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2013 James Beard Awards


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Well folks, here are the finalists for the 2013 James Beard Awards. I'm sure you have your favorites, and more than likely have some comments on the nominees. Do you see a Chef or Restaurant that is glaringly missing from the list? And how about the Journalism Awards. The Beard group added some different Journalism categories this year. Now let's have some fun and do a delicious critique on this year's nominees:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/sites/default/files/static/additional/2013-jbf-nominees.pdf

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When the most decorated Food Writer in America doesn't even get a nomination for some of the best work of his career, then you have to wonder if the Beard Awards have fallen further into the abyss of pop culture. I suppose a fitting name would be the Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild, Justin Bieber pop culture I wanna be liked Awards.

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When the most decorated Food Writer in America doesn't even get a nomination for some of the best work of his career, then you have to wonder if the Beard Awards have fallen further into the abyss of pop culture. I suppose a fitting name would be the Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild, Justin Bieber pop culture I wanna be liked Awards.

Who ?

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When the most decorated Food Writer in America doesn't even get a nomination for some of the best work of his career, then you have to wonder if the Beard Awards have fallen further into the abyss of pop culture. I suppose a fitting name would be the Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild, Justin Bieber pop culture I wanna be liked Awards.

Who ?

Alan Richman. Alan could be called the Meryl Streep of the Beard Awards. Won more Beard Awards than any other Food Writer and every year some of his best work is entered. Yet when I read the list of finalists for this year's Journalism Awards, Alan's name was missing. I've read some of the works that are up for a Beard Award in the restaurant review category and the blog categories and I don't see the same depth that I do with Alan's work. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it seems that the PR machines and politics behind the Beard Awards are pushing to have younger, more contemporary and trendy work recognized.

This was one of my favorite pieces that Alan wrote in 2012. I have no idea if it was entered into the Beard Awards, but really a great piece on the dining scene in Portland and one that I think would be worthy of recognition.

http://www.gq.com/food-travel/restaurants-and-bars/201211/alan-richman-portland-restaurants-guide

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Some interesting comments in the eater.com post on this:

http://eater.com/archives/2013/03/18/here-are-the-2013-james-beard-awards-finalists.php

Regarding Alan Richman - he won last year for the "Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award" in the "Journalism" section. I confess I don't read him much or follow his career - but could it be the case (or not?) that he did not do anything really significant in the other categories under "Journalism" (or other broad sections) in which he has NOT already won an award?

After all, it is supposed to be the case that once someone has won a JB award in a particular category they can never win that same award again - so it would be pointless to even nominate that person for any of the categories in which they have previously won?

ETA: From 2008 forwards, that is. See the "Eligibility" section here: http://jamesbeard.starchefs.com/awards/vote/rules.php

Edited by huiray (log)
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There have been some new categories added in the past couple of years to have broader recognition of online writing, which wasn't previously recognized by the Beard folks.

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Alex Stupak definately deserves the award. Empellon Cocina is amazing, especially for a restaurant that's only been open just over a year. Probably my favourite meal of last year.

Stupak has changed the menu considerably and EC is now offering no main-course options...

Bloomberg critic Ryan Sutton notices that Alex Stupak has done away with entrees at his East Village restaurant Empellon Cocina. Stupak responds with an explanation: "Our tacos seem to be what anchors us and besides they are more fun to work with then 6-8 ounces of clunky protein." Check out the new, abridged version of the dinner menu here.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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  • 1 month later...

Winners of the Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards were announced on Friday:

Cookbook of the Year

Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel E. Presilla

Cookbook Hall of Fame

Anne Willan

American Cooking

Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart

Baking and dessert

Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza by Ken Forkish

Beverage

Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, and José Vouillamoz

Cooking from a professional point of view

Toqué! Creators of a New Quebec Gastronomy by Normand Laprise

Focus on health

Cooking Light The New Way to Cook Light: Fresh Food & Bold Flavors for Today’s Home Cook by Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman

General Cooking

Canal House Cooks Every Day by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

International

Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

Photography

What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits & Pieces Photographer: Katie Quinn Davies

Reference and Scholarship

The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World by Sandor Ellix Katz

Single Subject

Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard by Nigel Slater

Vegetable Focused and Vegetarian

Roots: The Definitive Compendium with More Than 225 Recipes by Diane Morgan

Writing and Literature

Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson

Radio Show/Audio Webcast

Fear of Frying

Nina Barrett, WBEZ

Special/Documentary

(Television or Video Webcast)

The Restaurateur, PBS

Television Program, In Studio or Fixed Location

CBS Sunday Morning: “Eat, Drink and Be Merry”

Charles Osgood, CBS

Television Program, On Location

The Mind of a Chef

Anthony Bourdain, PBS

Television Segment

Friday Arts, Art of Food, WHYY TV

Video Webcast, Fixed Location and/or Instructional

How to Cocktail

liquor.com

Video Webcast, On Location

The Perennial Plate: Real Food World Tour

theperennialplate.com

Outstanding Personality/Host

Andrew Zimmern

Bizarre Foods America, Travel Channel

Publication of the Year Award

ChopChop

Cooking, Recipes, or Instruction

Matt Goulding, Matthew Kadey with Tamar Adler,and Paul Kita, Men’s Health

“The Butcher Is Back!,” “The Six-Pack Foods of Summer,” “Southern Food Rises Again”

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award

Tejal Rao, Village Voice

“Bangkok Pop, No Fetishes,” “The Sweet Taste of Success,” “Enter the Comfort Zone at 606 R&D”

Food and Culture

Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light

“Mississippi Chinese Lady Goes Home to Korea”

Food and Travel

Adam Sachs, Travel + Leisure

“The Best Little Eating Town in Europe”

Food Coverage in a General-Interest Publication

Men’s Health, Adina Steiman

Food Politics, Policy, and the Environment

Tracie McMillan, The American Prospect with the Food & Environment Reporting Network

“As Common As Dirt”

Food-Related Columns

Adam Sachs, Bon Appétit

The Obsessivore: “I’m Big On Japan,” “Everyone’s a Critic,” “The Tradition Starts Here”

Group Food Blog

Dark Rye

darkrye.com

Health and Well-Being

Rachael Moeller Gorman, EatingWell

“Solving the Sugar Puzzle”

Humor

Alice Laussade Dallas Observer

“The Cheap Bastard’s Ultimate Guide to Eating like a Total Cheap Bastard in Dallas”

Individual Food Blog

Hank Shaw, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

honest-food.net

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

Mike Sula, Chicago Reader

“Chicken of the Trees”

Personal Essay

Fuchsia Dunlop, Lucky Peach

“London Town”

Profile

Brett Martin, GQ

“Danny and the Electric Kung Pao Pastrami Test”

Visual Storytelling

Michele Outland and Fiorella Valdesolo, Gather Journal

“Starters,” “Dessert,” “Smoke & Ash”

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages

Michael Steinberger, vanityfair.com

“A Vintage Crime”

Restaurant and chef winners to be announced, Monday, May 6.

http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards


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Is there a lot of PR campaigning that goes on behind the scenes with the Journalism and Media Awards? We all know how influential the press machines are in pushing fims toward Oscar nominations, and no doubt they have a large influence with the voters. To a lesser degree is this an issue that befalls the Beard Awards?

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