The James Beard Awards are a bit like the food Oscars for American restaurants. The awards aim to highlight the best food, drink, and big ideas in the culinary world and this year’s list of winners make up a stellar cast of fantastic food, amazing alcohol, and beautiful baked goods.
So without any more flourishes or hyperbole, here are the 2017 James Beard Award winners from across America.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT: LE COUCOU — NYC
Le Coucou in New York made a huge splash on when it opened last year. Chef Daniel Rose left behind Paris and Los Angeles to open a French eatery for the ages with famed restaurateur Stephen Starr (more on him later). James Beard took note and now it’s been deemed the best new restaurant “likely to make a significant impact in years to come.”
OUTSTANDING CHEF: MICHAEL SOLOMONOV, ZAHAV — PHILADELPHIA
Chef Michael Solomonov’s Zahav [warning, music auto plays] has been delighting Philadelphians with stellar Israeli food since 2008. Chef Solomonov’s menu presents a string of great Israeli standards taken up to outstanding levels of precision and deliciousness.
OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF: GHAYA OLIVEIRA, RESTAURANT DANIEL — NYC
Chef Daniel Boulud is a legend when it comes to French cuisine in America. He staffs his namesake restaurant with the best of the best. This year that’s evidenced by Head Pasty Chef Ghaya Oliveira taking home the title of the best pastry chef in the country. Chef Oliviera’s sweet-tooth delights are dynamic, innovative, and, of course, decadently seductive.
OUTSTANDING BAKER: MARK FURSTENBERG, BREAD FURST — WASHINGTON, DC
Baking is a melding of chemistry and art. Mark Furstenberg of the iconic DC bakery Bread Furst has been balancing the two perfectly since he started back in 1990, when he first brought European style bread-ways to the Washington DC area.
OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT: TOPOLOBAMPO — CHICAGO
Chef Rick Bayless is the go to American expert on pan-Mexican cuisine. Bayless’ Topolobampo is his much-lauded signature restaurant that takes classic modes of Mexican cuisines and places them in a haute-cuisine environment.
OUTSTANDING RESTAURANTEUR: STEPHEN STARR, STARR RESTAURANTS — PHILADELPHIA
Stephen Starr has a restaurant empire. He’s got a great eye and sense for what chefs will work on America’s shores, like Le Coucou’s Chef Daniel Rose. Moreover, Starr opens restaurants with one thing in mind: Is this great and unique food that people will love? It shouldn’t come as a shock that he’s been massively successful.
RISING STAR CHEF: ZACHARY ENGEL, SHAYA — NEW ORLEANS
Chef Zachary Engel brought a food style that you probably don’t immediately associate with the Big Easy — Jewish comfort foods. Chef Engel’s Shaya shines brightly with delicious babkas, perfect briskets, and nourishing matzah ball soups.
OUTSTANDING BAR PROGRAM: ARNAUD’S FRENCH 75 BAR — NEW ORLEANS
A great bar is hard to beat. It has to have the right atmosphere that transports you somewhere else. The staff has to be on point. And, of course, the drinks need to be perfection in a glass. Arnaud’s French 75 in New Orleans hits every mark with aplomb and seamless perfection with every drink they serve. Also, they’re named after one of the best-champagne-cocktails-named-after-a-piece-of-French-WWI-artillery around.
OUTSTANDING WINE PROGRAM: CANLIS — SEATTLE
We’ve told you about the wonders of Canlis before. And now James Beard is backing us up by highlighting the Seattle institution’s superb wine cellar. It’s hard to argue with great Pacific Northwest cuisine and amazing wine.
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OUTSTANDING WINE, BEER, OR SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL: SAM CALAGIONE, DOGFISH HEAD CRAFT BREWERY — MILTON, DE
Lastly, we have some love for the every growing craft beer world. Sam Calagione’s Dogfish Head Brewery has changed the craft beer game with innovation and inspiration that has straight up changed beer as we know it. It’s hard to think of another brewery that has done more to make beer as cool as Dogfish Head’s constant pushing of every boundary from business to style to the craft itself.
