James Beard Nominees Announced - Go MN Foodies, Go

The James Beard Award Nominees (The Oscars of the Foodie world) were just announced, and our fantastic culinary scene in MN is representin' with quite a few nominees - congrats and good luck to all..I'd have to agree they are all quite well deserved. 112/Bar La Grassa, Alma, Heartland and The Salty Tart are some of my favorite restaurants/bakeries in town. I can't really bare to watch Andrew Zimmern's "Bizarre Foods" due to the gross things he eats around the world, but I enjoy following him on Facebook. And Dara is an awesome food writer..she has led me to some of my favorite foods around town that I will suddenly get a craving for and need to drive 20 minutes to get, like the tacos at Los Ocampos in the Midtown Market or the South Jersey Hoagie at Broders Cucina. Her column is the only thing that makes me read MN Monthly..since they don't seem to care about attracting readers under the age of 55.

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD : 

Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart Bakery, Minneapolis

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI):  

Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery, Minneapolis

Alexander Roberts , Restaurant Alma, Minneapolis

Lenny Russo, Heartland, St. Paul, MN 

WRITING ON SPIRITS, WINE, OR BEER:

 

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Minnesota Monthly 

“Chardonnay Uncorked”

FOOD-RELATED COLUMNS:

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Minnesota Monthly

 “The Doughnut Gatherer,” “Capital Grills,” “Pizza Perfect” 

Best TV Personality:

Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern"

Media winners will be announced on May 2, and restaurant/chef winners will be announced on May 3rd in New York City. For a complete list of nominees, go here.

Other random nominees I am happy to see on the list:

Andy Ricker, Pok Pok, Portland, OR- went there last May and LOVED it..can't wait to go back.

RN74 San Francisco, for Best New Restaurant - co-owner: Michael Mina - I used to do PR for some of Michael's restaurants in SF and Las Vegas and he's a really great guy, who would send out so many courses of delicious food when we brought journalists to his restaurants that I thought I would burst.

Merry Edwards Winery, for Outstanding Wine & Spirits - our good friends got married at a gorgeous estate in Napa in late summer of 2008 and it was one of my favorite weddings ever. About 25 of us spent the entire weekend there taking dips in the pool, playing bocce, sipping all sorts of fabulous wines and eating amazing food while overlooking the entire valley. They had selected perfect wines for each meal and my favorite was the Merry Edwards Pinot Noir. On one of our trips to the Russian River last year we set up a tasting at the winery and it was incredible..wish I could afford to buy and guzzle this vino by the case.