James Beard Awards Now To Include "Outstanding Bar"

[weinoo]

The James Beard Foundation will now be giving an award which:

Recognizes ‘High Standards of Excellence” for Cocktail, Spirits and/or Beer Service...

Congrats to all the nominees, including our own Chris Amirault, as the bar he was/is involved with is a finalist...

Providence, R.I. - Cook & Brown Public House

[Kent Wang]

Very useful for finding out about bars I've never heard—now I won't dread going to San Antonio.

But perhaps not the ultimate authoritative guide on the best bars. Surely there will be some controversy about the New York bars?

[Brown Hornet]

Great to see the James Beard Awards expanding to this category.

I'm especially happy to see Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta make the list as it -- and its sister establishment Restaurant Eugene -- developed a stellar cocktail program from day one.

[KatieLoeb]

Props to my friends at The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company for their well deserved inclusion in such fine company. That's a great field of nominees.

[weinoo]

But perhaps not the ultimate authoritative guide on the best bars. Surely there will be some controversy about the New York bars?

Isn't controversy what all awards are about?

[Alcuin]

I'm a bit surprised, but then again not, to see the Old Fashioned here for Madison. They may have 50+ beers on tap, but the service isn't at all great. You can very easily find yourself with a lackluster beer, because no one there can tell you what these beers are. When I go there, I just order what I know.

There are much better places that have knowledgeable and excellent beer service in town, like the incomparable Malt House. The latter has around 20 taps with a rotating selection of the most interesting things they can find, much of which I've never seen anywhere else. Of course they are nothing like the juggernaut that is the OF, since they are a small little tavern way outside the center of town, and will thus never get such a national mention.

Ah well it is cool to see WI on the list.