2011 James Beard award nominees

[ChicagoRon]

So - the nominations are in - some things as expected, and some surprises - good and bad. Pulling for the Girl and the Goat for best new restaurant. Not sure how Charles Phan found himself in the company of Kahan, Danko, and Andres. I'm pulling for the Brombergs on restaurateur... Melman lost it when he lost Gras, IMO. If Sue Zemanick wins, that will be good pub for Top Chef Masters, although she could be eliminated by may. I've met Tory McPhail and really liked him, so I'm pulling for him... plus it's Commander's - DUH.

The final nominees in chefs and restaurants (Scroll down for the final nominees in journalism and multimedia) BEST NEW RESTAURANT ABC Kitchen, NYC Benu, San Francisco Girl & the Goat, Chicago Menton, Boston Torrisi Italian Specialties, NYC OUTSTANDING CHEF JosÃ

AndrÃ

s, minibar by JosÃ

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s, Washington, D.C. Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + CafÃ

, Boston Patrick Fahy, Blackbird, Chicago Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles Angela Pinkerton, Eleven Madison Park, NYC Mindy Segal, Mindy's HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar, Chicago OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT Blue Hill, NYC Boulevard, San Francisco Eleven Madison Park, NYC Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL Vetri, Philadelphia OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg Tom Douglas Pat Kuleto Richard Melman Phil Suarez OUTSTANDING SERVICE Canlis, Seattle Emeril's, New Orleans La Grenouille, NYC Per Se, NYC Topolobampo, Chicago OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE A16, San Francisco, Shelley Lindgren Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN, Andy Chabot Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO, Bobby Stuckey The Modern, NYC, Belinda Chang Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas, Robert Smith OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, CA Paul Grieco, Hearth and Terroir, NYC Rajat Parr, Mina Group, San Francisco Julian Van Winkle III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, Louisville, KY RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR Aaron London, Ubuntu, Napa, CA Thomas McNaughton, flour + water, San Francisco Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's, New Orleans BEST CHEF: GREAT LAKES Michael Carlson, Schwa, Chicago Curtis Duffy, Avenues at the Peninsula, Chicago Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago Paul Virant, Vie, Western Springs, IL Alex Young, Zingerman's Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA Johnny Monis, Komi, Washington, D.C. Peter Pastan, Obelisk, Washington, D.C. Maricel Presilla, Cucharamama, Hoboken, NJ Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia BEST CHEF: MIDWEST Justin Aprahamian, Sanford, Milwaukee Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery, Minneapolis Colby Garrelts, Bluestem, Kansas City, MO Tory Miller, L'Etoile, Madison, WI Lenny Russo, Heartland, St. Paul, MN BEST CHEF: NEW YORK CITY Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig Wylie Dufresne, wd~50 Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune Michael White, Marea BEST CHEF: NORTHEAST Tim Cushman, o ya, Boston Krista Kern Desjarlais, Bresca, Portland, ME Gerry Hayden, The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold, NY Matt Jennings, La Laiterie, Providence Tony Maws, Craigie On Main, Cambridge, MA Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, VT BEST CHEF: NORTHWEST Matt Dillon, Sitka & Spruce, Seattle Christopher Israel, Grüner, Portland, OR Andy Ricker, Pok Pok, Portland, OR Ethan Stowell, Staple & Fancy, Mercantile, Seattle Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Portland, OR BEST CHEF: PACIFIC Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA Daniel Patterson, COI, San Francisco Richard Reddington, Redd, Yountville, CA Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco BEST CHEF: SOUTH Zach Bell, CafÃ

Boulud, Palm Beach, FL John Harris, Lilette, New Orleans Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL Tory McPhail, Commander's Palace, New Orleans Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon, New Orleans BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST Hugh Acheson, Five and Ten, Athens, GA Craig Deihl, Cypress, Charleston, SC John Fleer, Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley, Cashiers, NC Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, KY Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC BEST CHEF: SOUTHWEST Bruce Auden, Biga on the Banks, San Antonio Bryan Caswell, Reef, Houston Saipin Chutima, Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin, TX Ryan Hardy, Montagna at the Little Nell, Aspen, CO

 

[kwilkinson]

My thoughts:
I'll be pulling for Girl & The Goat b/c I adore that restaurant, but I see Benu taking that award home pretty easily.
If Patrick Fahy was the pastry chef when I ate at Blackbird last May, he should win it hands down. The best dessert I've ever had in my life.
Chicago is underrepresented on that list in every possible way.
Outstanding restaurant category as a whole is disappointing compared to years past.
Pulling for Merry Edward, as I did last year. Woman can make some juice.

 

[ChicagoRon]

No comment on Patterson?

 

[itsstillmatt]

Benu is horrible, but still better than Coi. Or maybe Coi is horrible but still better than Benu. I forget.

 

[Rambo]

Cafe Boulud is a joke. I have no idea why Bell got nominated for anything other than serving over-priced crap.

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Benu is horrible, but still better than Coi. Or maybe Coi is horrible but still better than Benu. I forget.
You're too hard to please. I had some good and some bad at Benu - but the good I had was REALLY good. I would still vote for TGATG over Benu for best new restaurant.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

No comment on Patterson?
My love/hate relationship with Patterson is interesting.
I loved him for such a long time.
Then I ate at his restaurant.
Now I hate him.

Originally Posted by iammatt

Benu is horrible, but still better than Coi. Or maybe Coi is horrible but still better than Benu. I forget.

I've only heard good things about Benu. But don't worry--- unlike Coi, I won't send you weekly messages about how great Benu is until we finally go.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Coi is really a terrible joke. Benu is not a terrible joke, it is just a terrible restaurant.

Joking aside, Benu might be good, it just wasn't when I ate there. I truly believe that Coi is a mean joke perpetrated upon the sad citizens of San Francisco. It is so awful it isn't even funny.

 

[NAMOR]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

Not sure how Charles Phan found himself in the company of Kahan, Danko, and Andres.
+1. I ate at Slanted Door 4 months ago and didnt think too much of it

 

[Rambo]

For a second there I thought the restaurant in Boston was named Manton

 

[JSC437]

Has anyone been to Torrisi Italian Specialties? If so... was it good?

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by NAMOR

+1. I ate at Slanted Door 4 months ago and didnt think too much of it
risking the sneer of matt: i think slanted door is a nice place to go, have a few bites, drink some interesting wine and look at the bay. that said, it is a complete mystery to me how it got on that list.
but that's the way competitions -- and the beards -- are. it's a great honor when you win, but pretty easy to get over when you don't.

 

[itsstillmatt]

I love Slanted Door. I hate the clientele, in general.

Mixed feelings on Danko. Personally, I know him to be a huge gaping orifice of an asshole, but a lot of people I know and respect think his food is fantastic. I enjoy his restaurant, but can't get passed his personality.

 

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by JSC437

Has anyone been to Torrisi Italian Specialties? If so... was it good?

I went in February. It was delicious but the service was a bit underwhelming. I went alone, so I got served the two-person menu which was nice, but they overcooked my pasta and forgot to bring one of the courses, so they actually made up for it with an extra course that was off the menu. The best dish they served me was called a "farmer's egg." It was a flat noodle, with a black bean puree, a cilantro pesto, and some other veggies and garnishes. The main course was a pork tenderloin with peppers. It was just alright. It was 5 or 6 courses and came out to only $75 with a tip and a Schlitz beer. :rockstar:

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by iammatt

I love Slanted Door. I hate the clientele, in general. Mixed feelings on Danko. Personally, I know him to be a huge gaping orifice of an asshole, but a lot of people I know and respect think his food is fantastic. I enjoy his restaurant, but can't get passed his personality.
Is he related to Charlie Trotter?