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Food 'Oscar' winners announced

by cynthia yoo | June 8, 2008 at 07:20 pm

610 views | 15 Recommendations | 9 comments

The James Beard awards, aka the food 'Oscars' were handed out earlier Sunday.

And the top chef award went to Grant Achatz, a star of the 'molecular gastronomy movement' (Remember that chi-chi restaurant from 30Rock where the appetizer was rose & saffron-infused oxygen?)

At Achatz' restaurant 'Alinea' you can find

crafted menus that read like the shopping list of a culinary mad scientist, with items such as "black truffle explosion, romaine, parmesan" and "transparency of raspberry, rose petal, yogurt."

But Achatz overcame a diagnosis of tongue cancer last year to win both his life and sense of taste back.

Achatz told the crowd of food world elite gathered for the awards he credits lessons learned when he was 22 and working at The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., with teaching him not just how to cook, but also how to survive.
Those lessons were going to "make me a good cook and ultimately a great chef. What I didn't know was that it was actually going to save my life," he said.

"That drive, that tenacity, that dedication that I took in at that restaurant ... it became a part of who I am 12 years later and helped me get through a pretty ridiculous battle."

Alinea was named the nation's top restaurant by Gourmet magazine in 2006, and Achatz previously won Beard awards for rising star chef in 2002 and 2003, and for best chef in the Great Lakes region last year.

The James Beard awards are known as the Oscars of the food world, and honor those who follow in the footsteps of Beard, considered the dean of American cooking when he died in 1985.

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Sanjay Jha

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 20:03 on June 8th, 2008

cynthia yoo, I like this story. It's good stuff. very interesting story

bse5

at 03:43 on June 9th, 2008

White Asparagus, licorice vinegar, honey, meyer lemon

bse5 has contributed a photo to this story.

tchad

at 04:07 on June 9th, 2008

Cynthia -- I was lucky to dine at Alinea this past Friday, 6 June ... just days before Achatz's win at The James Beard Awards ... an amazing experience. The blurry photo is that of the 14-course tasting menu I enjoyed with two friends (Alinea gives you a copy of the menu AFTER dining, in a lovely black envelope). Here are some highlights from the evening: an oyster, sesame, yozu combo served on a stalk of lemongrass, paired with a cocktail of Henriot "Souverain" Brut with Sauternes, Farigoule liqueur and vermouth; fava beans, lavendar, banana and percorino; short rib enclosed in a gelatin of Guinness, sprinkled with peanuts and fried broccoli; liquid nitrogen frozen wagyu beef served over black truffle leather enclosed yukon; a dry shot of pineapple, rum and cilantro; a chocolate enclosed egg, with grapefruit and gelatinized smoke (not kidding...wild) ... just some highlights. And the wine pairings with each course were, of course, sublime. Achatz is a master. ~chad

Chad Evans has contributed a photo to this story.

moonrat

at 08:04 on June 9th, 2008

Part of the joy of dining at Alinea is that they really take the entire experience into account. The food was sublime, along with the wine pairings. That alone would have made for a memorable evening, but it was the staff that made our five hour dinner truly memorable. Not only does a member of the wait staff explain each course and wine pairing, but they really pay attention to your reactions and conversations to some extent. At a few points waiters dropped jokes from previous conversations we had at the table into the food presentation. The time flew by, and we could not believe we had been there for 5 hours.

michelle.sundvick

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:29 on June 9th, 2008

cynthia yoo, I like this story. It's good stuff.

mappleton

at 17:11 on June 9th, 2008

Grant is truly inspirational. What an amazing meal. Among the best I've ever had.

mappleton has contributed a photo to this story.

joeyk930

at 04:58 on June 10th, 2008

I was at the James Beard Dinner on the day of the Kentucky Derby day and it was an amazing meal! Every course was paired with a Maker's Mark cocktail. Any chef that wins a James Beard award is exceptional.

joeyk930 has contributed a photo to this story.