New York City's Bâtard took home top honors last night at the 2015 James Beard Awards, leading a pack of NYC honorees that also included Momofuku Milk Bar mastermind Christina Tosi, Del Posto chef Mark Ladner, and Michael Anthony of the Gramercy Tavern (and the brand-new Untitled at the Whitney Museum).
Bâtard had already topped several "best new restaurants of New York" lists, including our own. Travelerwriter Gloria Dawson noted that "the latest incarnation of restaurateur Drew Nieporent's Tribeca space—which previously housed fine-dining favorites Corton and Montrachet—serves a mix of European dishes finely crafted by chef Markus Glocker, who cut his teeth working for Charlie Trotter and Gordon Ramsay. The dining room skirts the line between refined and relaxed, and the dishes mix flavors from Germany and Austria. Diners can order a two-, three-, or four-course menu that includes beet Linzer and roasted branzino. Don’t miss the caramelized milk bread for dessert."
Other big winners included Donnie Madia of Chicago's One Off Hospitality (the force behind hot spots like The Publican and Avec), who took home Outstanding Restaurateur; another Windy City bar, The Violet Hour, which won Outstanding Bar Program by thinking outside the box (house rules: "no cell phones, baseball hats, Budweiser, light beer, Grey Goose, nor Cosmopolitans"); and San Francisco's A16, winner of the Outstanding Wine Program award. As always, the regional awards spotlighted some of the most interesting chefs outside of New York City, including Cleveland's Jonathon Sawyer (of the Greenhouse Tavern) and Spike Gjerde of Baltimore's Woodberry Kitchen.
Here's the full list of 2015 national and regional winners:
Best New Restaurant Bâtard, NYC
Outstanding Baker Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, NYC
Outstanding Bar Program The Violet Hour, Chicago
Outstanding Chef Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern, NYC
Outstanding Pastry Chef Christina Tosi, Momofuku, NYC
Outstanding Restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY
Outstanding Restaurateur Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality Group, Chicago (Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, and others)
Outstanding Service The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
Outstanding Wine Program A16, San Francisco
Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional Rajat Parr, Mina Group, San Francisco
Rising Star Chef of the Year Jessica Largey, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Best Chef: Great Lakes Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore
Best Chef: Midwest Gerard Craft, Niche, Clayton, MO
Best Chef: Northeast Barry Maiden, Hungry Mother, Cambridge, MA
Best Chef: Northwest Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Lummi Island, WA
Best Chef: NYC Mark Ladner, Del Posto
Best Chef: South Alon Shaya, Domenica, New Orleans
Best Chef: Southeast Jason Stanhope, FIG, Charleston, SC
Best Chef: Southwest Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue, Austin
Best Chef: West Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
