Chicago’s Frontera Grill won Outstanding Restaurant of the Year and Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle in Washington, D.C. was named Outstanding Chef at the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony. Hosted by CBS Early Show anchor Hannah Storm, the Beard Awards were held May 7 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center. More than 60 awards were presented by the country’s pre-eminent nonprofit culinary organization, in its 20th anniversary celebration, and more than 1,600 industry leaders attended the ceremony. Other top awards went to: New York’s L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, named Best New Restaurant; Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca.) received the award for Outstanding Restaurateur; and David Chang (Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York) received the Rising Star Chef of the Year award. Celebrity and culinary superstar attendees included Stephanie March, Ted Allen, Katie Lee Joel, Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Jose Andres, Tom Colicchio, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Padma Lakshmi, and Marcus Samuelsson. The Foundation’s Media Awards took place at a separate event at the Hudson Theatre at Millennium Broadway Hotel on May 6. All Award winners received a bronze medallion etched with the image of the late James Beard, the esteemed chef, cookbook author, and food journalist. There are no cash awards. Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognizes outstanding achievement within the fine food and beverage industry in North America. For full awards results, please visit http://www.jamesbeard.org.

Beard Award highlights are:

AMERICA’S CLASSICS: Primanti Brothers, Demetrios Patrinos, Pittsburgh, Pa.; The Pickwick, Christopher Wisocki, Duluth, Minn.; Doe’s Eat Place, The Signa Family, Greenville, Miss.; Aunt Carrie’s, Elsie Foy, Narragansett, R.I.; I

Brookville Hotel, Mark and Connie Martin, Abilene, Kan.; Weaver D’s, Dexter Weaver, Athens, Ga.

BEST CHEF, GREAT LAKES: Grant Achatz, Alinea, Chicago

BEST CHEF, MID-ATLANTIC: R.J. Cooper, III, Vidalia, Washington, DC

BEST CHEF, MIDWEST: Celina Tio, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.

BEST CHEF, NEW YORK CITY: David Waltuck, Chanterelle, New York, NY

BEST CHEF, NORTHEAST: Frank McClelland, L’Espalier, Boston

BEST CHEF, NORTHWEST: John Sundstrom, Lark, Seattle

BEST CHEF, PACIFIC: Traci Des Jardins, Jardinière, San Francisco

BEST CHEF, SOUTH: Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

BEST CHEF, SOUTHEAST: Scott Peacock, Watershed, Decatur, Ga.

BEST CHEF, SOUTHWEST: Nobuo Fukuda, Sea Saw, Scottsdale, Ariz.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Chef-Owner: Joël Robuchon, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING CHEF: Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF: Michael Laskonis, Le Bernardin, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT: Frontera Grill, chef-owner: Rick and Deann Bayless, Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman, Tru, Chicago

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL: Paul Draper, Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, Calif.

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE: Mark Slater, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR: David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York, NY

Selected James Beard Media Awards
NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING ABOUT RESTAURANTS AND/OR CHEFS WITH OR WITHOUT RECIPES
Barbara Yost, The Arizona Republic
NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING WITH RECIPES
Janet Fletcher, San Francisco Chronicle
NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING WITHOUT RECIPES
Elaine Cicora, Cleveland Scene
NEWSPAPER SECTION
Miriam Morgan and Jon Bonne
San Francisco Chronicle
NEWSPAPER, NEWSLETTER OR MAGAZINE COLUMNS
Dara Moskowitz, Minneapolis City Pages
NEWSPAPER OR MAGAZINE RESTAURANT REVIEW OR CRITIQUE: Rebekah Denn, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
TELEVISION FOOD SHOW, LOCAL: Check, Please! Bay Area, Host: Leslie Sbrocco, KQED Public Television, Producer: Tina Salter

IN THE NEWS: From MSP magazine critic Andrew Zimmern’s blog Chow & Again: “Here’s the story you hate to print, but after waiting on it for months, the anecdotal research that keeps piling up is just too overwhelming not to mention. Fugaise is on life support. Not only is this a sad sign for local diners, it is especially sad because Don Saunders is a talented young man who oozes sincerity with his big smile. You want to see him win. When the rash of closings began several months ago (Levain, Five, et al.), Fugaise was on my internal Deathwatch list and seemed a prime candidate for a February demise based on the tales I was hearing of empty dining rooms, light reservation books, shrinking staff . … I was not sure they could last that month, routinely one of the slowest in the biz. I have been in there only to shoot a news story in the last six months, but even back in the fall, Don conceded to me that things were tough. Recent press on him had me hopeful, but that often does not translate into sales. The new Cobalt development has been no panacea for the ailing businesses in the neighborhood, and the last three friends of mine to dine at Fugaise have all sat in empty dining rooms. Over the last few weeks, I have heard that the restaurant was offering incentives to individuals steering business their way, not unusual for large restaurants (who work local concierges feverishly for business), but a telling sign. Put it all together, and it smelled like an imminent closing. So what do I do, say nothing or do something? If you like this restaurant, go there. Soon. And tell your friends, perhaps it will make a difference.”

In happier news, newly honored James Beard Award winner Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl of City Pages has a lengthy piece on upcoming restaurants in the Twin Cities area, led by details on Alex Roberts, famed as chef and co-owner of Restaurant Alma, opening Brasa Rotisserie in Northeast. … The Star-Tribune’s Tom Horgen offers a guide to late-night coffee shops, while Rick Nelson awards three stars to Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, 123 N. 3rd St. in Minneapolis and also takes a look at Pi, 2532 25th Av. S. in Minneapolis … Pioneer Press spotlights Brian Hehr, chef/co-owner of Jensen’s Café/Jensen’s Wine and Dine (12750 Nicollet Ave. S., Burnsville). reports, “Ruam Mit Thai in downtown St. Paul has closed for the second time this year. Whether it’s temporary or permanent remains unclear. The owners could not be reached, but on the door a sign from a law firm on behalf of building manager Gingold Co. reads: ‘Unpaid rent late fees total $23,459.31.’ … Panino’s on Rice Street in St. Paul has closed. If you’re craving paninis, pastas and pizza, there’s still Panino’s in North Oaks off County Road 96.” … Ngo also notes, “Michael Kutscheid, the cape-wearing owner of the former Kapoochi’s on Nicollet Mall, plans to open the restaurant a block from the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. He has nabbed a spot on Ninth Street and Washington Avenue - in the same building as Wasabi Japanese restaurant. Gary Stenberg, a veteran of Oceanaire in Minneapolis, will head the kitchen.” She also mentions the opening of Whitney Bistro and Onyx Bar, recently debuted at Country Inn Suites at Interstate 494 and Minnesota 100 in Bloomington.

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