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Industry News  /  May 7, 2019

Chefs and restaurants capturing James Beard 2019 Awards

by Jodie Jacobs
Chefs and restaurants capturing James Beard 2019 Awards

The theme of the James Beard Awards and its JB Foundation’s mission is to  good food for good™.

As anyone traveling across the United States or living in some of its small towns can attest, there is some pretty good, locally grown and prepared food. Sometimes theses places make it to the James Beard Award and nomination level.

So it was interesting to see what towns dominated the ceremony at the Lyric Opera House when the JB Awards for chefs and restaurants (including design and bar) were announced May 4.

NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Washington DC establishments and chefs received more than one acknowledgement. They were followed with one apiece for Boston, Boulder,  Garden Grove (CA), Huntington (WV), Los Angeles, McCook (NE), Minneapolis, New Orleans, Oxford (MS), Philadelphia, Portland, Raleigh, Savannah, Scottsdale and Washington, VA.

Kelly Fields of Fields Willa Jean, New Orleans won Outstanding Pastry Chef. ( J Jacobs photo)
Kelly Fields of Fields Willa Jean, New Orleans won Outstanding Pastry Chef. ( J Jacobs photo)

Because there was a pre-dinner cocktail party at the Chicago Athletic Club honoring women nominees the question arose about trends and if there more female chefs and restaurateurs.

New Orleans pastry chef Kelly Fields of Willa Jean who later did win Outstanding Pastry Chef at the Awards ceremony, thought there was an “evening out of the playing field.” She added,” Women are getting more visibility.”

See the following list of award winners but to check out Beard initiatives,  nominees and winners also go to James Beard Awards.

 

 

2019 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Design Awards

75 Seats and Under  Firm: Studio Writers Project: Atomix, NYC

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

 Other Eating and Drinking Places

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

2019 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

 Best New Restaurant Frenchette, NYC

 Outstanding Baker Greg Wade Publican Quality Bread, Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program Bar Agricole, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef  Ashley Christensen Poole’s Diner, Raleigh, NC

Outstanding Pastry Chef Kelly Fields Willa Jean, New Orleans

Outstanding Restaurant Zahav, Philadelphia

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

Outstanding Service  Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO

Outstanding Wine Program  Benu, San Francisco

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer Rob Tod Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, ME

Rising Star Chef of the Year  Kwame Onwuachi Kith and Kin, Washington, D.C.

Best Chefs in America:

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH) Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark Parachute, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)  Tom Cunanan Bad Saint, Washington, D.C.

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)  Ann Kim Young Joni, Minneapolis

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs) Jody Williams and Rita Sodi Via Carota

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT) Tony Messina Uni, Boston

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY) Brady Williams Canlis, Seattle

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

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

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT) Charleen Badman FnB, Scottsdale, AZ

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

2019 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Honorees

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

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

A&A Bake & Double Roti Shop Brooklyn, NY Owner: 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 organization providing 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  Five-time James Beard Award winner, 3-star Michelin chef, author, and owner of The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA

 

 

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