May 05–Chicago played the genial host city of the James Beard Foundation Awards, capping a weekend in which the nation’s restaurant elites descended upon and ate their way through town. It culminated in a lavish gala event Monday night at the Civic Opera House, where Chicagoans took home medals in four categories.
These awards are considered the most prestigious of the food world, and for the first time in its 25 years, the chef and restaurant event was held outside New York City. The awards ceremony honoring journalists, authors and broadcasters took place in Manhattan on April 24. (Disclosure: I am a voting member of the James Beard Foundation.)
The most high-profile Chicago wins went to One Off Hospitality, the restaurant group behind Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, Big Star, among others. The winner for outstanding restaurateur was Donnie Madia, the resplendently dressed managing partner who opened Blackbird with chef Paul Kahan 18 years ago.
“(My business partner Rick Diarmit liked to say) ‘Everyone is welcome,’ and I appreciate that because I use that phrase every day in our restaurant,” said Madia, who has been nominated in the category every year since 2012. “This is not my award. It’s our award.”
One Off’s The Violet Hour was the winner for outstanding bar program. The Wicker Park cocktail bar has been nominated every year since the category’s inception in 2012.
In a previously announced award, Chicagoan Rich Melman, founder of restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You, was the Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement recipient for 2015. Melman and his late business partner, Jerry Orzoff, took R.J. Grunts, a Lincoln Park burger bar opened in 1971, and built it to an empire of more than 100 restaurants in seven states.
In the category of outstanding restaurant design (75 seats and under), a Chicago team took home the award for the second straight year: Tom Nahabedian and James Gorski of Bureau of Architecture and Design were winners in designing River North restaurant Brindille. Nahabedian is the brother of restaurant co-owner Michael Nahabedian, and cousin of chef Carrie Nahabedian. Last year, Christopher Lawton, Micah Stanley and Maria Contreras were winners in this category for designing the West Loop restaurant Grace.
Perhaps for Chicagoans betting on probability, the night’s biggest surprise might be the best chef, Great Lakes category, a regional award for chefs in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Chicago chefs almost always take the bulk of nominations, and this year, four local chefs landed on the finalist list of five. But it was a Cleveland chef, Jonathon Sawyer of The Greenhouse Tavern, who took home the award Monday, besting Erling Wu-Bower of Nico Osteria, Curtis Duffy of Grace, Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia, and Paul Virant of Vie in Western Springs.
“Chicago, thank you for not booing me,” Sawyer said after accepting his award on stage.
Monday’s gala was a black-tie affair, hosted by Food Network personality Alton Brown and attended by some of the cooking world’s most recognizable names: Lidia Bastianich, Andrew Zimmern, and White House chef Sam Kass were among the presenters. As is the rule whenever Chicago plays host to an audience of out-of-towners, Sweet Home Chicago was performed, this rendition by blues singer Shemekia Copeland.
In the marquee categories, New York mostly swept the field. Outstanding chef went to Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, while Blue Hill at Stone Barns (in Pocantino Hills, a 45-minute drive north of Manhattan) was the winner for outstanding restaurant. Best new restaurant, in which Chicago’s Parachute was a finalist, was won by Batard in TriBeCa, whose chef Markus Glocker is an alumnus of Charlie Trotter’s.
Rising star chef, an award recognizing cooks under 30, went to Jessica Largey of Manresa in Los Gatos, Calif., despite the restaurant being closed for the latter half of 2014 from a fire. Tanya Baker of The Boarding House in River North was a finalist in this category; last year, The Purple Pig’s Jimmy Bannos Jr. was a co-winner here.
The journalism, broadcasting and book awards were held a week and a half earlier in New York City. Of local note: Rick Bayless and Steve Dolinsky won the podcast category for “The Feed.”
The fact that Blue Hill at Stone Barns won the top award for outstanding restaurant Monday sets up a potentially interesting rivalry for 2016. New York’s Per Se was a finalist in the category, a national award honoring restaurants in operation for 10-plus years. Its loss typically points to a repeat nomination the following year. But next year, Alinea, the three Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant from chef Grant Achatz, will be eligible for the first time in this category and is likely to be a finalist. Per Se chef Thomas Keller was a mentor to Achatz during their time together at The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif. (Achatz even named one of his sons Keller in tribute.) Added to this possible storyline is the factor of home field advantage: the Beard Awards will once again be held in Chicago next year, as well as in 2017.
Twitter @pang
