The Nominations for The James Beard Awards are in. And I have to say about San Diego that I am completely disappointed.
San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles all filled categories like Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Pastry Chef, and so on.
We had ONE RESTAURANT in the entire city of San Diego nominated. For Best Chef in the West William Bradley (Addison, The Grand Del Mar) added his name to that list. That Restaurant was also nominated for Outstanding Wine Program.
I will say that I have eaten there and William Bradley does not disappoint. I went back to meet him after my meal (several years ago) and congratulated him on a job well done. So it doesn’t surprise me that he is being recognized.
As someone who does Restaurant Reviews quite regularly, and knowing they nominate really good Restaurant Chains as well, I wonder why Roy’s in San Diego/La Jolla has not been nominated. In all the times I have been in, all the food I have tasted there, not one time did I come away without great reviews. And the one in San Francisco is equally a rock star.
Why doesn’t a place like True Food get a nomination? It’s a totally different audience. But each and every item is not only good, but good for you.
I wonder how The James Beard Foundation makes that call…. so I did a little research. Here’s this years’ committee for the awards:
2015 Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee
Bill Addison, Eater.com
Tina Antolini, NPR’s State of the Re:Union
Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle
Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times
Jennifer V. Cole, Southern Living
John T. Edge, Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi
Adam Erace, Philadelphia City Paper
Ian Froeb, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Cheryl Alters Jamison, New Mexico Magazine
Kate Krader, Food & Wine
Corby Kummer, The Atlantic and Boston Magazine
Christiane Lauterbach, Atlanta Magazine and Knife & Fork
Jordana Rothman
Patricia Sharpe, Texas Monthly
Tom Sietsema, Washington Post
Phil Vettel (Chair), Chicago Tribune
Irene Virbila, Los Angeles Times
So we’ve got people from San Francisco and Los Angeles on that committee encouraging people to enter… I’ll bet. Did we get any ‘buzz’ about entering a restaurant for a James Beard Award, or knowledge how to fill out that paperwork? I’m just sayin’….
If you know a Restauranteur or someone from our local news industry, can you do me a flavor? Pass this article to him or her, and let’s see if we can get a representative on that committee for next year.
Happy Eating,
