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Alton Brown, Wolfgang Puck, Lidia Bastianich Set to Host JBAs

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:00:37 -0800

Much like the semifinalist announcement, the list of emcees for this year's James Beard Awards reads like a who's who of the culinary world. Yesterday, the foundation revealed that the awards show, which takes place May 3 in New York, will be hosted by none other than Hollywood culinary legend Wolfgang Puck, Food Network gadget geek Alton Brown, and Italian grande dame Lidia Bastianich. Top Chef Masters host Kelly Choi and daring TV diner Andrew Zimmern will host the Media & Book Awards Dinner in a ceremony held the night before. In the past, the James Beard Foundation has made some bizarre host choices like Kim Cattrall and Stanley Tucci, so this year's lineup seems much more in line with the culinary intentions of the event itself.

Plus, I think Alton would make a great, if eccentric, emcee. Who would you like to see host the Oscars of the food world?

2010 James Beard Award Semifinalists Unveiled

YumSugar — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:15:14 -0800

It's that time of year again, when the culinary cream of the crop gears up for the Oscars of the food world, the James Beard Awards. This morning, the James Beard Foundation debuted its long list of semifinalists.

The semifinalists were announced for the following restaurant and chef categories: outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, outstanding restaurant, outstanding service, best new restaurant, rising star chef of the year, outstanding pastry chef, outstanding wine service, outstanding wine and spirits professional, and best chef for the following regions: Pacific, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Great Lakes, New York City, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and South.

To find out which big names made headlines, read more.

Announcing the 2009 James Beard Award Winners

partysugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:15:25 -0700

While the fashion world turned its eyes to the Met's Costume Institute Gala, the food glitterati had a celebration of their own last night.

The James Beard Awards, the food industry's equivalent to the Oscars, were announced in New York City at an awards ceremony hosted by Stanley Tucci (star of the upcoming Julie and Julia), Emeril Lagasse, and Cat Cora. The festivities celebrated "Women in Food" with a postceremony gala hosted by Lidia Bastianich. Thirty-eight awards were presented, while the Journalism and Broadcast Media Awards were announced the night before at a special dinner.

The top winners were Blue Hill's Dan Barber (Outstanding Chef) and San Francisco's darling Nate Appleman (Rising Star Chef).

To check out a list of winners and a gallery of images of the chefs in their finest, including Martha Stewart, Ted Allen, and Cat Cora, read more.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group; New York, NY

Outstanding Chef Award
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA

Best New Restaurant
Momofuku Ko, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: David Chang

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Gina DePalma, Babbo; New York, NY

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Le Bernardin, New York, NY; Wine Director: Aldo Sohm

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY

Outstanding Service Award
Daniel, New York, NY; Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow

For more details, check out the official list of categories and award winners.

View 22 Photos ›

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Meet the 2009 James Beard Award Nominees!

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:30:53 -0700

Last month, we introduced you to the semifinalists for the 2009 James Beard Awards. This morning, the short list of final nominees was unveiled, and the winners of the awards - nicknamed the "Oscars of the food world" - will be revealed at an awards gala at Manhattan's Lincoln Center on May 4. In addition to the highly anticipated nominations for outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, and outstanding restaurant, among others, the foundation's other honors - in cookbooks, newspaper writing, restaurant design, and blogs - were also announced.

Did any of your favorite chefs and restaurants make the list? View the all the nominations, or check out a summary of some of the biggest award nominees when you read more.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants; Seattle, WA
Keith McNally, Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Pastis; New York, NY
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises; Chicago, IL
Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group; New York, NY
Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurant Organization; Philadelphia, PA

Outstanding Chef Award
José Andrés, Minibar; Washington, DC
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY
Tom Colicchio, Craft; New York, NY
Suzanne Goin, Lucques; Los Angeles, CA
Paul Kahan, Blackbird; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Babbo, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Mario Batali, Owner: Joe Bastianich
Boulevard, San Francisco, CA; Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes, Owner: Pat Kuleto
Fore Street, Portland, ME; Chef/Owner: Sam Hayward, Owner: Victor Leon and Dana Street
Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL; Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA
Sean Brock, McCrady's; Charleston, SC
Johnny Monis, Komi; Washington, DC
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon; Portland, OR
Michael Solomonov, Zahav; Philadelphia, PA
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's; New Orleans, LA

Best New Restaurant
The Bazaar by José Andrés, Los Angeles, CA; Chef/Owner: José Andrés
Corton, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Paul Liebrandt, Owner: Drew Nieporent
L20, Chicago, IL; Chef: Laurent Gras, Owner: Richard Melman
Momofuku Ko, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: David Chang
Scarpetta, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Scott Conant

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Gina DePalma, Babbo; New York, NY
Kamel Guechida, Joël Robuchon; Las Vegas, NV
Pichet Ong, P*ong; New York, NY
Nicole Plue, Redd; Yountville, CA
Mindy Segal, Mindy's Hot Chocolate; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Bin 36, Chicago, IL; Wine Director: Brian Duncan
Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Wine Director: Andy Chabot
Le Bernardin, New York, NY; Wine Director: Aldo Sohm
Patina, Los Angeles, CA; Wine Director: Eric Espuny
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV; Wine Director: Robert Smith

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines; Sebastopol, CA
Garrett Oliver, The Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn, NY
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards; Napa, CA
Julian P. Van Winkle, III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery; Louisville, KY

Outstanding Service Award
Daniel, New York, NY; Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow
Emeril's New Orleans, New Orleans, LA; Owner: Emeril Lagasse
La Grenouille, New York, NY; Owners: Charles Masson and Giséle Masson
Spiaggia, Chicago, IL; Owner: Larry Levy
Vetri, Philadelphia, PA; Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin

Source

Yummy Links: From David Chang to Hamentashen

partysugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:50:32 -0700

David Chang is an approved "character" on the USA Network. - Serious Eats
Tips for saving money when ordering wine. - Wall Street Journal
One San Francisco chef expresses his right to enjoy foie gras. - Eat Me Daily
Twelve delicious and affordable ways to prepare ground beef. - The Kitchn
The cookbook nominees for the International Association of Culinary Professionals have been announced. - Al Dente
Do eggs need to be refrigerated? - Chow
Celebrate Purim by making sweet Danish hamentashen. - The Epi-Log

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2009 James Beard Awards Semifinalists Announced

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:00:35 -0800

We're officially in the throes of awards show season - and that isn't limited to the entertainment industry. This morning, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2009 awards. On March 23, the short list of complete nominees will be unveiled, and the honorable achievements - often referred to as the "Oscars of the food world" - will be presented at an awards gala on May 4 at Manhattan's Lincoln Center.

Semifinalist names were announced for the following categories: outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, outstanding restaurant, best new restaurant, rising star chef of the year, outstanding pastry chef, outstanding wine service, outstanding wine and spirits professional, outstanding service, and best chef for the following regions: Pacific, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Great Lakes, New York City, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and South. This list doesn't include a good portion of the other James Beard Foundation's awards, including its cookbooks, newspaper articles, restaurant design, and blog awards, which are yet to be unveiled.

Although there are a number of celebrity chefs (Tom Colicchio, Dan Barber, José Andrés) as well as blockbuster restaurants on the list - Momofuku Ko, Scarpetta, and L20 - I also spotted a bunch of new names. Scan the 19-page list and tell me if any of your favorites have been included. Were any notable ones left off?

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Meet Bon Appétit's Chef of the Year: Michael Psilakis of Anthos

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:13:06 -0700

The October issue of Bon Appétit unveils the winners of the 11th Annual Bon Appétit Awards. The honors are awarded to the "most inspirational, influential, and innovative" tastemakers in the world of food. The headline honor, Chef of the Year, went to Michael Psilakis, head chef at Manhattan's Anthos, for being the person who "totally reinvented" Greek cuisine. I'm not too surprised by the unveiling, as I met Psilakis at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. The chef, here with Anthos business partner Donatella Arpaia, has been one of the most talked-about chefs this year.

Psilakis follows in the footsteps of last year's winner, Momofuku chef David Chang. For a full list of all this year's Bon Appetit Award winners, read more.

11th Annual Bon Appetit Awards 2008

Chef of the Year - Michael Psilakis
Pastry Chef - Gina Depalma
Restaurateur - Tom Douglas
Humanitarian - Heifer International
Cooking Teacher - Bobby Flay
Artisan - Anson Mills
Designer - Heath Ceramics
Wine & Spirits Professional - Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company
Food Writer - Michael Pollan
Tastemaker - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Lifetime Achievement - Carlo Petrini of Slow Food

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Brits David, Keira and Ed Win At US Teen Choice Awards

PopSugarUK — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0700

America has already let the kids choose this year, so it was time for the teens to have their say at the Teen Choice Awards 2008 last night in LA. The usual pretty and adored-by-kids suspects were there last night - The Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Miranda Cosgrove, Demi Lovato, Drake Bell, Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron and the show's host Miley Cyrus, as well as some big names to all ages like Will Smith, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Holloway, Blake Lively, Rachel Bilson and Steve Carell.

Us Brits were represented by David Beckham, who brought Victoria, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz to watch him win a surfboard for Choice Male Athlete; Keira Knightley, who wasn't actually there but won Choice Drama Movie Actress; and Ed Westwick, whose Choice TV Villain surfboard proved that even when we're putting on US accents, Americans think that Brits are best at being villains!

Check out the rest of the winners under the jump, and my gallery of the attendees, then let me know what you think – just read more

MOVIES

CHOICE MOVIE: ACTION ADVENTURE
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

CHOICE MOVIE: DRAMA
Step Up 2: The Streets

CHOICE MOVIE: CHICK FLICK
27 Dresses

CHOICE MOVIE: BROMANTIC COMEDY
What Happens in Vegas

CHOICE MOVIE: COMEDY
Juno

CHOICE MOVIE: HORROR/THRILLER
I Am Legend

CHOICE SUMMER MOVIE: ACTION ADVENTURE
Hancock

CHOICE SUMMER MOVIE: COMEDY
Get Smart

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: DRAMA
Channing Tatum, Stop-Loss

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: DRAMA
Keira Knightley, Atonement

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: ACTION ADVENTURE
Rachel Bilson, Jumper

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: COMEDY
Ashton Kutcher, What Happens in Vegas

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: COMEDY
Ellen Page, Juno

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: HORROR/THRILLER
Will Smith, I Am Legend

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: HORROR/THRILLER
Jessica Alba, The Eye

CHOICE MOVIE: VILLAIN
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd

CHOICE MOVIE: BREAKOUT FEMALE
Ellen Page, Juno

CHOICE MOVIE: BREAKOUT MALE
Drake Bell, Superhero Movie

TELEVISION

CHOICE TV SHOW: DRAMA
Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV SHOW: ACTION ADVENTURE
Heroes

CHOICE TV SHOW: COMEDY
Hannah Montana

CHOICE TV: REALITY DANCE
America's Best Dance Crew

CHOICE TV: REALITY MUSIC COMPETITION
American Idol

CHOICE TV: CELEBRITY REALITY
The Hills

CHOICE TV: SUMMER TV SHOW
The Secret Life of the American Teenager

CHOICE TV ACTOR: DRAMA
Chad Michael Murray, One Tree Hill

CHOICE TV ACTRESS: DRAMA
Blake Lively, Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV ACTRESS: ACTION ADVENTURE
Hayden Panettiere, Heroes

CHOICE TV ACTOR: COMEDY
Steve Carell, The Office

CHOICE TV ACTRESS: COMEDY
Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana

CHOICE TV: BREAKOUT SHOW
Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV: BREAKOUT STAR FEMALE
Blake Lively, Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV: BREAKOUT STAR MALE
Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV: MALE REALITY/VARIETY STAR
David Cook, American Idol

CHOICE TV: FEMALE REALITY/VARIETY STAR
Lauren Conrad, The Hills

CHOICE TV: VILLAIN
Ed Westwick, Gossip Girl

MUSIC

CHOICE MUSIC: SINGLE
Jonas Brothers, "When You Look Me in the Eyes"

CHOICE HOOKUP
Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, "No Air"

CHOICE MUSIC: MALE ARTIST
Chris Brown

CHOICE MUSIC: FEMALE ARTIST
Miley Cyrus

CHOICE MUSIC: R&B ARTIST
Chris Brown

CHOICE MUSIC: BREAKOUT GROUP
Jonas Brothers

CHOICE MUSIC: LOVE SONG
Jonas Brothers, "When You Look Me in the Eyes"

CHOICE MUSIC: R&B TRACK
Chris Brown, "Forever"

CHOICE MUSIC: RAP/HIP HOP TRACK
Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain, "Shawty Get Loose"

CHOICE SUMMER SONG
Jonas Brothers, "Burnin' Up"

FASHION

CHOICE MALE HOTTIE
Jonas Brothers

CHOICE FEMALE HOTTIE
Vanessa Hudgens

CHOICE RED CARPET FASHION ICON FEMALE
Carrie Underwood

CHOICE RED CARPET FASHION ICON MALE
Jonas Brothers

COMEDY

CHOICE COMEDIAN
Adam Sandler

SPORTS

CHOICE MALE ATHLETE
David Beckham

CHOICE FEMALE ATHLETE
Shawn Johnson

CHOICE ACTION SPORTS MALE
Ryan Sheckler

DO SOMETHING AWARD
Chad Bullock

CHOICE MOST FANATIC FANS
David Archuleta

CHOICE MYSPACER
Ryan Sheckler

View 74 Photos ›

Images include: David Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Cruz Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham, Josh Holloway, Kristen Bell, Rachel Bilson, Chace Crawford, Steve Carell, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Blake Lively, Drake Bell, Sophia Bush, Will Smith, Penn Badgley, Leighton Meester, Jessica Szohr, Ed Westwick, Scarlett Johansson, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Hayden Panettiere, Fergie, Josh Duhamel, Victoria Beckham, Miley Cyrus, Lauren Conrad, Natasha Bedingfield (on one leg?!), Rainn Wilson, Katherine McPhee, Chad Michael Murray, Chris Brown, Summer Glau, Thomas Dekker, Selena Gomez, Brittany Snow, Tia Mowry, Olivia Wilde.

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Announcing the 2008 James Beard Award Winners

partysugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:15:37 -0700

Yesterday, the VIPs of the culinary community took off their chef's coats and headed down the red carpet to their very own awards show. Considered the Oscars of eating, the James Beard Awards are the food world's most prestigious honors. With categories covering the entire spectrum of the industry - cookbooks, journalism, chefs, restaurants, and media - the event brought out the best of the best.

The big winner of the night was Chicago's Grant Achatz, who was voted the nation's top chef by the foundation. Other winners include Mario Batali and partner Joe Bastianich for outstanding restaurateurs and San Francisco's Craig Stoll of Delfina for best chef in the Pacific.

To take a look at a list of winners and a gallery of the celebs on the red carpet, including Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, Katie Lee Joel, Wylie Dufresne, Kim Cattrall, Jacques Pepin, and Todd English, read more.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Joe Bastianich/Mario Batali, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca; New York, NY
Outstanding Chef Award
Grant Achatz, Alinea; Chicago, IL
Outstanding Restaurant Award
Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY; Owner: Danny Meyer
Best New Restaurant
Central Michel Richard, Washington, DC; Chef/Owner: Michel Richard
Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Gavin Kaysen, Café Boulud, New York, NY
Outstanding Pastry Chef Award
Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson, Tartine Bakery; San Francisco, CA
Outstanding Wine Service Award
Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY; Wine Director: John Ragan
Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Award
Terry Theise, Terry Theise Estate Selections; Silver Spring, MD
Outstanding Service Award
Terra, St. Helena, CA; Owners: Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani

For more details, check out the official list of categories, nominees, and award winners.

View 13 Photos ›

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Who's Going to Win This Year's James Beard Awards?

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:11:51 -0700

A little over a month ago, we tipped you off to the 2008 James Beard Awards Long List, and well the time has come: the long list is now a short list. This morning the official list of nominees was released. There are 52 categories including cookbooks, journalism articles, television, radio, web, restaurant design, and most importantly the restaurants and chefs themselves.

To discover some of the biggest award nominees, just read more.

For the full rundown, be sure to visit the official list of full nominees.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Joe Bastianich/Mario Batali, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca; New York, NY
Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants; Seattle, WA
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises; Chicago, Il
Wolfgang Puck, The Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group; Beverly Hills, CA
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-Georges Management LLC; New York, NY

Outstanding Chef Award
Grant Achatz, Alinea; Chicago, IL
José Andrés, Minibar; Washington, DC
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles, CA
Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar & Grill; Birmingham, AL

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Boulevard, San Francisco, CA; Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes, Owner: Pat Kuleto
Campanile, Los Angeles, CA; Chef/Owner: Mark Peel
Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY; Owner: Danny Meyer
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten
The Slanted Door, San Francisco, CA; Chef/Owner: Charles Phan

Best New Restaurant
Anthos, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Michael Psilakis, Owner: Donatella Arpaia
Central Michel Richard, Washington, DC; Chef/Owner: Michel Richard
Fearing's at the Ritz Carlton, Dallas, TX; Chef/Owner: Dean Fearing, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles, CA; Chef: Matt Molina; Owners: Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich
Osteria, Philadelphia, PA; Chef/Owners: Marc Vetri, Jeff Michaud; Owner: Jeff Benjamin

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A 16; San Francisco, CA
Sean Brock, McCrady's; Charleston, SC
Gavin Kaysen, Café Boulud, New York, NY
Johnny Monis, Komi; Washington, DC
Matt Molina, Osteria Mozza; Los Angeles, CA
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon; Portland, OR

Outstanding Pastry Chef Award
Gina DePalma, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca; New York, NY
Pichet Ong, P*ONG; New York, NY
Nicole Plue, Redd; Yountville, CA
Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson, Tartine Bakery; San Francisco, CA
Mindy Segal, HotChocolate; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Aureole, Las Vegas, NV; Wine Director: Steven Geddes
Bin 36, Chicago, IL; Wine Director: Brian Duncan
Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY; Wine Director: John Ragan
Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Wine Director: Andy Chabot
Picasso, Las Vegas, NV; Wine Director: Robert Smith

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Award
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines; Sebastopol, CA
David Lett, The Eyrie Vineyards; McMinnville, OR
Bobby Stuckey, Frasca Food and Wine; Boulder, CO
Terry Theise, Terry Theise Estate Selections; Silver Spring, MD

Outstanding Service Award
Canlis, Seattle, WA; Owners:The Canlis Family
Gary Danko, San Francisco, CA; Owner: Gary Danko
Spiaggia, Chicago; Owner: Tony Mantuano
Terra, St. Helena, CA; Owners: Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani
Vetri, Philadelphia, PA; Owner: Mark Vetri