The 2010 James Beard restaurant and chef semi-finalist nominees have been announced, news so big in the food world that the Beard Awards site has been up and down all morning.
Think of it as the Oscars for food and wine nerds — a national back-patting fest for chefs, food writers, restaurants and those who love them.
Wine Country and San Francisco have received kudos in this first round of nominations, judged by a group of about 700 in the food business to be the tip-topiest. One especially bittersweet nod, husband and wife team Deanie (pastry) and Jeremy (best chef Pacific) at Napa’s Ubuntu (though the Chron reports that the duo have already left the restaurant. Yipes). And wunkerkind Chris Kostow of Meadowood gets the double whammy of getting a coveted 4-stars from Michael Bauer in the San Francisco Chronicle along with a Best Chef Pacific nod.
Winners will be announced for each category on March 22, 2010.
On the list:
OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT
- Bouchon, Yountville, CA
- Boulevard, San Francisco
- Delfina, San Francisco
RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
- Perry Hoffman, Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA
- Timothy Hollingsworth, The French Laundry, Yountville, CA
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
- Flour + Water, San Francisco
- Frances, San Francisco
-RN74, San Francisco
OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines, Sebastopol, CA
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, CA
OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Michael Mina, San Francisco
BEST CHEF PACIFIC
Jeremy Fox, Ubuntu, Napa,
Laurence Jossel, Nopa, San Francisco
Loretta Keller, Coco500, San Francisco
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco
OUTSTANDING CHEF
- Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
- Michael Mina, Michael Mina, San Francisco
- Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco
OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF
- Deanie Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
- Nicole Plue, Redd, Yountville, CA
- Michelle Polzine, Range, San Francisc0OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR
- Michael Dellar from the Lark Creek Restaurant Group in San Francisco
- Pat Kuleto from Pat Kuleto Restaurant and Management
- Tim Stannard, Bacchus Management Group (SF)
- Doug Washington, Anchor & Hope, Salt House, and Town Hall, San Francisco
OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE
- A16, San Francisco
- Acquerello, San Francisco
-La Toque, Napa, CA
- Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
