James Beard Foundation Awards | Part 2

Tavern Road: Harissa Grilled Oysters and Chowda TR Style

Photograph courtesy of Tavern Road

Best Chef: Northeast

Chef Joanne Chang
Flour Bakery + Cafe, Boston

recommends:

Taiwan Cafe

“It’s my favorite restaurant. It's in Chinatown and I go there with my parents each time they visit. We love it. My favorite dishes are the mapo tofu, the eggplant with basil and the migao, a steamed sticky rice pudding.”

34 Oxford St??Boston, MA 02111

T: 617.426.8181 | taiwancafeboston.com

Chef Jamie Bissonnette
Toro and Coppa, Boston

recommends:

Tavern Road

“It's the best new restaurant in Boston. Awesome food. Seasonally, local and inventive. The TR Street food annex is awesome for a quick lunch. I have restaurant envy.”

343 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210

T: 617.790.0808 (make a reservation) | tavernroad.com

Dinner at Palena in Washington, DC

Photograph courtesy of Palena

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

Chef Cathal Armstrong
Restaurant Eve, Alexandria

recommends:

Palena

“Frank Ruta’s restaurant Palena is awesome. It’s just great soulful cooking. The roast chicken is particularly good.”

3529 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

T: 202.537.9250 (make a reservation) | palenarestaurant.com

Chef Spike Gjerde
Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore

recommends:

Mama's on the Half Shell

“I think they do the best job with traditional, what I'd call Baltimore seafood, which involves pretty significant amount of time. They do a nice job with oysters and dressed up or dressed down, they do a great job.”

2901 O’Donnell Street, Baltimore, MD 21224

T: 410.276.3160 | mamasmd.com

EN Japanese Brasserie in New York City

Photograph courtesy of EN Japanese Brasserie

Best Chef: New York City

Chef Jonathan Waxman
Barbuto, New York City

recommends:

EN Japanese Brasserie

“A gorgeous room and delicate Asian food, the best lunch bargain on the planet, a great place to catch up with old friends.”

435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

T: 212.647.9196 (make a reservation) | enjb.com

Chef Michael White
Marea, New York City

recommends:

Banh Mi Saigon Bakery

“Nothing compares to a #1 Extra Spicy Banh Mi with pork, pate and extra pickled vegetables.”

198 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013

T: 212.941.1541 | banhmisaigonnyc.com/

Ph? ga at Pho Tau Bay in Gretna, LA

Photo Credit: sfllaw [flickr]

Best Chef: South

Chef Justin Devillier
La Petite Grocery, New Orleans

recommends:

Pho Tau Bay

“I go for the P.T.B.?Wonton?Soup with clear glass noodles and a Soda Chanh. I love the family-owned and operated atmosphere. It’s tucked into a very unassuming strip mall, but they produce some of the most?satisfying?meals available.”

113 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, LA 70053

T: 504.368.9846

Chef Jeff McInnis
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Miami

recommends:

Garcia’s Seafood Grille

“I’d put a visiting chef on my boat and take them to Garcia’s for fresh fish.”

398 NW North River Drive, Miami, FL 33128

T: 305.375.0765 | garciasseafoodgrill.com

Polenta at Davanti Enoteca in Chicago

Photograph courtesy of Davanti Enoteca

Best Chef: Great Lakes

Chef Jonathan Sawyer
The Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat, Cleveland

recommends:

Miega Korean Barbeque

“I love Miega for Korean barbeque. The banchan is all made right there in the back of the kitchen. I think it’s pretty banging and authentic. They have great bibimbap, kimchi cakes and sauteed rice cakes. I mostly go for the vegetarian dishes. Plus, they always play Korean TV.”

3820 Superior Avenue East, Cleveland, OH 44114

T: 216.432.9200

Chef Stephanie Izard
The Girl & the Goat, Chicago

recommends:

Davanti Enoteca

“It’s a neighborhood Italian place. They have this awesome creamy polenta and a different ragu everyday. They spoon the ragu over the polenta and it’s so creamy and well seasoned, with a little bit of cheese in it. It’s either pork belly ragu or depending on the meats they got in that day.”

1359 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607

T: 312.226.5550 (make a reservation) | davantichicago.com

Salumi at Bar Cotto in Seattle

Photograph courtesy of Bar Cotto

Best Chef: Northwest

Chef Jason Franey
Canlis, Seattle

recommends:

Bar Cotto

“Ethan Stowell's Bar Cotto for smoked meats, the Guanciale pizza and house-made barrel aged Negroni.”

1546 15th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122

T: 206.838.8081 (make a reservation) | ethanstowellrestaurants.com

Chef Naomi Pomeroy
Beast, Portland

recommends:

Mercado De Leon - Tortilleria y Tienda de Leon’s

“Super authentic inside the back of a grocery store. My absolute fave. Try every salsa, some very hot, but all incredible. Must have is the Nopales Salad.”

16225 NE Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97230

T: 503.255.4356

Chef Gabriel Rucker
Le Pigeon and Little Bird, Portland

recommends:

Noisette

“It’s a French seafood restaurant with a tasting menu. I love it, great lobster, lamb and albacore. Chef Tony Demes worked in New York before coming back to Portland.”

1937 NW 23rd Place, Portland, OR 97210

T: 503.719.4599 (make a reservation) | noisetterestaurant.com

Chef Ethan Stowell
Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Seattle

recommends:

Shiro’s

“Shiro is the best chef working in Seattle, in my opinion.”

2401 2nd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121

T: 206.443.9844 | shiros.com

Thai food at Ruen Pair in Los Angeles

Photo Credit: BrownGuacamole [flickr]

Best Chef: West

Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo
Animal, Los Angeles

recommends:

Ruen Pair

“We love to eat at Ruen Pair, a Thai restaurant in Hollywood. You gotta order the Salty Turnip Omelet, it’s the best.”

5257 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027

T: 323.466.0153 | ruenpair.menutoeat.com

Chef Corey Lee
Benu, San Francisco

recommends:

Coi

“For the tasting menu.”

373 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133

T: 415.393.9000 (make a reservation) | coirestaurant.com

BBQ at Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX

Photo Credit: Paul Lowry [flickr]

Best Chef: Southwest

Chef Bryce Gilmore
Barley Swine, Austin

recommends:

Smittys, Black’s and Kreuz Market

“This is way off the beaten path, but I'd take them to Lockhart and do a barbecue tour. It's some of the best Texas barbecue and it's just a fun, authentic experience. Between Smitty's, Blacks and Kreuz Market there's no way you're leaving Lockhart hungry.”

Black’s | 215 N Main St, Lockhart, TX 78644 | T: 512.398.2712 | blacksbbq.com

Kreuz | 619 N Colorado St, Lockhart, TX 78644 | T: 512.398.2361 | kreuzmarket.com

Smitty’s | 208 S Commerce St,? Lockhart, TX 78644 | smittysmarket.com

Chef Jennifer Jasinski
Rioja, Denver

recommends:

The Squeaky Bean

“It is in downtown Denver and they do a lot of great vegetable dishes, not necessarily vegetarian. There is a cool dish I would suggest of Smoked beets, puffed grains, honey yogurt, sorrel, and variations of beet. What I love about this place is it is a chefs restaurant, very innovative food, super creative presentations, awesome wine list and spot on service.”?

1500 Wynkoop Street, #101, Denver, CO 80202

T: 303.623.2665 (make a reservation) | thesqueakybean.net

Chef Chris Shepherd
Underbelly, Houston

recommends:

London Sizzler

“I’d just let them cook for us.”

6690 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77074

T: 713.783.2754 (make a reservation) | londonsizzler.com

More...

- 2013 James Beard Foundation Award Outstanding Nominees

- 2012 James Beard Foundation Award Nominees

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