Winners were announced this evening, Monday, May 7, 2018, at the James Beard Foundation Awards at Lyric Opera of Chicago. During a ceremony emceed by Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s The Chew, awards were presented in the Restaurant and Chef and Restaurant Design categories, as well as several special achievement awards, including Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, Lifetime Achievement, Design Icon, America’s Classics, and Humanitarian of the Year. A complete list of award winners can be found at the end of this release and at jamesbeard.org/awards.
New Orleans highlights from this year’s list of winners include:
Outstanding Bar Program (Presented by Woodford Reserve Bourbon) A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktail, spirits, and/or beer service.
- Cure, New Orleans
Best Chefs in America (Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Eligible candidates may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as a chef for at least five years with the three most recent years spent in the region)
- Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR) Nina Compton, Compère Lapin, New Orleans
2018 James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America Inductees
- Lally Brennan and Ti Adelaide Martin (Co-Proprietors, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans )
2018 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics (Presented by TABASCO® Sauce)
- Dong Phuong Bakery, New Orleans, LA (Owner: Linh Tran Garza)
The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. For more than 30 years the Foundation has accomplished this mission through programs that highlight food’s central role in our lives. In addition to hosting guest-chef dinners throughout the year at the historic James Beard House in New York City, the Foundation administers the James Beard Awards; grants scholarships for culinary students; produces national events that include our Taste America tour, and creates educational programs for the culinary community and food lovers.
Photos provided by The James Beard Foundation
