Timothy Hollingsworth, chef de cuisine of The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., was named “Rising Star” of the year by the James Beard Foundation, which handed out its restaurant and chef awards Monday night.
Marea in New York City was named best new restaurant.
New York chefs and restaurateurs won many of the other national prizes from the foundation in what are widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious restaurant awards. New York-based Tom Colicchio was named outstanding chef of the year; Daniel, also in New York, was named outstanding restaurant; and New York-based restaurateur Keith McNally won the award for outstanding restaurateur. Jean Georges restaurant in New York got the nod for outstanding wine service.
Alinea in Chicago won the award for outstanding service, and Nicole Plue, pastry chef of Redd in Yountville, Calif., was named outstanding pastry chef of the year.
John and Doug Shafer of Shafer Vineyards in Napa, Calif., won the wine and spirits professionals award.
New York restaurants also won the design and graphics awards: Andre Kikoski won the restaurant design award for The Wright, and Pandiscio Co. was given the outstanding restaurant graphics award for The Standard Grill.
Regional chef awards:
- Koren Grieveson of Avec in Chicago won for the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio).
- Jeff Michaud of Osteria in Philadelphia won in the Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.).
- Alexander Roberts of Alma in Minneapolis took the Midwest award (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin).
- Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park won for best chef in New York City.
- Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier of Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine, won for the Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York state, Rhode Island and Vermont).
- Jason Wilson of Crush in Seattle won in the Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming).
- David Kinch of Manresa in Los Gatos, Calif., won in the Pacific (California and Hawaii).
- Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami won in the South (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi).
- Sean Brock, chef of McCrady’s in Charleston, S.C., won for the Southeast (Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia).
- Claude Le Tohic of Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas won in the Southwest (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah).
- There were few surprises in the awards. Hollingsworth, who represented the United States in the 2009 Bocuse d’Or competition, is the second chef de cuisine from The French Laundry to win the “Rising Star” award. Corey Lee won that award in 2006.
- Grant Achatz, another French Laundry alumnus, won that award in 2003 when he was the chef at Trio in Evanston, Ill. He is now the chef-owner of Alinea; its award last night was Achatz’s fifth Beard Award.
- Humm’s prize was the 21st Beard Award given to a chef or restaurant in Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group.
- Daniel Boulud, chef-owner of Daniel, and his restaurants have won nine awards.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
