"James Beard Foundation" news and stories

Every year, chefs, food and beverage professionals, journalists, food authors, and restaurant architects and designers gather to attend "the Oscars of the food world," the James Beard Foundation Awards. This year's ceremony took place on May 2 and May 3 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. A complete list of the winners can be found on the James Beard Foundation's Awards site, but here's are some highlights from the Restaurant and Chef Awards category (take a look before planning your next meal out):

Outstanding Chef: Tom Colicchio (Craft, NYC)

Best New Restaurant: Marea (NYC, Chef/Partner: Michael White; Partner: Chris Cannon)

Outstanding Restaurant: Daniel (NYC, Chef/Owner: Daniel Boulud; Owner: Joel Smilow)

Outstanding Pastry Chef: Nicole Plue (Redd; Yountville, CA)

Outstanding Restauranteur: Keith McNally (Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, Pastis, Pravda, and Schiller's Liquor Bar; NYC)

Outstanding Service Award: Alinea (Chicago; Chef/Owner: Grant Achatz)

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional: John Shafer and Doug Shafer
(Shafer Vineyards; Napa, CA)

Outstanding Wine Service: Jean Georges (NYC; Wine Director: Bernard Sun)

Rising Star Chef of the Year: Timothy Hollingsworth (The French Laundry; Yountville, CA)

• Is the James Beard Foundation giving L.A. the cold shoulder, or what?
• Wild rice is harvested in the fall -- but it makes great spring eating, too.
• In L.A., Hatfield's restaurant is the real McCoy. (As in genuinely good.)
• The Corner Bakery's oatmeal currant cookies are extra big -- but somehow there's always room for more.

• Man Eats Pizza, and Nothing But Pizza, for a Month [Grub Street New York]
• McDonald's Forgets How To Spell Its Own Name [Huffington Post]
• Restaurant Chains Step Up Social Media Strategies [NRN]
• Aramark Among World's Most Ethical Companies [CatererSearch]
• The James Beard Foundation Was a Category on Jeopardy! [Eater]

Got a spare hundred bucks on hand, a delicious dream in your heart and a keyboard at your fingertips? Then hie thee to jamesbeard.org and download entry forms for the 2010 James Beard Foundation's Book, Journalism, Broadcast Media and Design Awards.

Veteran entrants of the Journalism Awards will note that there are a few alterations from previous ballots (full disclosure -- I'm the vice chair of the committee that oversees the Journalism Awards), namely that the Restaurant Review award has been redubbed the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award, the former Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes and With Recipes categories have been combined into single category, and there's no requirement for the Writing on Spirits, Wine, or Beer, Food-related Columns, or Reporting on Health, Environment and Nutrition entrants to have ever appeared in print. Online's just fine.

Why the changes? Funny thing - we cracked a window in the Beard House's Peter Kump Boardroom during our last meeting and noticed it was 2009 outside. Oops.

Restaurant devotees also may submit their favorite chefs and restaurant for inclusion in the James Beard Restaurant Awards via a handy online form at jamesbeard.starchefs.com.

[Via: jamesbeard.org]

Photo: Alicia Griffin/flickr

Ben Ali, the founder of Washington D.C.'s historic Ben's Chili Bowl, has died at the age of 82.

Ali founded the landmark eatery on U Street with his wife, Virginia, during the Eisenhower administration, and it's become a hangout for presidents -- President Obama visited on Jan. 10 -- and entertainers -- Bill Cosby, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. Cosby was the only person to get a free meal at Ben's until Obama's election, when Ben's put up this sign in the window: "Who eats free at Ben's: _Bill Cosby _The Obama Family," the Associated Press reports.

The restaurant is renowned for its chili "half smokes" -- beef sausages larger than the average hot dog that are smothered in chili -- as well as its bowls of chili. The James Beard Foundation named Ben's Chili Bowl an "American Classic" in 2004. And the menu, Gourmet.com notes, isn't for the faint of heart. "Our chili will make a dog bark," it begins.