Winners were revealed Monday night, May 2, 2016, at the 2016 James Beard Foundation Awards at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. During a ceremony hosted by TV personality, chef and restaurateur Carla Hall, awards in the Restaurant and Chef and Outstanding Restaurant Design categories were presented, as well as a number of special achievement awards, including the Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, Lifetime Achievement, Design Icon, America’s Classics, and Humanitarian of the Year. Winners of the Foundation’s annual Book, Broadcast, & Journalism Awards were presented on April 26, 2016, at a ceremony and dinner at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers in New York City, hosted by James Beard Award winner, chef and TV personality Ming Tsai.
Industry leaders from across the country attended the highly anticipated ceremony where the theme of the evening was TV/Dinner. Ever since James Beard appeared on television’s first cooking show, food has been one of the most popular subjects in American broadcasting. The 2016 James Beard Awards honored the country’s top culinary talent while celebrating the role of cuisine in television. The gala reception chefs, consisting of former James Beard Foundation Award recipients, created dishes inspired by their favorite television shows and characters, and shared their cuisine with nearly 2,000 attendees.
Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields and further the Foundation’s mission to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. Each award category has an individual committee made up of industry professionals who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective Awards program. All JBF Award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. There are no cash prizes.
2016 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Design Awards
75 Seats and Under
(For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2013)
TIE
Firm: Demian Repucci Design
Designer: Demian Repucci
Project: Bruno, NYC
Firm: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Designers: Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Collaboration with Cooper Robertson and Bentel & Bentel
Project: Untitled, NYC
76 Seats and Over
(For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2013)
Firm: Land and Sea Dept.
Designers: Mode Carpentry, Land and Sea Dept. (Robert McAdams, Jon Martin, Peter Toalson, and Cody Hudson)
Project: Cherry Circle Room, Chicago
2016 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards
Best New Restaurant
A restaurant opened in the calendar year before the award that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service, and that is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.
Shaya, New Orleans
Outstanding Baker
A chef or baker who prepares breads, pastries or desserts in a retail bakery, and who serves as a national standard-bearer of excellence. Must have been a baker or pastry chef for at least five years.
Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Café, Boston
Outstanding Bar Program
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktail, spirits and/or beer service.
Maison Premiere, Brooklyn, NY
Outstanding Chef
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as chefs for at least the past 5 years.
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
Outstanding Pastry Chef
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads and who serves as a standard-bearer for excellence. Candidates must have been pastry chefs or bakers for at least the past 5 years.
Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
Outstanding Restaurant
A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 10 or more consecutive years.
Alinea, Chicago
Outstanding Restaurateur
A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past five years.
Ken Friedman, The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, Tosca Café, NYC
Outstanding Service
A restaurant in operation five or more years that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service.
Eleven Madison Park, NYC
Outstanding Wine Program
A restaurant in operation five or more years that serves as a standard bearer for excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine.
Bern’s Steakhouse, Tampa, FL
Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
A beer, wine or spirits professional who has made a significant national impact on the restaurant industry.
Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM
Rising Star Chef of the Year
A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.
Daniela Soto-Innes, Cosme, NYC
Best Regional Chefs
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Eligible candidates may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as a chef for at least five years with the three most recent years spent in the region.
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Curtis Duffy, Grace, Chicago
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Aaron Silverman, Rose’s Luxury, Washington D.C.
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Paul Berglund, The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis
Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
Jonathan Waxman, Barbuto
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)
Zak Pelaccio, Fish & Game, Hudson, NY
Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)
Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins, Seattle
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocery, New Orleans
Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)
Justin Yu, Oxheart, Houston
Best Chef: West (CA, HI, NV)
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal, Los Angeles
2016 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics
Al Ameer Restaurant, Dearborn, MI
Owners: Khalil Ammar and Zaki Hashem
Brooks’ House of BBQ, Oneonta, NY
Owners: Beth and Ryan Brooks
Bully’s Restaurant, Jackson, MS
Owners: Greta Brown Bully and Tyrone Bully
Matt’s Place Drive-In, Butte, MT
Owners: Robin and Brad Cockhill
Rancho de Chimayó Restaurante, Chimayo, NM
Owner: Florence Jaramillo
2016 James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America Inductees
Gina Gallo
Winemaker
Sonoma, CA
Jim Lahey
Baker and Proprietor
NYC
Ed Levine
Author and Founder of Serious Eats
NYC
Dr. Temple Grandin
Author and Animal Rights Activist
Fort Collins, CO
Marcus Samuelsson
Chef and Restaurateur
NYC
2016 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year
Father Greg Boyle
Homeboy Industries
Los Angeles
2016 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award
Leah Chase
Dooky Chase’s Restaurant
New Orleans
The 2016 James Beard Awards are presented in association with HMSHost, Lexus, and Mariano’s; and the following partners: Premier Sponsors: All-Clad Metalcrafters, American Airlines, Lenox Tableware and Gifts, True Refrigeration; Supporting Sponsors: Acqua Panna Natural Spring Water, Breville, Goose Island Beer Co., Lavazza, Robert Mondavi Winery, S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, Skuna Bay Salmon, Valrhona; Gala Reception Sponsors: Braveheart Black Angus Beef from PERFORMANCE Foodservice, Ecolab, Groupon, Kendall College, Royal Caribbean International, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts; with additional support from: Chefwear, VerTerra Dinnerware, and Wisconsin Cheese. The James Beard Foundation also gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Chicago Department of Aviation, Choose Chicago, and the Illinois Restaurant Association.
