So who is James Beard and what’s the deal with his award.
James Beard (May 5, 1903 – January 21, 1985) is the father of the American gourmet cooking movement who brought French cooking to the U.S. He wrote twenty books and starred in the first cooking show on American TV “I Love to Eat” on NBC. (Julia Childs’ show was on the BBC.)
According to the James Beard Foundation website: "In 1955, he established The James Beard Cooking School. He continued to teach cooking to men and women for the next 30 years, both at his own schools (in New York City and Seaside, Oregon), and around the country at women's clubs, other cooking schools, and civic groups. He was a tireless traveler, bringing his message of good food, honestly prepared with fresh, wholesome, American ingredients, to a country just becoming aware of its own culinary heritage."
The James Beard Foundation was set up in Beard's honor to provide scholarships to aspiring food professionals and to champion the American culinary tradition — which Beard helped create. Since 2001 the Beard Foundation has awarded over $2.2 million in scholarships and tuition waivers to young culinarians and career changers pursuing culinary studies.
The annual James Beard Foundation Awards (often called "The Oscars of Food") are given at the industry's biggest party, part of a fortnight of activities that celebrate fine cuisine and Beard's birthday. Held on the first Monday in May, the Awards ceremony honors the finest chefs, restaurants, journalists, cookbook authors, restaurant designers, and electronic media professionals in the country. It culminates in a reception featuring a tasting of the signature dishes of more than 30 of the James Beard Foundation's very best chefs.
Now the preliminary nominations just came out for this year's James Beard Awards and eight Phoenix and Scottsdale restaurateurs, restaurants and chefs are on the lists.
Best Chef - Southwest ballot:
Kevin Binkley of Binkley's in Cave Creek
Beau MacMillan of Elements in Paradise Valley
Silvana Salcido Esparza of Barrio Café in Phoenix
Outstanding Chef:
Janos Wilder of Janos Restaurant in Tucson
Outstanding Restaurant:
Vincent On Camelback, Phoenix
Best New Restaurant:
St Francis, Phoenix
Outstanding Wine Service:
Tarbell's, Phoenix
Outstanding Restaurateur:
Sam Fox
The nominees are culled from 21,000 entries by a panel of 400 judges. The preliminary ballots contain 20 entries in each category, which will be trimmed to five finalists. They will be announced March 22. The awards ceremony takes place in New York on May 3.
Congratulations to all the Phoenix restaurants nominated!
