James Beard Awards bestows "Oscars" of the culinary industry on celebrity chefs

Dwight The Wine Doctor: James Beard Awards bestow industries “Oscars” on the nation’s best chefs and restaurants

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Chef Emeril Lagasse with Dwight The Wine Doctor

2. Dwight Casimere with Food Network’s Bobby Flay

3. A chef and his porcine friends “ham it up” on the Red Carpe

4. James Beard Award celebrant at Lincoln Center Plaza

5. Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Harlem’s Red Rooster restaurant, a past James Beard Award winner

6. Outstanding Chef of the Year winner Jose Andres’ minibar restaurant offering of Petrossian Caviar and prosciutto “tacos” at the VIP reception

New York—Petrossian Caviar and Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut champagne greeted celebrity chefs and winners and nominees of the annual James Bear Foundation Awards ceremony at Lincoln Center, the “Oscars” of the culinary industry. Celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Jacques Pepin and Emeril Lagasse rubbed shoulders with this year’s nominees and winners, including Chef Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon New Orleans, who took home the James Beard award for best chef in the south from Emeril, his fellow New Orleans star chef.

Other winners included Chef Jose Andres of minibar in Washington, D.C., who was named the Outstanding Chef of the Year at the Lincoln Center gala. San Francisco’s Michael Tusk of Quince and Cotogna was named the best chef in the Pacific region. Popular Chicago restaurateur Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You was named Outstanding Restaurateur.

In the wine and distilled spirits category, Per Se in New York won for Outstanding Service. The Modern in New York took Outstanding Wine Service honors and Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky won the Outstanding Professional Award.

Among top awards, revered Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Kitchen in New York was named Best New Restaurant.