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

Trois on Conde Nast Hot List
Conde Nast Traveler magazine just published its Hot List of the world’s best restaurants. Here are the hottest of the hot in the U.S.: Brix, Flagstaff, Ariz.; Cut, Beverly Hills; Hatfield’s, Los Angeles; Katsuya, Los Angeles; Social Hollywood, Los Angeles; West, Los Angeles; Coi,
San Francisco; NOPA, San Francisco; Perbacco, San Francisco; Salt House, San Francisco; Ad Hoc, Yountville, Ca.; Dressing Room, Westport, Conn.; Michy’s, Miami; David Bouley Evolution, Miami Beach; Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, Miami Beach; Trois, Atlanta; David Burke’s Primehouse, Chicago; De La Costa, Chicago; Riche, New Orleans; Sorellina, Boston; Guy Savoy, Las Vegas; Nove Italiano, Las Vegas; Rao’s, Las Vegas; A Voce, New York City; Boqueria, New York City; Gordon Ramsay at The London, New York City; L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, New York City; Little Owl, New York City; Momofuku Ssäm, New York City; Varietal, New York City; Waverly Inn, New York City; New York City; Herons, Cary, N.C.; Piedmont, Durham, N.C.; XIX, Philadelphia; Bess Bistro on Pecan, Austin; Craft, Dallas; Blue Duck Tavern, Washington, D.C.

IN THE NEWS: Orlando-based Darden Restaurants shut down more than 50 of its Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill locations across the country on May 5 and said it will sell the remaining 73, The Orlando Sentinel reported May 6. The closings include Atlanta-area locations in Dunwoody, Duluth, Alphretta, Douglasville, Gainesville and Morrow. … Atlanta magazine’s Christiane Lauterbach reviews French restaurant Trois, 1180 Peachtree St. … Blogger The Blissful Glutton reviews La Taqueria Oaxaquena, 6738 Tara Blvd. in Jonesboro … Blogger chowdownatlanta.com raves about French bistro The Epicurian Restaurant, 1361 Clairmont Road in Decatur, as former Ritz-Carlton chef Peter Golaszewski holds forth … AJC critic Meridith Ford blogs about French American Brasserie, the new venue from Brasserie owner Fabrice Vergez, which has opened in the Southern Company building. Ford also gives one star in her review of Emeril’s, 3500 Lenox Road, Suite 100. The paper also offers a Mother’s Day brunch roundup as well as neighborhood spotlights on: Bagel Boys Cafe, 1770 Haynes Bridge Road, Suite 102 in Alpharetta; Grapes & Hops Bar & Bistro 4856 Hog Mountain Road, Flowery Branch; Six Feet Under (Westside), 685 11th St.; and Bailey’s Family Restaurant 4041 Atlanta St. in Powder Springs. … The AJC’s H.M. Cauley reports on Azoni’s at 4719 Lower Roswell Road, and details the openings of: Bubbalini’s, a 15-year-old restaurant in Florida that is building a second location in the Burnt Hickory Village off Whitlock Road in Marietta; and the July opening of Waterstone Grill, moving into the original Henry’s Louisiana space at 4849 N. Main St. in Acworth. … Creative Loafing’s Cliff Bostick reports on the rechristening of Element (1051 W. Peachtree St), formerly Cherry, and updates info on Cantina La Casita (560 Gresham Ave.). Besha Rodell gives three stars to The Epicurean, 1361 Clairmont Road in Decatur. … The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports, “A local radio personality is teaming up with two longtime restaurateurs to roll out the first-ever franchises of The Flying Biscuit Cafe. Jeff Dauler, one of the hosts of Q100’s (WWWQ-FM 100.5) popular morning show, has partnered with George McKerrow Jr., co-founder and CEO of Ted’s Montana Grill, and John Slocum, the founder of Slocum’s Tavern & Grille, to kick off the venture. They plan to open five Flying Biscuit locations in Atlanta, with the first opening May 14 in Buckhead on West Paces Ferry Road. Eventually they plan to expand the homegrown dining concept — famous for its light, airy biscuits and apple butter — around the Southeast and even across the country.”

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