These Bay Area writers (including me!) won James Beard Awards
This past weekend I was in Chicago for the James Beard Media Awards, our industry's annual celebration of the best food journalism, cookbooks and food TV. (They're the sister awards to the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, which were announced last night.) There were no musical numbers or red carpet interviews. But there were celebrities, and I am of course speaking about baking legend and author of 'The Cake Bible' Rose Levy Beranbaum, who pioneered the reverse creaming method and the use of weight measurements for baking in the United States. Also, Padma Lakshmi.
And I won a James Beard Award! I walked away with a medal for Emerging Voice in Journalism, which makes me feel like the very hungry caterpillar hatching from her cocoon after consuming one pickle, one lollipop, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of chocolate cake and other sundries, an accurate representation of my average Saturday. It's such an honor, and I'm grateful to my colleagues and editors for their support throughout my first year on the job.
One of the highlights of Saturday night was seeing so many familiar faces from the Bay Area, many of whom walked away winners. Today's newsletter is dedicated to them and their award-winning work; I hope you'll take a moment to read and listen to these exemplary local voices.
San Francisco resident and Chronicle contributor George McCalman won the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, together with his co-author Jeff Gordinier, for a beautiful feature in Food & Wine about the history of rice in Charleston. McCalman was recognized for his writing, but his trademark illustrations are remarkable as well.
In the Audio Programming category, Sebastopol-based chef Preeti Mistry — the force behind the East Bay's Juhu Beach Club and Navi Kitchen, both now closed — won for an episode of their podcast, ' Loading Dock Talks with Preeti Mistry ' featuring New York chef Telly Justice. Mistry frequently interviews Bay Area chefs like Fernay McPherson and Tu David Phu, so it's appointment listening for diners in our region.
The Professional and Restaurant category in the book awards honors a work by 'a culinary professional or restaurant chef' — think your favorite restaurant's cookbook rather than a book by a recipe developer or influencer. This year's winner was ' Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California's Wine Country,' the first cookbook from Rogelio Garcia, the chef at Auro in Napa Valley. Co-written with Andréa Lawson Gray of San Francisco, the book celebrates the intertwining of Garcia's Mexican heritage with the ingredients of Wine Country.
And one Bay Area-adjacent mention: Laila El-Haddad is a D.C. area-based author and activist, but her plus-one to the awards was our own Reem Assil of Top 100 restaurant Reem's. I think that makes her honorary, right? El-Haddad won in the Personal Essay With Recipes category for her Saveur piece ' A Cuisine Under Siege.' It's hard to find the right words to describe this powerful essay, an elegy for El-Haddad's aunt who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City in 2023. Cook her recipe for sumagiyya, a lamb stew with sumac, and give it a read.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
2 hours ago
- Eater
A Boulder Italian Restaurant Just Won Its Fourth James Beard Award
The James Beard Foundation (JBF) Awards swept Chicago into a frenzy on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera. Of all the Colorado contestants, upscale Italian restaurant Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder was named Outstanding Restaurant. This makes the restaurant's collective fourth James Beard Award. Though there was a lot of finalists headed into the final night of ceremony, 99 percent of the Colorado contestants lost out. That means Josh Niernberg for his work at Bin 707 Foodbar in Grand Junction did not win the Outstanding Chef award. In the Best New Restaurant, Denver's Alma Fonda Fina did not take home the gold, either. Further, Penelope Wong of Yuan Wonton did not win Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY), nor McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright for their drinks at Denver's Yacht Club. In Parker, Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos's creations at Poulette Bakeshop lost in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category. The awards just keep rolling in for Frasca, though. In 2008 Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson won the then-applicable Best Chef: Southwest for his work at the restaurant. In 2013 the JBF awarded Frasca in the Outstanding Wine Service category. And in 2019 the Boulder restaurant loved for its inventive, seasonal dishes won the Outstanding Service award. In 2023, that old tire company Michelin came to town and honored the business with a star and an Outstanding Service award. The night was a testament to the cuisine and work immigration brings to the United States. Only a few winners failed to mention the foodways that make their restaurants not just popular but possible. 'If you are new to the country and you don't speak the language, the hospitality industry is here for you,' Frasca Food and Wine's partner and master sommelier Bobby Stukey said on stage. • Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO See More:
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ines de Ramon Supports Brad Pitt's New Film as They Dazzle in a Rare Red Carpet Appearance
Ines de Ramon is showing up — and showing out — for her boyfriend, Brad Pitt, as she accompanied him on the red carpet for his newest film. On Monday, June 16, the actor and the jewelry executive attended the New York City premiere of F1, the upcoming sports drama film in which the Fight Club actor, 61, stars. The couple shined as they posed for photos on the red carpet. De Ramon, 32, donned a white halter-style top that showcased her midriff, paired with a matching maxi skirt and a Chanel purse. She opted to style her hair in a bun with pieces left loose in front. The Academy Award winner, for his part, wore a navy blue suit with a black lapel and light pink pocket square and rocked his buzzed haircut. A source told Star last month that Pitt is 'giving her [de Ramon] full access to his style team — designers, jewelers, hair and makeup,' adding, 'She may not really know what she's getting into, but Brad wants her with him every step of the way.' While on the carpet, Pitt was asked by Entertainment Tonight whether he had converted the Swiss-educated de Ramon into a Formula 1 racing fan — and it turns out he didn't have to. 'Well, she's European, so she already had a taste,' Pitt remarked. De Ramon and Pitt, who made their red carpet debut at the Venice Film Festival last year, have been out and about in the Big Apple recently. On Friday, June 13, they joined Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid for a double date at Cote Korean Steakhouse for dinner. A separate source gave insight into Pitt and de Ramon's relationship last month, telling Star, 'Brad's very happy with Ines, and this even-keeled, go-with-the-flow-type vibe is so refreshing. They're an extremely calm couple and not overly intense or high-strung.' Pitt was, of course, famously married to Angelina Jolie from 2014 until the Maleficent actress, 50, filed for divorce in 2016. The pair share six children: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16. As for de Ramon, she tied the knot with The Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley in 2019, but the pair separated in 2022 and finalized their divorce in 2024. Pitt shared some words of wisdom last week with Entertainment Tonight at the F1 premiere in Mexico City. 'I think you get to my age and see how important it is to surround yourself with the people you know, the people you love, the people that love you back. Friends, family, and that's it,' he said. 'From there, we get to go make things. So it's a pretty simple, I think, equation.'
Eater
4 hours ago
- Eater
Dallas Is Shut Out at the James Beard Awards, Except For Cafe Momentum's Chad Houser
On June 16, the 'Oscars of food,' as the James Beard Foundation Awards are colloquially known, went down, and Dallas had one honoree break the city's losing streak of 31 years. Chad Houser, the founder and CEO of Cafe Momentum, accepted the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work with children and teens who the justice system has impacted. Cafe Momentum will receive $20,000 to continue its work from the Michael Phillips Humanitarian Fund. While introducing him, Andrew Zimmern, chef and host of Bizarre Foods , choked up and dropped an f-bomb. 'What this man does affects me and my family,' Zimmern said. 'It's a personal, personal thing and I'm a huge admirer of this human being and what he's done for so many, especially as a formerly incarcerated person.' Houser's first word after Zimmern put the James Beard medal over his head? 'Fuck.' In his speech, Houser listed his thanks, and said, 'I'm often asked if Cafe Momentum has to be a restaurant and I always say 'Yes.' Our industry is an integral part of every single community across the country. We provide a gathering space to celebrate, to breathe, and sometimes to have a conversation you didn't know you needed to have.' He went on to say that the Beards honor acknowledges that Cafe Momentum can change the outcomes of kids in the justice system 'one meal, one conversation at a time.' Houser turned out to be the only Dallas nominee to bring home an award — despite having the most finalists in the state of Texas, the city was locked out of any other wins. The 2025 James Beard Award finalists from Dallas were Mabo for Best New Restaurant, Bar Colette for Best New Bar, Regino Rojas of Purépecha as Best Chef: Texas, Starship Bagel for Outstanding Bakery, and RJ Yoakum in the Emerging Chef category. On the day of the awards, it was announced that Georgie parted ways with Emerging Chef nominee RJ Yoakum. Each year, the James Beard Foundation recognizes restaurants, bars, and hospitality professionals in categories such as Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best New Chef. The first James Beard Awards ceremony was held in 1991, when chefs such as Rick Bayless, Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck emerged as winners. In recent years, the awards have been under increased scrutiny following the cancellation of its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to allegations of misbehavior and abuse against nominated chefs, as well as a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs in the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable, with plans to return in 2022. In recent years, the awards have shifted the Best Chef category to a regional model to better recognize the diversity and depth of talent. Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards. See More:
