James Beard Foundation Award |
You may have noticed a certain amount of anxiety in restaurant across the country this week as the James Beard Foundation was set to make its nominations for the culinary connoisseurs of the year. Commonly referred to as the Oscars of the food, a James Beard Award carries significant weight in the culinary industry, perhaps the sames as an Academy Award in Hollywood, a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism or even a Nobel Prize in World Affairs. However, you look at it, the James Beard Foundation only bestows this prestigious distinction upon a select group of Chefs & Restaurants each year.
In October, the James Beard Foundation organizes an open call on its web site for culinary submissions. This year, the online open call saw a record number of entries, with over 28,000 submissions received. The next step involves an independent accounting firm enumerates the applicants for the chef and restaurant Committee. Next, the Committee produces a ballot of semifinalists, which is sent to a judges’ panel, consisting of over 550 food professionals including previous James Beard Foundation Award winners.The collective votes of this panel then determines the final five nominees represented in each of the 19 award categories. Ultimately the panel will then vote on the finalists to determine the winner in each category.
Parlor & Library at Boston Bed & Breakfast Clarendon Square |
Boston has high standards when it comes to Education, Health, Finance, Politics & yes Food. We cannot say we are surprised to find that two of the nearly 100 nominees hail from our very own little neighborhood, the South End. We are lucky to have our Boston bed and breakfast surrounded by such a lovely restaurant district. Guest from our boutique hotel eat at a variety of these establishments, including Chef & Restaurateur Barbara Lynch’s restaurants B&G Oysters and the Butcher Shop. The neighborhood is not stranger to high profile restaurants either. There have been many notable chefs that have successful set up shop in the neighborhood. Some chefs like Ken Oringer even share the James Beard Foundation Award nomination (& subsequent win) with the following local chefs. You will that many of these chefs are in good company, which ultimately makes the South End a premier dining destination in Boston. Hence dining out is one of our favorite things to do in Boston!
Barbara Lynch’s Menton, James Beard Award Nominee |
Chef Chang’s Recipes Revealed |