Industry leaders from across the country attended the May ceremony where the evening’s theme was TV/Dinner. Ever since James Beard appeared on television’s first cooking show, food has been one of the most popular subjects in American broadcasting. The 2016 James Beard Awards honored the country’s top culinary talent while celebrating the role of cuisine in television. The gala reception chefs, consisting of former James Beard Foundation Award recipients, created dishes inspired by their favorite television shows and characters, and shared their cuisine with nearly 2,000 attendees.

During a ceremony hosted by TV personality, chef and restaurateur Carla Hall, awards in the Restaurant and Chef and Outstanding Restaurant Design categories were presented, as well as a number of special achievement awards, including the Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, Lifetime Achievement, Design Icon, America’s Classics, and Humanitarian of the Year.

The 2016 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

Best Chef: Great Lakes
Curtis Duffy, Grace, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Aaron Silverman, Rose’s Luxury, Washington D.C.

Best Chef: Midwest
Paul Berglund, The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis

Best Chef: New York City
Jonathan Waxman, Barbuto

Best Chef: Northeast
Zak Pelaccio, Fish & Game, Hudson, NY

Best Chef: Northwest
Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins, Seattle

Best Chef: South
Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocery, New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast
Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville

Best Chef: Southwest
Justin Yu, Oxheart, Houston

Best Chef: West
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal, Los Angeles

Best New Restaurant
Shaya, New Orleans

Outstanding Baker
Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Café, Boston

Outstanding Bar Program
Maison Premiere, Brooklyn, NY

Outstanding Chef
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles

Outstanding Restaurant
Alinea, Chicago

Outstanding Restaurateur
Ken Friedman, The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, Tosca Café, NYC

Outstanding Service
Eleven Madison Park, NYC

Outstanding Wine Beer or Spirits
Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM

Outstanding Wine Program
Bern’s Steakhouse, Tampa, FL

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Daniela Soto-Innes, Cosme, NY

Visit https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards for a complete list of all award winners.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields and further the Foundation’s mission to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. Each award category had an individual committee made up of industry professionals who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective Awards program. All JBF Award winners received a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia.

About The James Beard Foundation 

Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors America's diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought leader convening.