2006 James Beard awards

[andrewB]

The results are in for this years James Beard awards.

Check out the award winners here

any comments or experiences about the winners this year??

[nhconner]

Glad to see Scott Carsberg of Lamperia got some props. This was one of the most under rated spots in Seattle when we lived there a five years ago. I can only imagine how good it must be now.

Nate

[ronnie_suburban]

I really cannot believe that Bones somehow beat Charcuterie in the Single Subject Cookbook category. Yes, I'm a big fan of the Ruhlman/Polcyn tome but I'm also a huge cookbook addict in general. Having read Bones from cover to cover I think it's a truly lousy book. It was only about bones in the loosest sense and the recipes were so basic, that the book essentially accomplished nothing. It provided no genuine expertise whatsoever. There were almost no dishes in that book which any average cook couldn't have cooked without the recipes therein. What a terrible choice.

Between that and Alinea getting completely hosed in the Best New Restaurant category, I'm very down on the Beard Foundation today. Frankly, I'm surprised that a chef from the Midwest (Shawn McClain) actually won the Best Chef Midwest category. If there had been any way to give that award to a chef from NYC, I'm sure the Beard Foundation would found a way to have done so.

I guess we flatlanders just don't rate.

=R=

[alanamoana]

the more i look at who was nominated and who actually won...the more i'm inclined to ignore what the james beard foundation has to say about restaurants in general.

[Big Country]

Does anyone know if there are any videos of the awards ceremony last night on line??

[NYC Mike]

I really cannot believe that Bones somehow beat Charcuterie in the Single Subject Cookbook category.  Yes, I'm a big fan of the Ruhlman/Polcyn tome but I'm also a huge cookbook addict in general.  Having read Bones from cover to cover I think it's a truly lousy book.  It was only about bones in the loosest sense and the recipes were so basic, that the book essentially accomplished nothing.  It provided no genuine expertise whatsoever.  There were almost no dishes in that book which any average cook couldn't have cooked without the recipes therein.  What a terrible choice.

=R=

←

I own Bones, the NYT gave a great front page review when it came out that motivated me to buy it. I agree with you Ron, it is a terrible book that I would not recommend to anyone.

I don't own Charcuterie (6x6 NYC kitchen ) , although I drool and envy regularly on the thread. I cannot imagine Bones beating what I have seen you all create from Charcuterie.

On the other hand I am happy about the Best Chef NY win, congrats to Dan Barber and the folks at Blue Hill NYC!

-mike

Edited May 9, 2006 by NYC Mike (log)

[angrykoala]

Beard has become a joke. I give the zero credibility these days. The 2006 awards just further my perception along these lines. Just silly.

[Holly Moore]

Props to Bowan's Island outside of Charleston SC for being designated an American Classic. Too bad the late Mrs Bowan is no longer guarding the door to the oyster room or able to receive the award. I'm wondering where they're going to hang the plaque?

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Beard has become a joke.  I give the zero credibility these days.  The 2006 awards just further my perception along these lines.  Just silly.

←

Why? Care to elaborate? I don't have much of an opinion on it, though I admit to being a big-time Dan Barber fan. I find the rest of it interesting to read about, but that's that.

[angrykoala]

A big-time Dan Barber fan? What does Blue Hill have to do with this conversation? I assume you mean Danny Meyer? In which case, I'd submit that you aren't really that big a fan.

Have you read the other comments in this (and the other Beard) thread? The foundation seems to make their nominations on a nation-wide scale, but choose their winners based on a pretty specific geographic area known as New York City. There is no possible way that The Modern had even slightly as much impact on the American dining scene as Alinea. Alinea has impacted the GLOBAL dining scene. The Modern barely made a splash in it's own city. I could go on forever, but this is only an opinion; but it's MY opinion, and I'm certainly entitled to it.

[joiei]

The Beard awards are about New York and for New York. THe rest of the world does not count. We need to get an organization to reward the rest of us in the culinary world who chose not to be involved in the New York culinary world. Why waste time, money and efforts to present a dinner at the Beard house when it will bring you NO return on your total investment.

[NYC Mike]

A big-time Dan Barber fan?  What does Blue Hill have to do with this conversation?  I assume you mean Danny Meyer?  In which case, I'd submit that you aren't really that big a fan.

Have you read the other comments in this (and the other Beard) thread?  The foundation seems to make their nominations on a nation-wide scale, but choose their winners based on a pretty specific geographic area known as New York City.  There is no possible way that The Modern had even slightly as much impact on the American dining scene as Alinea.  Alinea has impacted the GLOBAL dining scene.  The Modern barely made a splash in it's own city.  I could go on forever, but this is only an opinion; but it's MY opinion, and I'm certainly entitled to it.

←

This thread is about all the winners for 2006, I thought. Dan Barber won best chef NYC for his work at Blue Hill NYC.

mike

[angrykoala]

I read it as her attributing Dan Barber to The Modern, being that was the focal point for my disdain with the awards. In retrospect, it was me that improperly assumed, which I apologize for.

Edited May 10, 2006 by angrykoala (log)

[FabulousFoodBabe]

.  I could go on forever, but this is only an opinion; but it's MY opinion, and I'm certainly entitled to it.

←

You certainly are. And you sound like quite an angry koala! Where is that "cringing in fear" emoticon ...

Just so you know, I got an A on my Chef Matching test -- I know that Danny Meyer belongs with The Modern. (I also know that he's not the chef at the Modern -- Gabe Kreuther is.) As for the rest of your rant, well, yeah. I have read some of the comments on the Beard awards. They don't influence my opinions.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

The Beard awards are about New York and for New York.  THe rest of the world does not count.  We need to get an organization to reward the rest of us in the culinary world who chose not to be involved in the New York culinary world.  Why waste time, money and efforts to present a dinner at the Beard house when it will bring you NO return on your total investment.

←

Okay, now I'm feeling like I did, in fact, fall off the turnip truck last Monday. What return on the investment do you (or anyone else) feel is due a chef who cooks at the Beard house?

[Werdna]

I really cannot believe that Bones somehow beat Charcuterie in the Single Subject Cookbook category.  Yes, I'm a big fan of the Ruhlman/Polcyn tome but I'm also a huge cookbook addict in general.  Having read Bones from cover to cover I think it's a truly lousy book.  It was only about bones in the loosest sense and the recipes were so basic, that the book essentially accomplished nothing.  It provided no genuine expertise whatsoever.  There were almost no dishes in that book which any average cook couldn't have cooked without the recipes therein.  What a terrible choice.

←

I completly agree, I have both books and Charcuterie is simply amazing. Bones looked really cool when my sister gave it to me as a present, but I found myself thinking 'how many identical recipies for stock are going to be crammed into this book?'... It reminds me of the old 'write 20 pages on...' high school report, where you have 1 page of material and 19 pages of filler.

Charcuterie inspires with every page, every 'hey, I can really do that' recipe.

[Timh]

The Beard awards are about New York and for New York.  THe rest of the world does not count.  We need to get an organization to reward the rest of us in the culinary world who chose not to be involved in the New York culinary world.  Why waste time, money and efforts to present a dinner at the Beard house when it will bring you NO return on your total investment.

←

Okay, now I'm feeling like I did, in fact, fall off the turnip truck last Monday. What return on the investment do you (or anyone else) feel is due a chef who cooks at the Beard house?

←

As I see it(from a professional point of view) chefs cooking there hope to expose themselves to the NY food media and so called movers and shakers. In turn hoping to gaener some or more media coverage and more business. For many, all theyend up with is a few event photos on the wall.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

As I see it(from a professional point of view) chefs cooking there hope to expose themselves to the NY food media and so called movers and shakers. In turn hoping to gaener some or more media coverage and more business. For many, all theyend up with is a few event photos on the wall.

←

Which they do (expose themselves to NY media, I mean). But beyond that, what else *should* a chef get? The idea upthread that it should return their investment somehow -- kind of like buying a good review or an award -- doesn't make much sense to me.

I do wonder what criteria are used to judge what is a Best restaurant, chef, writer.

[tsquare]

Here are some local chef comments on the value of cooking for the Beard House:

from all the way across the country

[andrewB]

As I see it(from a professional point of view) chefs cooking there hope to expose themselves to the NY food media and so called movers and shakers. In turn hoping to gaener some or more media coverage and more business. For many, all theyend up with is a few event photos on the wall.

←

Which they do (expose themselves to NY media, I mean). But beyond that, what else *should* a chef get? The idea upthread that it should return their investment somehow -- kind of like buying a good review or an award -- doesn't make much sense to me.

I do wonder what criteria are used to judge what is a Best restaurant, chef, writer.

←

Cooking at the Beard house was/is an honor to be a part of. I think some people are a bit 'angry' or jaded by the concept. Any one of us professionals consider it a great regard to be invited there. James Beard and the foundation have set about a standard for the industry which some of you may or may not appreciate. I wonder what tune you would sing had you been nominated...

Its not the foundation of the awards which is a joke, funny enough its the kitchen at the house!!! it is ridiculous to cook in! a part of the ceiling fell in on us when i was there last... now that was a hoot...

[Mayhaw Man]

Though I know a bit about the voting procedures, they do not have them online at this time (coming soon, so says the site). Beard House does have the procedures for chefs wishing to apply to cook at the Beard House.

Cooking at the Beard House

The one thing that I know for sure is that in order to vote for a restaurant, voters must have eaten there-which would, I think, probably give the edge to NY chefs and restaurants as most people end up going to NY during the year, but not so much Scottsdale or Dubuque. Of course, I could be entirely wrong, but I know it's the case with the folks that I know who vote (and I know quite a few).

And while many of you may think otherwise, these awards are a HUGE deal to the people that win them and regardless of the current system, they are, for now, a really big deal to nominees and eventual winners in terms of recognition and in most cases, income and opportunity.