2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Finalists

Best New Restaurant
A restaurant opened in the calendar year before the award will be given that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service, and that is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.

The Charter Oak, St. Helena CA

Empellón Midtown, NYC

Felix Trattoria, Venice CA

JuneBaby, Seattle

Kismet, Los Angeles

Outstanding Baker
A chef or baker who prepares breads, pastries or desserts in a retail bakery, and who serves as a national standard-bearer of excellence. Must have been a baker or pastry chef for at least five years.

Dianna Daoheung, Black Seed Bagels, NYC

Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, Brooklyn NY

Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery and Café, Cambridge MA

Belinda Leong and Michel Suas: B. Patisserie, San Francisco

Alison Pray: Standard Baking Co., Portland, ME

Greg Wade: Publican Quality Bread, Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktail, spirits, and/or beer service.

Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston

Bar Agricole, San Francisco

Clyde Common, Portland OR

Cure, New Orleans

Kimball House, Decatur GA

Trick Dog, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

Ashley Christensen, Poole’s Diner, Raleigh NC

Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune, NYC

David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos CA

Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood | St. Helena CA

Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

Outstanding Pastry Chef
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads in a restaurant and who serves as a national standard bearer of excellence. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Kelly Fields, Willa Jean, New Orleans

Meg Galus, Boka, Chicago

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles

Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham AL

Diane Yang, Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis

Outstanding Restaurant
A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard bearer of consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Must have been in operation 10 or more consecutive years.

Balthazar, NYC

Canlis, Seattle

Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder CO

Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham AL

Quince, San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurateur
A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past five years.

Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, Boka Restaurant Group (Boka; GT Fish & Oyster; Girl & the Goat and others), Chicago

JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline), New Orleans

Ken Oringer (Uni; Little Donkey; Toro; and others), Boston

Caroline Styne, The Lucques Group (Lucques; a.o.c.; Tavern and others), Los Angeles

Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (Fork; High Street on Market; High Street on Hudson and others), Philadelphia

Outstanding Service
A restaurant in operation five or more years that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service.

Boka, Chicago

Saison, San Francisco

Zahav, Philadelphia

Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Ann Arbor MI

Zuni Café, San Francisco

Outstanding Wine Program
A restaurant in operation five or more years that serves as a national standard bearer for excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine.

a.o.c., Los Angeles

Bacchanal, New Orleans

Benu, San Francisco

FIG, Charleston SC

The Little Nell, Aspen CO

Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
A beer, wine, or spirits professional who has had a significant national impact on the restaurant industry.

Cathy Corison (Corison Winery, St. Helena CA)

Diane Flynt (Foggy Ridge Cider, Dugspur VA)

Miljenko Grgich (Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford CA)

Steve Matthiasson (Matthiasson Wines, Napa CA)

Lance Winters (St. George Spirits, Alameda CA)

Rising Star Chef of the Year
A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to make a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Camille Cogswell (Zahav, Philadelphia)

Clare de Boer (King, NYC)

Sarah Rinkavage (Marisol, Chicago)

Miles Thompson (Michael’s, Santa Monica CA)

Kevin Tien, Himitsu (Washington D.C.)

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Andrew Brochu (Roister, Chicago)

Abraham Conlon (Fat Rice, Chicago)

Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark (Parachute, Chicago)

David Posey and Anna Posey (Elske, Chicago)

Lee Wolen (Boka, Chicago)

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Amy Brandwein (Centrolina, Washington D.C.)

Tom Cunanan (Bad Saint, Washington D.C.)

Rich Landau (Vedge, Philadelphia)

Jeremiah Langhorne (The Dabney, Washington D.C.)

Cindy Wolf (Charleston, Baltimore)

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

Karen Bell (Bavette La Boucherie, Milwaukee)

Steven Brown (Tilia, Minneapolis)

Justin Carlisle (Ardent, Milwaukee)

Gavin Kaysen (Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis)

Ann Kim (Young Joni, Minneapolis)

Best Chef: New York City

Amanda Cohen (Dirt Candy)

Ignacio Mattos (Estela)

Missy Robbins (Lilia)

Alex Stupak (Empellón Midtown)

Jody Williams (Buvette Gastrothèque)

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT)

Karen Akunowicz (Myers + Chang, Boston)

Tiffani Faison (Tiger Mama, Boston)

Tony Messina (Uni, Boston)

Cassie Piuma (Sarma, Somerville MA)

Benjamin Sukle (Oberlin, Providence)

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Edouardo Jordan (Salare, Seattle)

Katy Millard (Coquine, Portland OR)

Bonnie Morales (Kachka, Portland OR)

Justin Woodward (Castagna, Portland OR)

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi (Joule, Seattle)

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, Puerto Rico)

Vishwesh Bhatt (Snackbar, Oxford MS)

Nina Compton (Compère Lapin, New Orleans)

Jose Enrique (Jose Enrique, San Juan PR)

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus (Coquette, New Orleans)

Brad Kilgore (Alter, Miami)

Slade Rushing (Brennan’s, New Orleans)

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Mashama Bailey (The Grey, Savannah GA)

Katie Button (Nightbell, Asheville NC)

Cassidee Dabney (The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland TN)

Rodney Scott (Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Charleston SC)

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman (Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis)

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)

Michael Fojtasek (Olamaie, Austin)

Bryce Gilmore (Barley Swine, Austin)

Steve McHugh (Cured, San Antonio)

Martín Rios (Restaurant Martín, Santa Fe NM)

Alex Seidel (Mercantile Dining & Provision, Denver)

Best Chef: West (CA, HI, NV)

Michael Cimarusti (Providence, Los Angeles)

Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn, San Francisco)

Jeremy Fox (Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica CA)

Jessica Koslow (Sqirl, Los Angeles)

Travis Lett (Gjelina, Venice CA)

2018 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Design Awards

For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2015. Winners will be announced on May 7, 2018.

75 Seats and Under

Firms: FÖDA Studio, Studio MAI, and Michael Hsu Office of Architecture
Designers: Jett Butler, Tom Ahn, Dale Wallain, and Milo Garcia
Project: Otoko, Austin

Firm: The MP Shift
Designers: Amy Morris, Anna Polonsky, and Julie Nerenberg
Project: De Maria, NYC

Firm: Rockwell Group
Designers: David Rockwell, Greg Keffer, and the Rockwell Group Design Team
Project: Daily Provisions, NYC

76 Seats and Over

Firm: ABC Carpet & Home
Designers: Paulette Cole, Amy Ilias, Maya Nakano, and the ABC Home Creative Team
Project: abcV, NYC

Firms: Aidlin Darling Design with a l m project
Designers: Joshua Aidlin, David Darling, Adam Rouse, and Andrea Lenardin Madden
Project: In Situ, San Francisco

Firms: FÖDA Studio and Shears Adkins Rockmore
Designers: Jett Butler, Stephanie Leung, Katie Cavallo, and Chip Chambers
Project: The Preacher’s Son, Bentonville, AR

Design Icon
The American Restaurant
Kansas City, Missouri

2018 James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America Inductees

These recipients and the following honorees will accept their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 7 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Jody Adams
Chef/Owner, TRADE, Porto, and Saloniki
Boston

Lally Brennan and Ti Adelaide Martin
Co-proprietors, Commander’s Palace
New Orleans

Allison Hooper
Co-Founder/Owner, Vermont Creamery
Websterville, VT

Daniel Johnnes
Wine Director, The Dinex Group
New York City, NY

2018 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics

Sun Wah
Chicago, IL
Owners: Kelly Cheng, Laura Cheng and Michael Cheng

Galleria Umberto
Boston, MA
Owners: Paul Deuterio and Ralph Deuterio

Los Hernandez
Union Gap, WA
Owner: Felipe Hernandez

El Guero Canelo
Tucson, AZ
Owner: Daniel Contreras

Dong Phuong Bakery
New Orleans, LA
Owner: Linh Tran Garza

2018 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

José Andrés
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Chef; Owner, ThinkFoodGroup; Founder, World Central Kitchen

2018 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Paula Wolfert
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Author

2018 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

For books published in English in 2017. Winners will be announced on April 27, 2018.

The winner of the Book of the Year Award and the Cookbook Hall of Fame inductee will be announced on April 27, 2018.

American

Homegrown: Cooking from My New England Roots
Matt Jennings
(Artisan Books)

The Lost Kitchen
Erin French
(Clarkson Potter)

The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen
Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley
(University of Minnesota Press)

Baking and Desserts

BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts
Stella Parks
(W. W. Norton & Company)

Sweet
Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh
(Ten Speed Press)

The Sweet Spot: Dialing Back Sugar and Amping Up Flavor
Bill Yosses and Peter Kaminsky
(Pam Krauss Books)

Beverage

3-Ingredient Cocktails
Robert Simonson
(Ten Speed Press)

Meehan’s Bartender Manual
Jim Meehan
(Ten Speed Press)

Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World’s Ultimate Artisanal Spirit
Emma Janzen
(Voyageur Press)

General

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street: The New Home Cooking
Christopher Kimball
(Little, Brown and Company)

Dinner: Changing the Game
Melissa Clark
(Clarkson Potter)

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
Samin Nosrat
(Simon and Schuster)

Health and Special Diets

The Beauty Chef
Carla Oates
(Hardie Grant Books)

Deepa’s Secrets
Deepa Thomas
(Skyhorse)

Eat Right
Nick Barnard
(Kyle Books)

International

Nopalito
Gonzalo Guzman and Stacy Adimando
(Ten Speed Press)

Paladares
Anya von Bremzen and Megan Fawn Schlow
(Abrams)

The Palestinian Table
Reem Kassis
(Phaidon)

Photography

Cook Beautiful
Johnny Miller
(Abrams)

Simple Fare: Spring and Summer
Karen Mordechai
(Abrams)

Sweet
Peden + Munk
(Ten Speed Press)

Reference, History, and Scholarship

Champagne
Peter Liem
(Ten Speed Press)

The Culinarians: Lives and Careers from the First Age of American Fine Dining
David S. Shields
(University of Chicago Press)

Peppers of the Americas
Maricel E. Presilla
(Lorena Jones Books)

Restaurant and Professional

Modernist Bread
Nathan Myhrvold and Francisco Migoya
(The Cooking Lab)

On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen
Jeremy Fox and Noah Galuten
(Phaidon)

State Bird Provisions
Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski
(Ten Speed Press)

Single Subject

Mastering Stocks and Broths
Rachael S. Mamane
(Chelsea Green Publishing)

Offal Good
Chris Cosentino
(Clarkson Potter)

The Pho Cookbook
Andrea Nguyen
(Ten Speed Press)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking

The Book of Greens
Jenn Louis
(Ten Speed Press)

In My Kitchen
Deborah Madison
(Ten Speed Press)

Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg
(Artisan Books)

Writing

The Cooking Gene
Michael W. Twitty
(Amistad)

The Taste of Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World
Lizzie Collingham
(Basic Books)

Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert’s Renegade Life
Emily Kaiser Thelin
(Grand Central Life & Style)

2018 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards

For radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts, and documentaries appearing in 2017. Winners will be announced on April 27, 2018.

Documentary

Barbecue
Director: Matthew Salleh
Producers: Daniel Joyce and Rose Tucker
Airs on: Netflix

Blind Sushi
Director: Eric Heimbold
Producers: Eric Heimbold and Laura Heimbold
Appeared at: Multiple film festivals in 2017

Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent
Director: Lydia Tenaglia
Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, and Joe Caterini
Airs on: CNN, Netflix, and iTunes

Outstanding Personality/Host

Pati Jinich
Pati’s Mexican Table
Airs on: WETA Washington; Distributed Nationally by American Public Television

Ina Garten
Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro
Airs on: Food Network

Vivian Howard
A Chef’s Life
Airs on: PBS

Podcast

The Sporkful
Host: Dan Pashman
Producers: Dan Pashman, Anne Noyes Saini, and Dan Charles
Airs on: Stitcher, iTunes

Why We Eat What We Eat Episode 2: I Eat Everything, Except...
Host: Cathy Erway
Producers: Wendy Dorr, Frances Harlow, and Abbie Ruzicka
Airs on: Whyweeat.show, Gimlet Media, and Apple Podcasts

Your Last Meal (with Rachel Belle)
Host: Rachel Belle
Producers: Aaron Mason and Rachel Belle
Airs on: iTunes, Stitcher, and yourlastmealpodcast.com

Radio Show/Audio Webcast

The Food Chain
Host: Emily Thomas
Producers: Emily Thomas and Simon Tulett
Airs on: BBC World Service

The Legacy of the Mississippi Delta Chinese
Host: Melissa Block
Producer: Elissa Nadworny
Airs on: NPR

The Splendid Table: Every Bite is Precious, Buddhist Cooking in Japan
Host: Abigail Leonard
Producer: Abigail Leonard
Airs on: NPR

Special (on TV or Web)

CBS Sunday Morning – The Food Issue: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Host: Jane Pauley
Producers: Rand Morrison, Amy Rosner, and Amol Mhatre
Airs on: CBS

Family Meal: NYC
Producers: Alice Xue Yu, Lilit Marcus, and Molly Shiels
Airs on: CNN

Lidia Celebrates America: Homegrown Heroes
Host: Lidia Bastianich
Producer: Laurie Donnelly
Airs on: PBS

Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location
Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro
Host: Ina Garten
Producers: Rachel Purnell, Olivia Ball, and Bridget Lumley
Airs on: Food Network

The Bobby and Damaris Show
Hosts: Bobby Flay and Damaris Phillips
Producers: Bobby Flay, Kim Martin, and Kirsty Nordal
Airs on: Food Network

The Latin Kitchen
Hosts: Luis Valenzuela, Juan Pablo Gonzalez, and Luis “Tigretón” Leon
Producer: Chris Knight
Airs on: Gusto

Television Program, on Location

Chef’s Table: Jeong Kwan
Producers: David Gelb, Brian McGinn, and Andrew Fried
Airs on: Netflix

The Food Flirts with the Brass Sisters
Hosts: Marilyn Brass and Sheila Brass
Producers: Bruce Seidel and Denise Swidey
Airs on: PBS

The Migrant Kitchen
Producers: Juan Devis, Antonio Diaz, and Stef Ferrari
Airs on: KCET and Link TV

Television Segment

ABC 7 News – The Hungry Hound
Host: Steve Dolinsky
Producer: Steve Dolinsky
Airs on: ABC 7 Chicago and abc7chicago.com

PBS NewsHour
Reporters: Allison Aubrey and Paul Solman
Producer: Mary Beth Durkin
Airs on: PBS

Verify
Host: David Schechter
Producer: Chance Horner
Airs on: WFAA-TV Dallas and stations owned by TEGNA Media

Video Webcast, Fixed Location and/or Instructional

Andrew in the Kitchen
Host: Andrew Zimmern
Producers: Patrick Weiland and Andrew Zimmern
Airs on: travelchannel.com

The Breath of a Wok
Host: Grace Young
Producer: Grace Young
Airs on: graceyoung.com and YouTube

Panna Cooking: Black Bean-Glazed Salmon with Ginger Cabbage
Host: Vivian Howard
Producers: Amy Currie and Stephanie Roush
Airs on: pannacooking.com

Video Webcast, on Location

Food Grails
Host: Miss Info
Director: Justin Bolois
Producer: Justin Bolois
Airs on: First We Feast YouTube Channel

From the Wild – Season 3
Director: Kevin Kossowan
Producer: Kevin Kossowan
Airs on: Vimeo On Demand

Working 24 Hours at...
Host: Andrew Knowlton
Director: Vincent Cross
Producer: Matt Duckor
Airs on: YouTube and Bon Appétit Video

Visual and Technical Excellence

Barbecue
Director: Matthew Salleh
Photographer: Matthew Salleh
Editors: Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker
Airs on: Netflix

The Birth of Bread
Director, Photographer, Editor: Matthew Pendergast
Airs on: Vimeo

Food Talkies
Director, Photographer, Editor: Andrew Gooi
Airs on: foodtalkies.com

2018 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards

For articles published in English in 2017. Winners will be announced on April 27, 2018.

Columns

“The Eton Mess Is Beautiful, Chaotic, British”; “Hot Night, Cold Soup”; and “Bread Soup from the Lost Years”
Scott Hocker
Taste

Missed Cues: “Get Help”; “Distilled Identity”; and “Destination, Small Town”
Osayi Endolyn
Gravy

What She’s Having: “Nostalgia in a Bowl”; “I Was a Chick-fil-A Virgin”; and “A Time Capsule, with Chicken Pot Pies”
Devra First
The Boston Globe

Dining and Travel

“The Eating Season”
Tyler Kord
Bon Appétit

“Off the Eaten Path: The Best Anti-Restaurants in America”
The Editors of GQ
GQ

“In Pursuit of Perfect Hummus”
J.M. Hirsch
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Magazine

Feature Reporting

“A Day in the Life of a Food Vendor”
Tejal Rao
The New York Times

“Dishwashers”
Tom Sietsema
The Washington Post

“The NBA’s Secret Addiction”
Baxter Holmes
ESPN The Magazine

Food and Health

“Egg Mogul Jack DeCoster Sickened 56,000 People. He’ll Spend Just Three Months in Prison”|
Joe Fassler
The New Food Economy

“The Great Nutrient Collapse”
Helena Bottemiller Evich
Politico

“What Healthy Means Now”
Hunter Lewis
Cooking Light

Food Section

New York Magazine
Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite

Roads & Kingdoms
Nathan Thornburgh, Matt Goulding, Cara Parks, and the Roads & Kingdoms Team

San Francisco Chronicle
Paolo Lucchesi and the San Francisco Chronicle Food and Wine Team

Foodways

“Chili at the Fifty”
Matt Diffee
Texas Monthly

“Four Million Pots”
Leslie Pariseau
Saveur

“The Teenage Whaler’s Tale”

Julia O’Malley

High Country News

Home Cooking

“Lost Pies of the South”
Nancie McDermott
Southern Living

“Nuts About Nuts”
Molly McDonough
Culture: The Word on Cheese

“Thanksgiving Lessons”

Adam Rapoport and the Bon Appétit Editorial Team

Bon Appétit

Humor

“Pumpkin Spice Life”
Maura Judkis
The Washington Post

“Trixie Mattel Makes a PB&J (and More Importantly, a Cocktail)”
GQ Video
GQ

“Worst Shift Ever: No Experience Necessary”
Blake Smith and Derek Salvatore
ChefsFeed on Facebook

Innovative Storytelling

“America’s Most Authentic Dive Bars”
Tim Carman, Fritz Hahn, and Shelly Tan
The Washington Post

“Going Viral”
Vince Dixon, Ellie Kirn, Brittany Holloway-Brown, and Ian Stroud
Eater

“The New Essentials of French Cooking”
Melissa Clark, Emily Weinstein, Barbara deWilde, and Alexandra Eaton
The New York Times

Investigative Reporting

“John Besh Restaurants Fostered Culture of Sexual Harassment, 25 Women Say”
Brett Anderson
NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

“Ken Friedman, Power Restaurateur, is Accused of Sexual Harassment”
Julia Moskin and Kim Severson
The New York Times

“ ‘The Only Good Muslim’ ” and “Compromised”
Ted Genoways
The New Republic

Local Impact

“Farm to Chapel”; “They Ditched Vienna Sausages for Porterhouse Steaks and Lobster at West Grove Cookout”; and “How a Secular Jewish Baker Became Miami’s Kosher King”
Carlos Frías
Miami Herald

“What Do Lakewood Residents Think of Their Neighborhood’s Newest High-End Restaurant?”; “ ‘La Comida’ Makes for a Big Family Meal at Mothers & Sons”; and “The Restaurant Industry Depends on Immigrants. What Happens If We Lose Them?”
Victoria Bouloubasis
Indy Week

“You’re Invited to the Spirited Brunch”; “Meet the Kitchen Cabinet”; and “Get It in Writing: Restaurant Industry Grapples with Sexual Harassment”
Hanna Raskin
The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.)

Personal Essay

“Dear Women: Own Your Stories”
Lisa Donovan
Foodandwine.com

“The Meth Lunches: The Care and Feeding of a Drug Addict”
Kim Foster
Nevada Public Radio’s Desert Companion Magazine

“Strip Clubs, Salvation and Sonic Drive-In”
Tiffany Langston
Tiffany Tastes

Profile

“Journeyman”
Patrick Radden Keefe
The New Yorker

“She Was a Soul Food Sensation. Then, 19 Years Ago, She Disappeared.”
Mayukh Sen
Food52

“The Untold Story of the Lady from Louisville and the Bubbe Who Wasn’t There”
Rebecca Flint Marx
Taste

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages

“Drink Seltzer, Live Forever”
Liam Baranauskas
Eater

“The Pu-Erh Broker”
Max Falkowitz
Saveur

“A Short History of My Long Drinking Life”
Andrew Knowlton
Bon Appétit

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award

“Bar Normandy”; “Pawpaw”; and “Rappahannock Oyster Bar”
Hanna Raskin
The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

Counter Intelligence: “The World’s Best Restaurant Opens a Pop-Up in Mexico”; “At Vespertine, Jonathan Gold Makes Contact with Otherworldly Cooking”; “Jonathan Gold Finds Delight in the Secretive Santa Monica Restaurant Dialogue”
Jonathan Gold
Los Angeles Times

“The Radical Sandwich Kings of New Orleans”; “America’s Next Great Southern Restaurant Is in the Pacific Northwest”; “At Santa Monica’s Dialogue, Seasonality Meets Surrealism”
Bill Addison
Eater

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

“After Oranges: Following John McPhee to Florida”
Wyatt Williams
Oxford American

“Christ in the Garden of Endless Breadsticks”
Helen Rosner
Eater

“Who Owns Uncle Ben?”
Shane Mitchell
The Bitter Southerner