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James Beard Award Winners 2009

At long last, the wait for the nation's biggest foodie honors is over. Slashfood spent nearly every waking second since Sunday night live-Twittering the James Beard Award winners @slashfood live from the scene.

A New York culinary favorite, David Chang of Momofuku Ko took home the best new restaurant award, while Drew Nieporent of the Myriad Restaurant Group was named outstanding restaurateur.

Dig in to the full restaurant, chef and cookbook winners after the jump along with red-carpet photos.



Click the picture below for the delicious details about all the James Beard Awards Best Chefs' restaurants from around the country.

Best Restaurants 2009

    Lola

    Cuisine: American
    Chef: Michael Symon
    Price Range: Entrees $18 to $32
    1058 E. 4th St.
    Cleveland, OH
    216-621-5652

    lolabistro.com

    Joe Glick Photography

    Amada

    Cuisine: Tapas
    Chef: Jose Garces
    Price Range: Tapas, $5 to $18
    217-219 Chestnut St.
    Philadelphia PA 19106
    215-625-2450

    amadarestaurant.com

    Cyrus

    Cuisine: French
    Chef: Douglas Keane
    Price Range: Five courses, $102
    29 North St.
    Healdsburg, CA 95448
    707-433-3311

    cyrusrestaurant.com

    Cyrus

    Tilth
    Cuisine: American, Organic, Northwest
    Chef: Maria Hines
    Price Range: $31 to $50
    1411 N. 45th Street
    Seattle, WA 98103
    -206-633-0801

    tilthrestaurant.com

    Flickr

    La Belle Vie

    Cuisine: French Mediterranean
    Chef Tim McKee
    Price Range: Tasting menus, $65 to $80
    510 Groveland Ave.
    Minneapolis, MN
    612-874-6440

    labellevie.us

    La Belle Vie

    City Grocery

    Cuisine: Innovative Southern
    Chef John Currence
    Price Range: Entrees, $25 to $28
    152 Courthouse Square
    Oxford, MS
    662-232-8080

    citygrocery.net

    City Grocery

    Hugo's

    Cuisine: Contemporary, Organic, Local
    Chef Rob Evans
    Price Range: $15 to $25
    88 Middle St.
    Portland, ME 04101
    207-774-8538

    hugos.net

    Hugo's

    Fig

    Cuisine: Seasonally inspired bistro
    Chef Mike Lata
    Price Range: Entrees, $27 to $29
    232 Meeting Street
    Charleston, SC
    843-805-5900

    eatatfig.com

    Fig

    Bartolotta di Mare

    Cuisine: Italian, specializing in fish
    Chef Paul Bartolotta
    Price Range: Tasting Menu, $135
    The Wynn Casino
    Las Vegas, NV
    702-248-3463

    wynnlasvegas.com/#dining/bartolotta/

    Bartolotta di Mare

    The Modern

    Cuisine: French, American
    Chef: Gabriel Kreuther
    Price Range: $50 and over
    9 W. 53rd St.
    New York, NY 10019
    212-333-1220

    themodernnyc.com

    The Modern


The James Beard Foundation seeks out the creme de la creme of the culinary world for its annual Best Chef awards. Ten chefs were chosen from regions throughout the nation. The main criterion? The chef must have spent at least three years in that region cooking.

The Best Chef (Northwest): Maria Hines, Tilth

The Best Chef (Pacific): Douglas Keane, Cyrus

The Best Chef (Southwest): Paul Bartolotta, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare

The Best Chef (South): John Currence, City Grocery

The Best Chef (Southeast): Mike Lata, Fig

The Best Chef (Mid-Atlantic): Jose Garces, Amada

The Best Chef (New York City): Gabriel Kreuther, The Modern

The Best Chef (Northeast): Rob Evans, Hugo's

Best Chef (Midwest): Tim McKee, La Belle Vie

Best Chef (Great Lakes): Michael Symon, Lola

Of course, many in the food world look to the overall awards as a benchmark of the industry.

Best New Restaurant: Momofuku Ko, owner David Chang

Outstanding Service: Daniel, owner Daniel Boloud

Outstanding Restaurateur: Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group

Outstanding Restaurant: Jean Georges, owner Jean Georges Vongerichten

Outstanding Chef: Dan Barber, Blue Hill

Rising Star: Nate Appleman, A16 and SPQR

Outstanding Wine Service: Le Bernardin

Wine & Spirits Pro: Dale DeGroff

Restaurant Graphics: Denise Korn/Javier Cortés/Bryant Ross (Corner Office)

Restaurant Design: Thomas Schlesser (Publican)

Humanitarian of the Year: Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest).

Lifetime Achievement: Ella Brennan of the Brennan Family of Restaurants, including Commander's Palace.

2009 America's Classics: Arnold's Country Kitchen, Breitbach's Country Dining, Mustache Bill's Diner, Totonno's and Yank Sing.

James Beard Awards 2009

    Carey Lowell and Richard Gere attends the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony And Gala Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts New York, NY United States May 4, 2009 Photo by Victor Spinelli/WireImage.com To license this image (57359691), contact WireImage.com

    Victor Spinelli/WireImage.com

    NEW YORK - MAY 04: Micky Boulud and chef Daniel Boulud attend the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Micky Boulud;Daniel Boulud

    Getty Images

    NEW YORK - MAY 04: Chef Grant Achatz attends the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Grant Achatz

    Getty Images

    NEW YORK - MAY 04: Television personality Martha Stewart attends the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Martha Stewart

    Getty Images

    NEW YORK - MAY 04: President of The James Beard Foundation Susan Ungaro and chef/TV personality Emeril Lagasse attend the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Susan Ungaro;Emeril Lagasse

    Getty Images

    NEW YORK - MAY 04: (L-R) Chairman of the James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees Woodrow Campbell, actor Stanley Tucci and Susan Ungaro President of the James Beard Foundation attend the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Woodrow Campbell;Stanley Tucci;Susan Ungaro

    Getty Images

    Stanley Tucci attends the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York, City. 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts New York, NY United States May 4, 2009 Photo by Mike Coppola/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57359423), contact FilmMagic.com

    Mike Coppola/FilmMagic.com

    Phil Suarez and Jean-Georges Vongerichten attends the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony And Gala Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts New York, NY United States May 4, 2009 Photo by Victor Spinelli/WireImage.com To license this image (57359488), contact WireImage.com

    Victor Spinelli/WireImage.com

    Martha Stewart attends the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York City. 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony And Gala Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts New York, NY United States May 4, 2009 Photo by Victor Spinelli/WireImage.com To license this image (57359663), contact WireImage.com

    Victor Spinelli/WireImage.com

    Martha Stewart attends the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on May 4, 2009 in New York, City. 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts New York, NY United States May 4, 2009 Photo by Mike Coppola/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57359274), contact FilmMagic.com

    Mike Coppola/FilmMagic.com



Cookbook Awards Winners:

Book Awards

For cookbooks published in English in 2008.

American Cooking

"Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook"
by Martha Hall Foose
(Clarkson Potter)

Baking

"Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking"
by Shirley O. Corriher
(Scribner)

Beverage

"WineWise: Your Complete Guide to Understanding, Selecting and Enjoying Wine"
by Steven Kolpan, Brian H. Smith and Michael A. Weiss, The Culinary Institute of America
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Cooking From a Professional Point of View

"Alinea"
by Grant Achatz
(Achatz LLC/Ten Speed Press)

General Cooking

"How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition)"
by Mark Bittman
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Healthy Focus

"The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life"
by Ellie Krieger
(The Taunton Press, Inc.)

International

"Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China"
by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
(Artisan)

Photography

"The Big Fat Duck Cookbook"
Photographer: Dominic Davies
Artist: Dave McKean
(Bloomsbury USA)

Reference and Scholarship

"The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs"
by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
(Little, Brown and Company)

Single Subject

"Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes"
by Jennifer McLagan
(Ten Speed Press)

Writing and Literature

"In Defense of Food"
by Michael Pollan
(The Penguin Press)

Don't forget to take a peek at Sunday night's coverage of the James Beard Media Awards.

Filed Under: Food News
Tags: best chef, best restaurants, BestChef, BestRestaurants, featured, james beard, james beard award winners, james beard awards, james beard awards 2009, JamesBeard, JamesBeardAwards, JamesBeardAwards2009, JamesBeardAwardWinners

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ray

5-05-2009 @2:10PM Ray said... These Beard awards are a joke! Just a way to promote the industry. Do individual dinners decide who wins? No.
Reply

Not Impressed

5-05-2009 @3:08PM Not Impressed said... There are literally thousands of fine dining restaurants in America and I wouldn't consider the selection here no better. Some of these restaurants are located in obscure places that I would imagine only people who are from those places would use those eateries. There was one on the list, but fine dining restaurants come a dime a dozen in Vegas and are a bit less expensive.
Reply

jane

5-05-2009 @4:18PM jane said... I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO EAT AT NOLA'S IN NEW ORLEANS LAST YEAR. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS. THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS. THE HOSTS, SERVERS ALL REMEMBERED OUR NAME WHEN WE LEFT. THIS RESTAURANT CATERS TO THE "UNKNOWN PUBLIC"
Reply

Lu McWilliams

5-05-2009 @4:27PM Lu McWilliams said... Congratulations to Brietbach's, they have been burned out twice now in around a year, and have had to rebuild. Best wishes for the future.
Reply

Donald

5-05-2009 @4:37PM Donald said... and where did Applebees and Red Lobster place in all of this?
Reply

Maureen

5-05-2009 @4:58PM Maureen said... It's satisfying to see restaurants listed that are located as one poster put it "in obscure places." Who would expect a restaurant in Cleveland to come away w/first place. I think it's great! I was afraid Americans were succumbing to the big chains (which are okay) but to see privately run eateries enjoying such success all over the country is a compliment to our culture which seems always under attack. Good job guys!
Reply

Lobster

5-05-2009 @6:02PM Lobster said... With all the free dinners this guy got, it's no wonder he weighs close to 500 pounds. None of these places are as good as good old stuff that mom made.
Reply

CamilleOO3

5-05-2009 @7:00PM CamilleOO3 said... I have to wonder why you have not included Highlands Bar and Grill in your pictures of the best resturants? I happen to know that the resturant was one of the finalists for this years award as was Chef Frank Stitt, who was a finalist for Best Chef last year.
Reply

Lois

5-05-2009 @7:12PM Lois said... Where are all our New Orleans and South Louisiana restaurants..We have some of the finest; service, food, ambience and friendly staff..Please check us out !!
Reply

ralph

5-05-2009 @7:13PM ralph said... my frieds you need to taste the real Italian dishes at IL CASALE restaurant in Belmont Ma.
only than you will change your mind.

FROM THE MANGIONI CLUB
The BEST authentic mediterranean Italian traditional dishes, we had thursday night 4/30/09, at IL CASALE, in Belmont Ma.
We did not mind to wait to be served at the TAVOLONE.
We ate alla Ferrari style, and paid alla Fiat price.
Our best goes to DANTE and his STUFF, for their pride in serving us
WE will refer, IL CASALE, to all our friends. Thanks Mangioni Club
BOMBACE, MARIO, RALPH, CARLO, TONI, RINO
from ralph parziale, email parzialei@aol.com
5/5/09


Reply

jcdinform

5-05-2009 @7:34PM jcdinform said... If you do go out to eat in a Restaurant, Don't forget to ask yourself if any of the meals you eat contain Fructose corn syrup and Please read food labels carefully, Mercury contamination has been found in Fructose Corn Syrup,...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQQljmDfySQ
Reply

Rosa Cerrato

5-05-2009 @8:15PM Rosa Cerrato said... THE BEARD FOUNDATION SHOULD CHECK OUT IN ASTORIA , QUEENS, A WONDERFUL RESTAURANT "L'INCONTRO RESTAURANT" WHICH MEANS THE MEETING PLACE...GREAT FOOD, COMFORTABLE YET FINE ITALIAN CUISINE WITH GREAT TASTE, SERVICE IS ALWAYS CORDIAL AND PROFESSIONAL AND THE CHEF IS YOUNG, GEORGEOUS AND A FABOLOUS COOK...PRICES WILL NOT KILL YOU...THIS IS THE KIND JAMES BEARD SHOULD HAVE INSTEAD OF JUST SNOOTY ONES...:)
Reply

BigHairyBear

5-05-2009 @9:40PM BigHairyBear said... Victoria and Albert's in Orlando, FL is the best restaurant in the U.S. or at least in the top 5 easy.
Reply

c. moreton

5-06-2009 @3:09AM c. moreton said... Been to Tilth twice in 2008 . Horrible service and food was not top rated.
Reply

bonzi

5-06-2009 @3:11AM bonzi said... Have been to Tilth twice in 2008 .Not at all were we pleased with the service or the food.HArd tyo believe that maria recievd top chef in the northwest.
Reply

15 Comments / 1 Pages

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