"James Beard award" 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)

Not that I've ever done it, but I've always known in-flight dining in the first-class seats is, well, classy. Now United Airlines has upped the class factor by teaming with Charlie Trotter. This isn't the first time United has teamed up with a restaurant, either. Earlier this year it introduced a menu from Trader Vic's on its first-class flights to Hawaii.

The famous Chicago chef has crafted two menus, one for first class and one for business class. If I were flying first class, which I expect to be doing after I win next year's James Beard award for food writing, I'd start with the sautéed prawns and crispy short rib won tons with organic Thai barbeque sauce and chilled sweet and sour cucumber relish. I think I'd follow that with orange and ginger cured duck confit with roasted shallot vinaigrette, braised fennel and hazelnut jasmine rice. The very idea of eating duck confit at cruising altitude sounds like some sort of culinary Mile High club.

In the not unlikely event that I don't win a Beard award, the business class menu ain't so bad either. I'd be more than happy to lunch on citrus cured smoked salmon with a caramelized fennel citrus salad. For a main course, I'd go with the mustard braised pork medallion.

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