johnny luzzini of Jean Georges as well as Ann Amernick of Palena in Washington, D.C.

Grant Achatz, executive chef of Trio in Evanston, Ill., was named "Rising Star Chef," an award given to chefs age 30 or younger. The other nominees were Melissa Perello of Charles Nob Hill and Luke Sung of Isa, both in San Francisco; Tory McPhail of Commander's Palace in New Orleans; and Fabio Trabocchi of Maestro at The RitzCarlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, Va.

L'Impero in New York was named Best New Restaurant, coming in ahead of two other New York restaurants--Atelier at The Ritz-Canton and Fiamma Osteria--as well as 40 Sardines in Overland Park, Kan., and Zaytinya in Washington, D.C.

Hiro Sone of Terra in St. Helena, Calif., won the award for Best Chef in California. Takashi Yagihashi of Tribute in Farmington Hills, Mich., was named Best Chef in the Midwest. George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro Restaurant in Honolulu was named Best Chef of the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.

Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison of Bacchanalia in Atlanta were named Best Chefs in the Southeast. Jose Andres of Jaleo in Washington, D.C., won for Best Chef of the mid-Atlantic. Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park in Boston was named Best Chef in the Northeast, and the award for the Southwest went to Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix. Bianco, who was up against more established nominees, later in the evening said of his award, "I'm a shell-shocked pizza man."

The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., won for outstanding service.

The Outstanding Wine Service Award went to Daniel in New York and its sommelier, Jean-Luc Le Du. Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco was named Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional.

Three Wide Marketing, a design firm in Kansas City, Mo., won the award for outstanding restaurant graphics for 40 Sardines restaurant in Overland Park, Kan., and Vicente Wolf Associates in New York won for outstanding restaurant design for L'Impero.

Five restaurants also won the America's Classics Awards. R. W. Apple of The New York Times presented the awards to Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y., which was given credit for inventing Buffalo wings; Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero, Calif.; The Shed in Santa Fe, N.M.; The Skylight Inn in Ayden, N.C.; and Lexington Barbecue #1 in Lexington, N.C.

"These awards have the real spirit of James Beard about them," Apple said, noting that Beard was devoted to developing and appreciating American food.