The James Beard Foundation Awards are considered the Academy Awards of the food world. This year, 25 alums have been nominated for Beard Awards in chef, restaurant, wine, broadcast, and cookbook categories.
2019:
Restaurant and Chef
- Lee Hanson ’87—Best New Restaurant (chef/co-owner of Frenchette, NYC)
- Donald Link—Outstanding Chef
- Michael Tusk ’89—Outstanding Restaurant (chef/owner of Quince, SF)
- Ken Oringer ’89—Outstanding Restaurateur
- Alex Raij ’99—Outstanding Restaurateur
- Alexander Hong ’10—Rising Star Chef of the Year
- Kwame Onwuachi ’13—Rising Star Chef of the Year
- Johnny Clark ’02—Best Chef: Great Lakes
- David Posey ’04—Best Chef: Great Lakes
- Cindy Wolf ’87—Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
- Alex Stupak ’00—Best Chef: NYC
- Jose Enrique ’98—Best Chef: South
- Ryan Smith ’00—Best Chef: Southeast
- Michael Fojtasek ’10—Best Chef: Southwest
- Steve McHugh ’97—Best Chef: Southwest
- Michael Cimarusti ’91—Best Chef: West
Book, Journalism, and Media
- JJ Johnson ’07—Book: American (Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day)
- Albert G. Lukas ’91—Book: American (Sweet Home Café Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking)
- Grant Achatz ’94—Book: Beverage ( The Aviary Cocktail Book )
- Evan Rich ’00—Book: Restaurant and Professional (Rich Table)
- Chandra Ram ’99—Book: Single Subject (Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces)
- Fatima Ali ’11—Personal Essay, Short Form ( “I’m a Chef with Terminal Cancer. This Is What I’m Doing with the Time I Have Left” )
- Anthony Bourdain ’78—TV Special (Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown)
- Julia Colin Davison ’96, Dan Souza ’08—Books: Health and Special Diets (The Complete Diabetes Cookbook)
Winners of the prestigious James Beard Awards will be announced on April 26 in New York City for media and cookbooks, and May 6 in Chicago for restaurants and chefs.
2018:
This year, 24 CIA alumni have been nominated for Beard Awards in chef, restaurant, wine, broadcast, and cookbook categories. And, one of those graduates earned nominations in two prominent categories. A record nine women CIA graduates garnered nominations, mirroring the record number of female nominees overall this year.
- Carina Barrera—Best New Restaurant (General Manager of The Charter Oak, St. Helena, CA)
- Anthony Bourdain—Broadcast Media: Documentary (Producer of Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent)
- Stuart Brioza—Cookbook: Restaurant & Professional (State Bird Provisions)
- Michael Cimarusti—Best Chef: West
- Johnny Clark—Best Chef: Great Lakes
- Camille Cogswell—Rising Star Chef of the Year
- Nina Compton—Best Chef: South
- Abraham Conlon—Best Chef: Great Lakes
- Jose Enrique—Best Chef: South
- Michael Fojtasek—Best Chef: Southwest
- Katianna Hong—Best New Restaurant (Executive Chef of The Charter Oak, St. Helena, CA)
- Donald Link—Outstanding Chef
- Carlton McCoy—Outstanding Wine Program (Wine Director/Master Sommelier at The Little Nell, Aspen, CO)
- Steven McHugh—Best Chef: Southwest
- Bonnie Morales—Best Chef: Northwest
- Ken Oringer—Outstanding Restaurateur
- Stella Parks—Cookbook: Baking & Desserts (Brave Tart: Iconic American Desserts)
- David Posey—Best Chef: Great Lakes
- Sarah Rinkavage—Rising Star Chef of the Year
- Martin Rios—Best Chef: Southwest
- Alex Stupak (2)—Best New Restaurant (Chef/Founder of Empellón Midtown, New York City) & Best Chef: New York City
- Denise Swidey—Broadcast Media: Best Television Program, on Location (Producer of The Food Flirts with the Brass Sisters)
- Michael Tusk—Outstanding Restaurant (Quince, San Francisco)
- Cindy Wolf—Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
In addition, the PBS NewsHour is nominated for “Best Television Program, on Location” for its segment from the CIA’s Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference at the Greystone campus in California in 2017.
CIA fellows Nathan Myhrvold and Kevin Boehm also earned nominations: Myhrvold for Modernist Bread, his cookbook with former CIA faculty member Francisco Migoya; Boehm for Outstanding Restaurateur and Outstanding Service.
Winners of the prestigious James Beard Awards will be announced on April 27 in New York City for media and cookbooks, and May 7 in Chicago for restaurants and chefs.
2017:
The alumni nominees:
- Anthony Bourdain ’78, Best Television Program, On Location (producer): The Mind of a Chef
- Michael Cimarusti ’91, Best Chef: West
- Johnny Clark ’02, Best Chef: Great Lakes
- Nina Compton ’01, Best Chef: South
- Abraham Conlon ’01, Best Chef: Great Lakes
- Greg Denton ’96, Best Chef: Northwest
- Jose Enrique ’98, Best Chef: South
- John Fleer ’91, Best Chef: Southeast
- Jorge Guzman ’05, Best Chef: Midwest
- Francis Lam ’03 (four nominations), Journalism Awards: Best Column; Best Food and Culture; Best Humor; and the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award
- Christine Langelier ’12, Outstanding Service: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY (general manager)
- Steve McHugh ’97, Best Chef: Southwest
- Kevin Nashan ’98, Best Chef: Midwest
- Ken Oringer ’89, Outstanding Restaurateur
- Stella Parks ’02, Journalism Award: Best Home Cooking
- Martin Rios ’96, Best Chef: Southwest
- Michael Sichel ’97, Outstanding Service: Galatoire’s Restaurant, New Orleans, LA (executive chef)
- Greg Vernick ’05, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
- Cindy Wolf ’87, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
In addition, Rajat Parr ’96 is a 2017 inductee into the Foundation’s Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America. The James Beard “Who’s Who” list is considered the hall-of-fame of the American food scene. The Foundation calls it “a cadre of the most accomplished food and beverage professionals in the country…(who have) contributed in some substantial way to America’s constantly evolving culinary scene.” Parr is a renowned sommelier. He is a partner in the Sandhi winery and Domaine de la Côte vineyard, both in California, and wine director for fellow grad Michael Mina’s restaurant group.
CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan ’77 was a Who’s Who 2010 inductee. Other alumni inducted in recent years include Sherry Yard ’91, Michael Mina ’89 (in 2013), Grant Achatz ’94 (in 2012), David Burke ’82 (in 2009), and Anthony Bourdain ’78 (in 2008).
Winners of the James Beard Foundation awards—among the most prestigious in the food world—will be announced on April 25, 2017, in New York City for books and media and May 1, 2017, in Chicago for restaurants and chefs.