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There were semifinalists, then finalists, and now, winners of the James Beard Awards, considered among the highest honors in the American restaurant community. At this evening’s event in Chicago, chefs and insiders gathered for what is sometimes referred to as the “Oscars of the food world.” Eater editors had their picks, and it’s time to see who took home those shiny medals.
New York City chef Gabrielle Hamilton deservedly won the award for Outstanding Chef, but Seattle’s Edouardo Jordan was perhaps the biggest winner of the night, taking home the award for Best Chef: Northwest for Salare and Best New Restaurant for JuneBaby. The city of San Francisco also swept multiple categories: Belinda Leong and Michel Suas of B. Patisserie won the award for Outstanding Baker, In Situ won for design, and Zuni Café won for service. Plus, third time’s a charm for Dominque Crenn who walked away with the award for Best Chef: West. Without further ado, here are all of the winners:
2018 James Beard Award Chef and Restaurant Winners
Outstanding Chef
Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune, NYC
Outstanding Restaurant
Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham AL
Outstanding Restaurateur
Caroline Styne, The Lucques Group (Lucques; a.o.c.; Tavern and others), Los Angeles
Outstanding Service
Zuni Café, San Francisco
Best New Restaurant
JuneBaby, Seattle
Outstanding Bar Program
Cure, New Orleans
Outstanding Wine Program
FIG, Charleston SC
Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
Miljenko Grgich (Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford CA)
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham AL
Outstanding Baker
Belinda Leong and Michel Suas: B. Patisserie, San Francisco
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Camille Cogswell (Zahav, Philadelphia)
Outstanding Restaurant Design (76 seats and over)
Firms: Aidlin Darling Design with a l m project
Designers: Joshua Aidlin, David Darling, Adam Rouse, and Andrea Lenardin Madden
Project: In Situ, San Francisco
Outstanding Restaurant Design (75 seats and under)
Firm: The MP Shift
Designers: Amy Morris, Anna Polonsky, and Julie Nerenberg
Project: De Maria, NYC
Best Chef: New York City
Missy Robbins (Lilia)
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Gavin Kaysen (Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis)
Best Chef: West (CA, HI, NV)
Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn, San Francisco)
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)
Alex Seidel (Mercantile Dining & Provision, Denver)
Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)
Edouardo Jordan (Salare, Seattle)
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT)
Karen Akunowicz (Myers + Chang, Boston)
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Abraham Conlon (Fat Rice, Chicago)
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, Puerto Rico)
Nina Compton (Compère Lapin, New Orleans)
Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Rodney Scott (Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Charleston SC)
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Jeremiah Langhorne (The Dabney, Washington D.C.)
The following wins were previously announced:
- Dong Phuong Bakery, New Orleans
- El Guero Canelo, Tucson
- Los Hernandez, Union Gap, WA
- Sun Wah, Chicago
- Galleria Umberto, Boston
2018 Restaurant Design Icon
The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Missouri
2018 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year
José Andrés
2018 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award
Paula Wolfert
The Media Awards took place on April 27, read the full winners list here.
Note: Eater’s national critic Bill Addison is on the James Beard restaurant and chef awards committee but is recused from covering the Beards.
Photo credits: Edouardo Jordan photo by Suzi Pratt; Nina Compton photo by Elsa Hahne; Missy Robbins photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Stringer; Dominique Crenn photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Stringer; Gabrielle Hamiliton photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Stringer; Camille Cogswell photo courtesy of Camille Cogswell