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2007 James Beard Awards
by Matt DeLucia - Photography by Diana DeLucia
The 2007 James Beard Awards celebration reached a new plateau of glitz this year, being held in the plush and extravagant Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center, complete with a Red Carpet for nominees and presenters. The evening held many surprises, including a few awards that went to nominees that no one expected to win – which is, of course, all part of the fun and anticipation. Other than a few presentation glitches (one presenter was given the wrong envelope, another kept missing her cue to get back on stage), and some too-long and unnecessary commercial messages by some of the event’s sponsors, the event was a big success for the James Beard Foundation and the food and wine industry in general.
A Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Barbara Kafka, and the annual “Who’s Who” award was given to José Andrés, Jim Clendenen, Bobby Flay, Dorie Greenspan, and Michael Pollan. Here is a list of some of the big winners. The full list can be found on our web site, www.RestaurantInsiderMag.com
Best New Restaurant
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, New York
Outstanding Restaurant
Frontera Grill Rick and Deann Bayless, Chicago
Outstanding Chef
Michel Richard, Citronelle, Washington, D.C.
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Michael Laiskonis, Le Bernardin, New York
Outstanding Restaurateur
Thomas Keller, The French Laundry
Outstanding Service
Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman, of Tru, Chicago
Rising Star Chef of the Year
David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York
Cookbook of the Year
The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook, Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Best Chef New York City
David Waltuck, Chanterelle
Best Chef Northeast
Frank McClelland, L’Espalier, Boston
