Do the James Beard Foundation Awards matter?
On May 2, sitting in a packed house at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, I found myself feeling more like a cheerleader than a journalist, shifting from dining critic to advocate. Go Gillespie. Let it be Satterfield’s turn. Staplehouse for the win!
So, when the best chef: Southeast award went to Tandy Wilson of City House in Nashville, and when Shaya in New Orleans was named best new restaurant, I was disappointed.
I was live-tweeting the chef and restaurant ceremonies. I reported the winners, then followed up with these remarks of 140 characters or less:
“Congrats to both @MillerUnionChef and @topchefkevin for amazing last year-plus. What would #ATL dining scene be without them? #jbfa”
“We are sure to see @staplehouseATL in #jbfa roll call for years to come. Cheers to an amazing start.”
If I felt disappointment at the outcome, what did those chefs feel?
MORE:
More on Staplehouse:
More on Kevin Gillespie, Revival and Gunshow:
More on Steven Satterfield and Miller Union:
About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
