Jacqui Gal

Betting on Beard

Our secret panel of industry insiders predicts this year’s James Beard winners

Photo: courtesy of Disney/Pixar

Looking more and more like the Oscars every year, the James Beard Foundation’s culinary awards hit NYC on June 8. Hosted by Kim Cattrall and celebrity chef Bobby Flay, this year’s soiree will be held (for the first time) at Lincoln Center’s swanky Avery Fisher Hall.

To prep for the big night, we checked in with three of New York’s top industry insiders—an A-list restaurant publicist, a critic and a chef—for their predictions on how our local nominees will fare.

The Critic
This prolific food journalist has contributed both feature stories and reviews to many of the city’s top publications and also runs a popular dining blog.

In the Outstanding Restaurateur category, dynamic duo Joe Bastianich/Mario Batali face team Jean-Georges Vongerichten/Phil Suarez and three non-New Yorkers: Tom Douglas, Richard Melman and Wolfang Puck. Not only did our critic say flat-out that the national competitors have “a lot to learn” from our NYC restaurateurs, but also that there isn’t a U.S. city that matches the challenge of running a restaurant here.

“We have the most high-maintenance, educated diners and the toughest critics in the country coming through the doors every night,” The Critic says. “I do not mean any disrespect to Wolfgang Puck, but they don’t operate restaurants in New York City for a reason, and it is because they just can’t take the heat.” The Critic’s pick? “I would go with Mario and Joe.”

For Outstanding Chef, The Critic tipped Chicago’s Grant Achatz (Alinea) to win over our Dan Barber (Blue Hill), despite his being an “outstanding chef, outstanding citizen” and a “crusader for sustainability”. The fact that Achatz was recovering from cancer this year will weigh in his favor, The Critic predicts. And besides, the food at Alinea is more “dynamic” than at Barber’s Blue Hill.

When it comes to La Grenouille’s Outstanding Service nod, our pundit exclaims, “Are you kidding? Who eats there anymore?” Nobody does service in this town like Danny Meyer, as far as The Critic is concerned.

And for Best Chef New York City, the smart money is on David Chang, nominated for Momofuku Ssam Bar. “This would be like the Olympic marathon of awards for him this year,” The Critic says. But if it was up to our pundit to choose from the nominees—Michael Anthony (Gramercy Tavern), Terrance Brennan (Picholine), Wylie Dufresne (wd-50) and Gabriel Kreuther (The Modern)—it would be Dufresne. “Wylie put his heart and soul into wd-50,” notes The Critic. “He’s been at it a long time and he deserves the love.”

The Publicist
A top dog at one of the city’s major firms, this exec currently represents a New York Times three-star restaurant and a fusion joint, among others.

Our PR pro agrees that if Chang were to win Best Chef it would be “a shame,” but with a list of chefs so diverse The Publicist says that “it’s a wash.”

“This award is tricky—Gramercy Tavern and wd-50 in the same breath? It’s like saying Meryl Streep and Lauren Conrad.”

For Outstanding Service, The Publicist agress with The Critic: It’s Danny Meyer, not La Grenouille, who has service “locked down” in this city. “People do not want the formal and stuffy. You go to any Danny Meyer–run restaurant and you find the waitstaff are all very friendly, professional, sophisticated and knowledgeable, and they do not try to ingratiate themselves on a diner.”

The Publicist is sold on the Batali-Bastianich win for Best Restaurateur, too. “They are purveyors of great quality, and Babbo is just a perennial favorite,” our expert says, whereas Jean-Georges is “a sublime chef, but a little dated.”

Nominated for Best New Restaurant, Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia’s Anthos is in with a running chance: “[They] have a great partnership, a successful series of restaurants and they are probably going to open a lot more in the near future.”

“Anthos is great, very Midtown lunch-ey,” The Publicist adds. “It’s not the Spotted Pig, but it was quite delicious when I went.”

As for Outstanding Pastry Chef, our expert is going with Pichet Ong of P*ong: “What he’s doing is really innovative. He’s got a really visionary insight and talent. It’s not the same old, same old. It’s really fun and delicious.”

The Chef
After stints with Batali and Ripert, this chef was yelled at by a past Beard winner for choosing to work at a well-received new restaurant in NYC instead of taking a gig as said nominee’s chef.

For Rising Star Chef of the Year (which David Chang nabbed last year), our insider says Café Boulud’s Gavin Kaysen is probably in with a shot. “He has to be a talented guy if Daniel’s going to pick him to be his chef,” The Chef says. “I have friends that have worked there, and they say it’s a really hard place to be.”

Our chef also has a lot of love for Dan Barber’s work: “They do great food at [Blue Hill]. I totally think he fucking deserves that shit.”

As for Chang’s Best Chef New York City nomination this year, our insider is cynical: “I’m sure he’s talented, I’m sure he’s great. But to put him in the same category as some of these other guys, I think it’s a little soon for that. Not when you’ve got guys like Gabriel [Kreuther] and Terrance Brennan. They have both been working in the city for a really long time and done a lot.”

And Wylie Dufresne? “That guy is a fucking genius. The way he approaches cuisine—it’s not my style, but it is way, way beyond. Out of control. Other people are trying to do it in the city, and he does it the best. I think he deserves it.”

Adds The Chef, “The only one I think is bullshit on that whole list is David Chang. It is not because I think David Chang is bullshit. I just think it is to soon for a guy like that to be listed with those guys. I think 10 years from now David Chang should be nominated, for sure. Not now.”