Midwest James Beard Awards Nominations - 2006

[molto e]

Category: best new restaurant

A restaurant opened in 2005 that already displays excellence in food,

beverage and service, and is likely to make a significant impact in years

to come.

Alinea

Owners: Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas

Chef: Grant Achatz

1723 N. Halsted

Chicago, IL 60614

312-867-0110

Category: outstanding restaurant award presented by s.pellegrino

The restaurant in the U.S. that serves as a national standard bearer of

consistency of quality and excellence in food, atmosphere and service.

Restaurant must have been in operation for at least ten years.

Everest

Chef/Owner: Jean Joho

440 S. LaSalle Street

40th Floor

Chicago, IL 60605

312-663-8920

Spiaggia

Owner: Levy Restaurants

Chef: Tony Mantuano

980 N. Michigan Avenue

Chicago, IL 60611

312-280-2750

Category: outstanding service award

A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service.

Must have been in operation for the past five years.

Tru

Owners: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand and Richard Melman

676 N. St. Clair Street

Chicago, IL 60611

312-202-0001

Category: best chef: Midwest

Shawn McClain

Spring

2039 West North Avenue

Chicago, IL 60647

773-395-7100

Carrie Nahabedian

Naha

500 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60610

312-321-6242

Category: rising star chef of the year

presented by gallo family vineyards

A chef, age 30 or younger, who displays an impressive talent, and who is

likely to make a significant industry impact in years to come.

Graham Elliot Bowles

Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel

108 East Superior Street

Chicago, IL 60611

312-573-6754

Category: outstanding restaurateur award presented by Waterford Wedgwood

A working restaurateur, actively involved in multiple restaurants in The

United States, who has set uniformly high national standards as a creative

force in the kitchen and/or in restaurant operations. Must have been in the

restaurant business for at least ten years

Richard Melman

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

5419 N. Sheridan Rd. #116

Chicago, IL 60640

773-878-7340

Good Luck to all the nominees,

Molto E

Edited March 16, 2006 by molto e (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

Impressive list of nominees to be sure. I'm especially happy for Carrie Nahabedian whose vast talents are almost overlooked in situations like these.

Eliot, I assume this is just a list of the Chicago-based nominees. Can you post the names of all the nominees in these categories, especially those in the Best Chef Midwest category?

Thanks,

=R=

[docsconz]

I'd say all those nominees have pretty good chances. good luck!

[edsel]

Ronnie, the full list of nominees is in a pdf file on the Beard site.

The Midwest chef nominees are:

Shawn McClain, Spring, Chicago

Jean-Robert de Cavel, Jean-Robert at Pigall's, Cincinnatti

Carrie Nahabedian, Naha, Chicago

Brian Polcyn, Five Lakes Grill, Milford MI

Lucia Watson, Lucia's, Minneapolis

Polcyn is also nominated in the single-subject cookbook catagory along with Michael Ruhlman for Charcuterie.

[ronnie_suburban]

Thanks, edsel. That's fine news about Charcuterie, too.

I think Lucia Watson is a repeat nominee.

Congrats and good luck to all the nominees.

Edit to add: It's interesting that this year only 2 Chicago chefs were nominated in this category. A bunch of us complained about that dynamic last year and it seems to have been addressed this time around. In fact, this year's slate looks a lot like our thread about last year's noms.

=R=

[jesteinf]

Interesting that only 2 of the 5 Best Chef, Midwest nominees are from Chicago this year. I think last year it was like 4 out of 5. Nice to see the selections branching out a bit. [Edited to add: Cross-posted with Ron. Great minds think alike )

I think Best New Restaurant is a 2 horse race between Alinea and Robuchon in Vegas (my money's on Alinea).

Edited March 16, 2006 by jesteinf (log)

[ulterior epicure]

Interesting that only 2 of the 5 Best Chef, Midwest nominees are from Chicago this year.  I think last year it was like 4 out of 5.  Nice to see the selections branching out a bit. [Edited to add: Cross-posted with Ron.  Great minds think alike  )

Ditto! Not to detract from the Chicago culinary anchorage, but congrats to Minneapolis, Cincinnati and Milford for making a showing this year!!

I think Best New Restaurant is a 2 horse race between Alinea and Robuchon in Vegas (my money's on Alinea).

... but you talk as if your mind's in Vegas!

u.e.

[tammylc]

Another Midwest award: Ari Weinzweig the Co-Founder of Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, MI was one of five named to the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage, "presented to culinary professionals who have made significant and lasting achievements and contributions to the food and beverage industry for ten or more years."

[moosnsqrl]

Congratulations to all! I'm a little disappointed at being overlooked [again] but glad to see wide representation in the area.

And good for Ari W - even though many of us would probably love to be in his shoes, there's a lot of hard work and less-than-glamorous parts to sourcing (sorry, couldn't help myself Busboy ) all of the goodies that Zing's features, live and via mail order.

Edited to clarify - disappointed that the Kansas City area was overlooked, not me personally. I hadn't really expected to see my own name on the list.

Edited March 17, 2006 by moosnsqrl (log)

[Amy M-T]

I'd say the Midwest was well-recognized! There are more nominees in the other categories as well.

Books

Food of the Americas category—two of three are Midwesterners!

Mexican Everyday

Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless

Peace, Love, and Barbecue

Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe

(That's me! We have restaurants in M'boro and Marion, IL)

Journalism

Mark Caro

Chicago Tribune

"Liver and Let Live"

Newspaper food section with under 300,000 circ

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Judith Evans

Newspaper food section with over 300,000

Carol Mighton Haddix

Chicago Tribune

Television food segment

ABC 7 news at 11:00 (a.m.)

Host: Steve Dolinsky Network: WLS-TV (ABC), Chicago, N.W. Indiana, S.W. Michigan, S.E. Wisconsin Producer: Badriyyah Waheed

CBS 2 News, Chicago

Host: Vince Gerasole Network: WBBM

edited to add one more (didn't read down the page far enough!

Television Food Show: National

The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter: Giradet

Host: Charlie Trotter

Network: PBS (American Public Television)

Producers: Melanie Kosaka and Robert Bates

Edited March 18, 2006 by Amy M-T (log)

[ulterior epicure]

Another Midwest award: Ari Weinzweig the Co-Founder of Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, MI was one of five named to the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage, "presented to culinary professionals who have made significant and lasting achievements and contributions to the food and beverage industry for ten or more years."

←

Pardon me if I'm reduntant... but I believe that Jean Joho of Chicago's Everest (and Las Vegas's Paris) was also recognized among the James Beard "Who's Who."

u.e.

[moosnsqrl]

Peace, Love, and Barbecue

Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe

(That's me! We have restaurants in M'boro and Marion, IL)

And (god bless ya) Fat Guy and Jason (and our humble Society) are mentioned in your tome, so it's "a good thing," even though your book features non-BBQ (I'm kidding, of course, just trying to keep the KC vs. everyone else bbq battle alive - I actually enjoyed your book )

[JWest]

Congratulations to all!  I'm a little disappointed at being overlooked [again] but glad to see wide representation in the area.

Edited to clarify - disappointed that the Kansas City area was overlooked, not me personally.  I hadn't really expected to see my own name on the list. 

←

I felt the same way moosnsqrl.. hopefully next year!

Edited March 19, 2006 by JWest (log)