This week I had the honor and pleasure of attending the James Beard Awards in Chicago. This prestigious award ceremony is hosted by the James Beard Foundation at the historic Lyric Opera House. It is an amazing red-carpet event honoring some of the most outstanding chefs, restaurants, bars and bakeries in the country.
The excitement is palpable before, during and after the live award ceremony. Nerves and suspense cause everyone to be abuzz. Last year was my first time attending, and I was surprised by how emotional and moving the evening was and how many tears I shed. It is truly an inspiring moment in time.
Colorado had a number of incredible people who made it to the impressive finalist round. These nominees included Grand Junction’s own Josh Niernberg of Bin 707 Foodbar, 400 Main St., for Outstanding Chef in the entire country! Only four other people made it to the finalist round in that category.
In addition to Chef Niernberg, the following chefs and places in Colorado were finalists. Some for national categories and one for the Mountain Region. The Mountain Region includes Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Penelope Wong: Yuan Wonton (2878 Fairfax St., Denver) — Best Chef: Mountain
Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos: Poulette Bakeshop (19585 Hess Road, Parker) — Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: USA
Frasca Food and Wine (1738 Pearl St., Boulder) — Outstanding Restaurant: USA
Alma Fonda Fina (2556 15th St., Denver) — Best New Restaurant: USA
McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club (3701 N. Williams St., Denver) — Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service: USA
It was challenging to wait for more than three hours for the final award of the evening to be announced — that of Outstanding Chef. I was waiting anxiously with fingers and toes crossed to hear if Niernberg won, but the award went to Jungsik Yim of Jungsik restaurant in New York City. Colorado did win the award for Outstanding Restaurant by Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder.
I spoke with Niernberg later and he noted, “It is such an honor to be recognized for the work we do here in the Grand Valley, and for me, the true honor is bringing our team to the awards ceremony. Regardless of if we won or not, I was proud to see our team all dressed up, meeting some of their culinary heroes and being celebrated at one of the highest levels possible. As for the award itself, to think that Bin 707 in Grand Junction would be sharing the spotlight with Michelin 3-star restaurants in New York is beyond my wildest dreams. I want to thank all of our customers for their support for the last 14 years.”
After the awards ceremony, it was on to the epic after-party! Here you find chefs from around the country preparing delicious bites and pouring wonderful beverages. The mood is celebratory and it’s a chance for everyone to unwind. It’s a time to mingle with famous chefs and congratulate or console each other. Some of my favorite bites that night were the melt-in-your-mouth agnolotti pasta dish with roasted mushrooms, pistachios, and crème fraiche from last year’s Best Chef: Mountain — Matty Vawter of Rootstalk in Breckenridge. I went back multiple times for the scrumptious English pea wonton with tom kha broth and coconut-chili crisp by Chef Christina Nguyen from the restaurant Hai Hai in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was fun to run into Chef Andrew Zimmern and thank him again in person for his elk recipe that I featured in last summer’s Daily Sentinel hunting guide.
The awards ceremony is the culmination of a multi-day experience in Chicago. The James Beard Foundation has several workshops and activities earlier in the weekend. I enjoyed attending “Everyone’s a Critic” and “What is American Food.” These seminars are a great way to stay up to date on the culinary scene, make new contacts, and have many thought-provoking discussions.
In addition, I viewed the award-winning documentary of a culinary program within the prison system entitled Coldwater Kitchen. This powerful movie set in Coldwater, Michigan, was followed by a panel discussion and I was able to spend time talking with the film’s co-director, the culinary instructor at the prison, and a man who was recently paroled. I plan to explore some opportunities to bring this poignant documentary for screening here in Grand Junction.
If you are traveling this summer, I highly recommend you check out Colorado’s delicious James Beard finalists. Colorado really has a wonderful dining scene and I love that it has been getting national recognition. I am deeply grateful we only have to travel to downtown Grand Junction to experience the delectable flavors and gracious hospitality of Niernberg and his team at Bin 707. Wishing you all a summer of terrific dining and amazing, fresh, local produce. Bon appétit!
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