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News Mon May 07 2012
After Five Nominations, Sherman & Segal Take Home Beard Awards
For Chicago, the 25th annual James Beard Foundation Awards Monday night were primarily a celebration of long, successful careers -- with one notable exception.
Out of a field dominated by Chicago chefs, North Pond's Bruce Sherman won Best Chef: Great Lakes. Meanwhile, Mindy Segal of HotChocolate won Outstanding Pastry Chef. This was both chefs' sixth nomination in each category.
"I am ecstatic and in shock," Sherman told the Tribune's Christopher Borrelli. "I honestly thought it would never happen. It's the grass-is-always greener kind of thing. But I should have known something was different this time; I forgot my tickets to the ceremony, and my tux didn't have any buttons. Everything was pointing in the wrong direction."
Next won Best New Restaurant, however its chef, Dave Beran, lost Rising Star Chef of the Year to Christina Tosi of New York's Momofuku Milk Bar.
As was previously announced by the foundation, Grant Achatz was among the inductees this year to the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America list, the foundation's equivalent to a culinary hall of fame, and Charlie Trotter was named Humanitarian of the Year for his charitable work through the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation.
In the media awards, "Fear of Frying: Culinary Nightmares" won Best Radio Show/Audio Webcast, and Chicago expat Ted Allen won twice for his Food Network show "Chopped," in both the Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location and TV Food Personality/Host categories.
