Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 11, 1994 TAG: 9405110075
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: EXTRA1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARY MacVEAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
For two hours on May 2, chefs, authors, winemakers and restaurant owners were celebrated, live, on the fledgling cable Television Food Network from the Broadway stage at the Marriott Marquis hotel.
The James Beard Awards are the Oscars of osso bucco, the Academy Awards of Armagnac. Substitute hosts Robin Leach and Donna Hanover (wife of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani) for Whoopi Goldberg. Chef David Bouley for actor Richard Gere. Funny routine about dinner theater by comedians Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold for the big production number.
The fourth annual awards, named for the man who made American food respectable, honored food professionals in more than 50 categories, including four-star chef Daniel Boulud of New York as chef of the year and the Los Angeles celebrity hangout Spago as restaurant of the year. About half the ceremony was televised.
In some ways, it was a charming evening: A profession that a few decades ago wasn't even a profession, let alone glamorous, saluting its stars with jokes, music, medals, plaques and, naturally, food and drink.
There was the wine insider's joke about pinot envy, and the foodie joke about the Buddhist asking the hot dog vendor to ``make me one with everything.'' Hanover made a crack about President Clinton admitting to chewing some McDonald's fries but not swallowing.
And maybe even a little news was made. Barbara Tropp, the chef-owner of the China Moon Cafe in San Francisco, presented one of the cookbook awards. Before doing so, she said how lucky everyone was that Anne Rosenzweig had turned down the White House chef's job and instead decided to remain at her New York restaurant Arcadia.
Food professionals had lobbied the White House to hire an American chef and many expected Rosenzweig to get the job.
Asked later about what Tropp had said, Rosenzweig said, ``That sounds vaguely familiar,'' and then, ``I think she took some license with it.''
Previously Rosenzweig had declined to discuss the job that went to Walter S. Scheib III, a little-known chef from the Greenbrier Resort and Health Spa in West Virginia.
``I'd prefer to leave it that way,'' she said.
One of the biggest laughs went to Ariane Daguin, who with partner George Faison was inducted into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America for establishing the first U.S. company to successfully market American-raised foie gras, D'Artagnan Inc.
Several women chefs had been critical of a group of women, including Daguin, who appeared at the awards last year in can-can outfits, marking the ceremony theme of French cooking.
Going to the podium in a demure white pants suit, modeled on chefs' whites, she said, ``No more cleavage for me. Ever.'' But when she removed her shawl and turned around, the audience roared: The back of her jacket was held together only by laces.
Winners gave thanks to husbands and wives, grandmothers who taught them to cook, God, sous chefs, waiters and restaurant bosses, farmers and fishermen, a pet dog who tasted food, and James Beard.
Nathalie Dupree, whose book, ``Nathalie Dupree's Southern Memories,'' was named best book in the Americana category, thanked her ``favorite former husband, who took me to Georgia and my favorite new husband, Jack Bass.''
``Now I know it feels to win the blue ribbon at the Texas state fair for the best pie,'' said Dean Fearing, chef at the Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas, who was named best chef of the Southwest.
The James Beard Awards compete for food world prominence with the Julia Child Cookbook Awards granted by the International Association of Cooking Professionals, which held its ceremony last month in San Francisco. Just two awards overlapped this year, with ``Wine Atlas of California'' by James Halliday and ``Recipes into Type'' by Joan Whitman and Dolores Simon being honored by both groups.
Julia Child was nominated for a Beard award for best television cooking show but lost out to Martin Yan's ``Yan Can Cook.'' She got a standing ovation anyway when she was introduced.
The Beard awards ceremonies were the highlight of two weeks of meals and parties in honor of the late Beard's contributions and 91st birthday. At a reception during a break in the awards presentations, 30 chefs from around the country cooked dishes on the theme ``America the Bountiful.''
With so many opportunities to eat great food, what did the chefs eat at their annual informal party? Chips, tacos, peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches, Rice Krispie treats, Lipton soup dip and more.
``We figured it's what chefs really eat,'' said Katie Keck, an owner of Manhattan's New World Grill and an organizer of the chefs' party. ``And how can you compete with the best chefs in the country?''
by CNB