Winners Announced for 2006 James Beard Foundation Awards
Nation's Culinary Leaders Honor New Orleans Restaurants for Their Humanitarian Efforts
NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/10/2006 -- Winners were announced the night of May 8th for the 2006 James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation's premier honors within the culinary industry. The awards were presented during a ceremony at the New York Marriott Marquis that included a poignant tribute to the restaurants of New Orleans for their heroic resilience and service to their community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Established in 1990, the awards recognize excellence in the categories of books, restaurants and chefs, broadcasting, print journalism, restaurant design and industry achievement. A total of 70 award recipients were named this year. Winners received a bronze medallion engraved with the image of James Beard. A list of award nominees and winners can be found at www.jamesbeard.org.
A festive celebration followed the awards ceremony, featuring classic and contemporary fare from more than 20 chefs from New Orleans and a live jazz band. Another highlight was a new exhibit from The Southern Food and Beverage Museum, which documented the efforts of New Orleans restaurants to support their city after the hurricane.
Alfred Portale (Gotham Bar & Grill, NYC),
winner of the JBF Outstanding Chef Award ('06)Addressing the audience of more than 1,600 culinary industry leaders, Dorothy Cann Hamilton, chair of the James Beard Foundation's Board of Trustees, noted that the James Beard Foundation had undergone a "rebirth" of its own in the past year with a new, more diverse board of directors that includes, for the first time, chefs and other food industry professionals. In addition, the Foundation recently appointed Susan Ungaro as permanent president of the organization and is working on new programming to help maximize the impact the Foundation has on the way America eats.
Awards Highlights:
Cookbook of the Year presented by KitchenAid was awarded to "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats," by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio (Ten Speed Press). With documentary photography and insightful text, these authors offer snapshots of families throughout the world with displays of all the foods they eat in a week. The book awards committee said in a statement, "Hungry Planet reminds us that we all have something in common: mealtime." Cookbook Hall of Fame, also presented by KitchenAid, went to Madhur Jaffrey, for her book, "An Invitation to Indian Cooking" (Alfred A. Knopf).
Chicago sisters Isabella Gerasole, age 10, and Olivia Gerasole, age 8, made awards history as the youngest James Beard Foundation Award winners for their webcast "Spatulatta.com." This was a new broadcast award presented by Viking Range Corporation.
The restaurant community of New Orleans was collectively honored with the Humanitarian of the Year Award, for its efforts to recover and serve its community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The restaurant and chef awards committee said in a statement about the New Orleans restaurant community, "Their generosity carried the first evidence for many outsiders and for the few remaining locals, that New Orleans is a city worth saving."
Outstanding Chef presented by All-Clad Cookware went to Alfred Portale, Gotham Bar & Grill in New York City. Outstanding Restaurant presented by S.Pellegrino was presented to The French Laundry in Yountville, CA. The French Laundry's chef, Corey Lee, was named Rising Star Chef of the Year presented by Gallo Family Vineyards to a chef age 30 or younger who shows impressive talent.
Outstanding Restaurateur presented by Waterford Wedgwood went to Daniel Boulud (Daniel, DB Bistro Moderne and Café Boulud in New York, Palm Beach and Las Vegas). Johnny Iuzzini, Jean Georges, New York City, was named Outstanding Pastry Chef presented by All-Clad Bakeware.
Best New Restaurant was presented to The Modern in New York City. The Modern also received an award for Outstanding Restaurant Design.
Daniel Johnnes, wine director for The Dinex Group (Daniel, Café Boulud), was named Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional presented by Southern Wine & Spirits of America. Aureole Las Vegas was awarded Outstanding Wine Service presented by Waterford.
Judith Jones, Vice President and Senior Editor at Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House publishers, was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award for her prolific career which spans 50 years, and includes the publication of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and other major works in cookbook publishing.
Eight regional "America's Classics" were awarded to restaurants beloved in their communities for their unique ambiance, food and culture. They included: Polly's Pancake Parlor (Sugar Hill, NH), Barney Greengrass (New York), John's Roast Pork (Philadelphia), Lagomarcino Confectionery (Moline, IL), Bowens Island Restaurant (Bowens Island, SC), Louis Mueller's Barbecue (Taylor, TX), Taylor's Automatic Refresher (St. Helena, CA) and Hamura Saimin Stand (Lihu'e, HI).
Award nominees and winners are judged by more than 600 food and beverage industry professionals who vote by confidential ballot in one or more award categories, depending on their expertise. The independent accounting firm of Lutz & Carr tabulates ballots. Trustees and James Beard Foundation staff do not vote and must recuse themselves from the awards competition. Membership in, service to, or fundraising for the James Beard Foundation is neither a criteria nor a requirement for award consideration. Corporate sponsorship helps underwrite the cost of the awards program but has no bearing on the awards balloting process.
Sponsors for the 2006 awards include: All-Clad Metalcrafters, American Express Company, Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Chefwear, Contessa Premium Foods, Continental Airlines, Ecolab, Gallo Family Vineyards, Hellenic Fine Oils, illy caffè North America, KitchenAid Home Appliances, McIlhenny Company, maker of TABASCO® Brand Products, the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, S.Pellegrino, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., Viking Range Corporation, and Waterford Wedgwood.
Further details on the 2006 awards and entry forms for 2007 may be found at www.jamesbeard.org.
The James Beard Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving, nurturing, and celebrating America's culinary heritage. The Foundation provides scholarships and educational opportunities to culinary students, serves as a resource center for those in the food industry, offers members and the public the opportunity to enjoy the talents of emerging and established chefs, winemakers, cookbook authors, and dedicated purveyors, and honors professionals in the food and beverage industry for their achievements with the annual James Beard Foundation Awards. For membership information, call 212.675.4984 or 800.36.BEARD, or see our website at www.jamesbeard.org.
Chef2Chef News Desk