James Beard Award Nominations 2003

[Jinmyo]

"Truffle scented popcorn."

[Fat Guy]

It was actually pretty good. I ate about five little paper cones full of it with an equal number of glasses of Argyle bubbly (plus a glass of Rogue "Dead Guy Ale") at the reception before the dinner. I'm guessing they just tossed the popcorn with Urbani's truffle-infused butter.

[Jinmyo]

"High Ball Sandwich of Herbed Shrimp"

Somehow, and this is only with shrimp, "Herbed" sounds to me like a caveat because some guy named Herb got into them.

What's a high ball sandwich?

[SWoodyWhite]

For that matter, what is a "Genuine Tartar Sauce"? Does this mean the tartar sauce is sincere, as opposed to being disingenuous?

On the other hand, "Honey Lavender-Spiced Baby Lamb Chops" sounds delicious. (When we get moved, there's going to be a serious herb garden growing.)

[Jinmyo]

"Genuine Tartar Sauce"? Says so right here on the label, I'll have you know.

Geuine green relish mixed with genuine Hellman's.

[Fat Guy]

The lamb chops were the single best item served all night, but they weren't user-friendly. People dressed in business attire don't typically like to barehand their lamb chops while wandering around. There was no good way to get your fingers clean and no obvious place to dispose of the bones. But they were tasty.

The shrimp-on-toast appetizer was pretty lame. I'm not sure what the point was.

[Jinmyo]

What else did you... sample, Steve?

[Fat Guy]

All of it. The cucumber with walnuts and blue cheese was also difficult to manage, but it didn't have rewards equal to the lamb chops. The duck and mango on sweet potato roll was, predictably, cloying. The crabcakes were good. Oh, it looks actually like I missed the "North Cove Clam Fritters with Genuine Tartar Sauce." They must not have made it to the corner where I was hiding.

As far as the dinner was concerned the salmon tartare was good enough but not particularly flavorful. The best dish of the evening was the Caprial Pence asmaragus, roasted and served with fromage blanc. The "Snake River Farms American Kobe Beef Tenderloin" was nice and tender but had little flavor other than what came from the sauce. But the accompanying cabbage thing stuffed with short rib meat and foie gras was terrific. The desserts were interesting to look at (particularly the gigantic chocolate statues of a hand holding a book, which looked a bit Night of the Living Dead) but not delicious, although the Ransom Pinot Noir Aquavitae Grappa was a nice discovery.

[SWoodyWhite]

The lamb chops were the single best item served all night, but they weren't user-friendly. People dressed in business attire don't typically like to barehand their lamb chops while wandering around. There was no good way to get your fingers clean and no obvious place to dispose of the bones. But they were tasty.

Which is why one should always take a ladyfriend to these events...those purses come in handy!

[Jinmyo]

"Snake River Farms American Kobe Beef Tenderloin" was nice and tender but had little flavor other than what came from the sauce. But the accompanying cabbage thing stuffed with short rib meat and foie gras was terrific.

Tenderloin.

Feh.

Never has any flavour without a sauce. Sauces should heighten by augmenting or contrasting. But something that needs a sauce to have flavour is like something that needs mouth-to-mouth to live but has no mouth.

Short ribs and cabbage.

Roasted asparagus. The fromage blanc was like queso blanco? Fresh, mild, hard (before melting)?

[bigbear]

.....

What's a high ball sandwich?

First..... You find a really tall ram.....

[Jinmyo]

.....

What's a high ball sandwich?

First..... You find a really tall ram.....

Welcome.

[Pan]

Sauces should heighten by augmenting or contrasting. But something that needs a sauce to have flavour is like something that needs mouth-to-mouth to live but has no mouth.

I take it you dislike squid, then? (For the record, I like it.)

[Fat Guy]

The fromage blanc was like queso blanco? Fresh, mild, hard (before melting)?

No, more in the sour cream family.

[Jim Dixon]

Jin,

The fromage blanc comes from this Oregon cheesemaker:

http://www.oregongourmetcheeses.com/

I picked up some of their raw-milk camembert at the Farmers Market Saturday, but haven't cut into it yet. I've heard from a few people, including a transplanted French chef, that the fromage blanc is really, really good.

Jim

[Jinmyo]

Jim, thanks for the link. That looks very interesting.

[Suzanne F]

The award winners from tonight's ceremony are being posted even as I type! Check them out at: Beard Awards.

[Steve Klc]

Very timely of you Suzanne--I just heard Takashi Yagihashi of Tribute won Best Chef-Midwest, my friend Jose Andres of Jaleo/Cafe Atlantico & Zaytinya won Best Chef-Mid-Atlantic and Grant Achatz of Trio won Rising Star Chef. I'm impressed someone is updating the site so quickly!

[pixelchef]

Congrats, Grant!

I'm assuming you gave me proper credit in your acceptance speech? Being that I made you what you are, and taught you all you know.

.. ahem. I'm pathetic.

[kpurvis]

The desserts were interesting to look at (particularly the gigantic chocolate statues of a hand holding a book, which looked a bit Night of the Living Dead)

I think a special award should have been given to the table where Dara Moscowitz and Matt and Ted Lee were sitting: "Best Mis-Use of the Weird Giant Chocolate Hand." By the end of the dinner, they had broken off all but one particular finger. Unfortunately, it was only moments before someone from the Fun Police broke off the remaining finger.

That may also explain why we journalists are given our own dinner.