20 April 2010
James Beard Awards – Outstanding Restaurant Nominees 2010
Posted by Crystal under: News .
James Beard is an important figure in the American gourmet history. He is credited with bringing French cooking to the American middle and upper classes in the 1950s. James Beard had lived in France for a while and had been greatly influenced by the French culinary culture. In 1955 he established the James Beard Cooking School. He is known for his appreciation of good food, prepared with wholesome, fresh ingredients. The James Beard Foundation champions American culinary tradition and honors aspiring food professionals by providing them with scholarships. Annually, James Beard Foundation hosts awards ceremony for the best of the breed in the restaurant industry. Here is a brief review of the upcoming 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards for the most outstanding US restaurants:
Annual James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony is one of the food industry’s biggest parties, celebrating fine cuisine and James Beard’s birthday. It is held on the first Monday in May, and the ceremony honors the best restaurants, chefs, cookbook authors, restaurant designers, and food-related journalists. The ceremony culminates with a reception, during which participants can taste signature dishes of James Beard Foundation’s best chefs. James Beard Foundation just released the list of 2010 nominees for the most outstanding restaurants in the nation. Read on about several of such nominees.
Babbo, NYC, NY. One of James Beard’s nominees for the outstanding restaurants awards, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca was opened by Mario Batali in 1998. It is a fine dining Italian restaurant, which already received one James Beard award in 1998. The menu utilizes fresh seasonal produce, Italian cheeses, organic meat, and sustainably sourced seafood. Typical Italian ingredients are widely used for preparing dishes, including fine Italian olive oils, traditional balsamic vinegars, and Italian cheese. The restaurant also boasts an extensive and high quality wine list.
Bouchon, Yontville, CA. One of many Tom Keller’s fine restaurants, Bouchon is a French bistro food restaurant. It is a more casual version of Tom Keller’s French Laundry – which is considered to be one of the very best restaurants in the world. The restaurant’s menu features typical bistro items, such as steak frites, quiche with bacon and onions, or oysters with a glass of champagne. All cooking done at Bouchon is rooted in French tradition, and the restaurant is incredibly popular among Napa Valley residents and visitors.
Delfina, San Francisco, CA. Delfina is located in San Francisco’s Mission District. The restaurant features Italian cuisine, uses seasonal ingredients, and the menu is inspired by the trattorias found throughout Italy. The chef changes the menu daily, driven by offerings of local producers. Restaurant is famous for its daily-made fresh desserts, made from locally sourced ingredients. Restaurant’s wine list is exclusively focused on Italian and Californian wines, featuring mostly boutique wineries and pure varietal wines.
Vincent on Camelback, Phoenix, AZ. Vincent Guerithault, restaurant’s chef and owner, has a background in classically prepared French haute cuisine. His Phoenix restaurant features dishes fusing classic French cuisine with southwestern ingredients. He introduced a hybrid cuisine based on French techniques with utilization of local ingredients, such as chile peppers, corn, cilantro, and jicama. This restaurant presents the flavors of the Southwest in a truly new way. Vincent’s menu includes many unique items, such as, for instance, Corn Ravioli with White Truffle Oil, or Lobster Chimichanga (deep fried Southwestern burrito) with Basil Beurre Blanc and Avocado Corn Salsa.
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