Posts Tagged ‘James Beard House’

Time to Book Your Dinner Reservations: Here are The James Beard Awards Nominees for 2018

The James Beard Foundation today announced the finalists for its restaurant awards of 2018. The ceremony will be held in Chicago in May.

New York City, the location for restaurants representing more international cuisines than another city, offers a solid list of high-profile restaurants among this year’s JBF nominees.  Below is the list of finalists, followed by the longer list of semifinalists that were announced last month. Now’s the time to book your reservations, as these restaurants will become even “hotter” after the James Beard awards are conferred.

Ignacio Mattos

BELOW, THE LIST OF FINALISTS FROM NYC:

Best Chefs in NYC

Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy

Ignacio Mattos, Estela

Missy Robbins, Lilia

Alex Stupak, Empellon Midtown

Jody Williams, Buvette

Outstanding Baker

Dianna Daoheung, Black Seed Bagels

Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit

Outstanding Restaurateur

Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (High Street on Hudson and Philly restaurants)

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Clare de Boer, King

Best New Restaurant

Empellón Midtown, Alex Stupak’s latest

Outstanding Restaurant

Balthazar, the seminal French brasserie in SoHo from Keith McNally

Gabrielle Hamilton

Outstanding Chef

Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 75 seats and under

De Maria, The MP Shift, Amy Morris, Anna Polonsky, and Julie Nerenberg

Daily Provisions, Rockwell Group, David Rockwell, Greg Keffer, and the Rockwell Group Design Team

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 76 seats and over

abcV, ABC Carpet & Home, Paulette Cole, Amy Ilias, Maya Nakano, and the ABC Home Creative Team

HERE’S THE WHO WHO’S LIST OF SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED EARLIER:

Greg Baxtrom

Best Chefs in NYC

Greg Baxtrom, Olmsted
Emma Bengtsson, Aquavit
Rawia Bishara, Tanoreen
Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy
Charles Gabriel, Charles’ Country Pan Fried Chicken
Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko
Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau, Shuko
Ignacio Mattos, Estela
Carlo Mirarchi, Blanca
Joe Ng, RedFarm
Erik Ramirez, Llama Inn
Missy Robbins, Lilia
Justin Smillie, Upland
Rita Sodi, I Sodi
Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske, Contra
Alex Stupak, Empellón Midtown
Alex Raij and Eder Montero, Txikito
Ann Redding and Matt Danzer, Uncle Boons
Jody Williams, Buvette Gastrothèque
Helen You, Dumpling Galaxy, Queens, NY

Best New Restaurant

Cote, the Korean steakhouse in Flatiron from Simon Kim and chef David Shim
Empellón Midtown, Alex Stupak’s latest

Outstanding Baker

Dianna Daoheung, Black Seed Bagels
Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit

Bargoto Photo by Daniel Krieger

Outstanding Bar Program

Bar Goto, the LES Japanese cocktail den from Kenta Goto
Clover Club, the Cobbe Hill mainstay
Dante, the more than 100-year-old negroni specialist in Greenwich Village

Outstanding Chef

Andrew Carmellini, Locanda Verde
Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar
Stephanie Prida, The Pool

Balthazar

Outstanding Restaurant

Balthazar, the seminal French brasserie in SoHo from Keith McNally
Frankies 457 Spuntino, popular Carroll Gardens neighborhood Italian
Momofuku Noodle Bar, David Chang’s eclectic East Village ramen restaurant

Outstanding Restaurateur

Andrew Tarlow (Diner, Marlow & Sons, Reynard, and others)
Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (High Street on Hudson and Philly restaurants)

Outstanding Service

The Red Cat, Chelsea restaurant open since 1999

Outstanding Wine Program

Corkbuzz, wine bar near Union Square

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional

Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Evil Twin Brewing
Jordan Salcito, Ramona

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Clare de Boer, King

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Food Events around NYC This Weekend (and more)

Lately I’ve been bombarded with news of special food days.  It reminds me of those made-up Hallmark holidays, the ones used to sell cards, like Grandparents’ Day, Remember Your Teacher Day, and such nonsense.  Well, now it seems to be all about food.

So you won’t feel so bad that you’ve missed Pancake Day, Margarita Day and Decaffeinated Coffee Day, here are a few holidays and food events that you might want to mark on your calendar right away:

Macaron DayMarch 20 – A sweet one for sure, it’s Macaron Day. Note that the spelling is the French version, so that you won’t be expecting any of those Passover gems. This is the day that a slew of French bakeries and restaurants in the city give away free macarons a la Parisienne.  Places to check out in NYC for your freebie include Macaron Parlour, Sugar and Plumm, Epicerie Boulud and, of course, Francois Payard who modeled this event on Paris’s Jour du Macaron which falls on the first day of spring.  The full list is here and tell them you’re there for Macaron Day.  http://macarondaynyc.com/what_is-mac.html. This event happily has a charity component to it, as a portion of the day’s proceeds are donated to City Harvest.

DavosMarch 20 – Another one to celebrate the first day of spring (but I honestly don’t get the connection), is Ravioli Day.  Various Italian restaurants around New York City and the country are sprucing up their ravioli offerings, highlighting the new and different among the tried and true red-sauce versions. For example, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse has whipped up a lemon ricotta ravioli that sounds more like dessert to me than pasta, along with a prosciutto ravioli that’s served as part of a special tasting menu just for the day. www.davios.com/nyc. If you happen to be in LA, STK LA is offering half-off its famous lobster ravioli if you order an entrée as well.

Seventh Annual Sunday Supper Event at Chelsea Market in ManhattanMarch 22 – Another charity event, James Beard House is organizing the Seventh Annual Sunday Supper Event at Chelsea Market in Manhattan.  Hosted by Jamestown and the James Beard Foundation, this is a benefit to raise money for not-for-profit organizations including the James Beard Foundation focusing on culinary education, Wellness in the School, and other charitable initiatives of the Jamestown Foundation. The seated dinner is a multi-course event, prepared by 20 well-known chefs and served family-style to 300 people in the middle of the market’s block-long concourse. For details and tickets, www.jamesbeard.org/chelseamarket. Cocktails begin at 5pm, with dinner at 6:15. 75 Ninth Avenue, between 15th and 16th sts.

OystersMarch 31 – The end of the month means it’s National Oyster on the Half Shell Day. Oh no! Did I miss Cooked Oyster Day? Regardless, restaurants like STK LA are upgrading you from a half-dozen of these pearls to a full dozen, gratis. That’s not bad at all.  And if you speak the magic words, “STK Loves Oysters,” you’ll get a side of Chef Robert Liberato’s “one night only mignonette.”  It’s a good excuse to check out Grand Central Oyster Bar no matter what. http://www.oysterbarny.com/, 89 East 42nd Street.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Foodie Events for Labor Day and the Weeks After

Labor Day weekend and the weeks beyond means all sort of fun foodie events in New York City.  Here is a compilation of some that you might want to sample:

Pig IslandPig Island, September 6, 11:30am-4:30pm; Showcasing the best of New York State local farmers, chefs, brewers and vintners all dedicated to bringing home the bacon, Pig Island returns to the Red Hook waterfront, a.k.a. home to exclusive beer provider, Sixpoint Craft Ales.

Pig Island pairs NY State hogs with NYC chefs to bring the best of New York State to NewYork City. http://www.eventbrite.com/e/pig-island-2014-tickets-11423697587 , Waterfront at Erie Basin Park, 1 Beard Street, Brooklyn

TASTE Williamsburg GreenpointTaste Williamsburg Greenpoint, September 7, 1pm-5pm,; TASTE Williamsburg Greenpoint is an outdoor celebration of North Brooklyn’s local flavor. Featuring more than 40 of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries, along with live music and more all with beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop. http://tastewg.com/ , East River State Park, Brooklyn

Vendy Awards, September 13, 12:39pm-5pm; The Vendy Awards presents the 10th annual Vendy Awards at Governors Island. Cheer on and sample from New York City’s best food trucks. http://www.vendyawards.streetvendor.org/newyorkcity

Beer for Beasts, September 13, The 4th annual Beer for Beasts charity event hosted by BeerAdvocate and Sixpoint Brewery will take place at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY. The celebration will feature dozens of exclusive beers, some of New York City’s best food vendors, and creative entertainment to promote compassion toward animals. All net proceeds go to the Humane Society of New York. A day session and a night session are offered.  http://www.beeradvocate.com/b4b/ 149 7th Street, Brooklyn

Exploring Latin American Jewish Cuisine, September 14, 2:30pm-5pm; Latin American Jewish cuisine is heating up restaurants and kitchens throughout the Americas. Hear a lively and mouthwatering conversation about the cuisine’s journey from early Sephardic influences to the Jewish food landscape of today. Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, https://webformsrig01bo3.blackbaudhosting.com/898a/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=a5870498-401e-4ac7-a135-287ffbe9eb16

Nordic Hot Dog ChampionshipsNordic Hot Dog Championship (part of the North Food Festival), September 15, 6pm-10pm; This is your chance to have some of the best chefs in the world cook up delicious Hot Dogs for you in the comfort of the bar at Brooklyn Brewery. At this first ever Nordic Hot Dog Championships, Chefs battle it out for the prestigious title of Nordic Hot Dog Champion.

Wash down the delicious dogs with equally delicious craft beer courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery and their Swedish sister brewery Nya Carnegiebryggeriet – and vote for your favorite creation. May the most creative, delicious and exciting dog prevail! 1 Brewer’s Row, 79 N 11th St., Brooklyn, http://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-festival-hot-dog-championships-at-brooklyn-brewery-tickets-12434009457 Tickets include sampling of all participating hot dogs and open beer bar.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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