Philadelphia, PA - The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees for the 2018 James Beard Foundation Awards. The nominees were announced during a breakfast at Parc by Stephen Starr in Philadelphia, co-hosted by Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation; and Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of VISIT PHILADELPHIA.
Levitz, along with James Beard Award winner Stephen Starr, represented Philadelphia at the event, speaking on behalf of the city and announcing nominees in several categories. Additionally, David Whitaker, president and CEO of Choose Chicago, made key remarks. James Beard Foundation executive vice president Mitchell Davis and Anne Quatrano, James Beard Award winner and chair of the restaurant and chef committee, announced several categories of nominees alongside Foundation CEO Reichenbach. The event was streamed live on Twitter. William Quinn, executive chef of Parc, prepared breakfast for the event’s guests, including Poached Eggs with Piperade and French Feta; Herb-Encrusted Cold-Poached Beef Filet with Watercress-Mint Salad and Horseradish Cream; and Hazelnut Financiers and Miniature Coffee Cakes.
Some Philadelphia Standouts Included:
- Richard Landau of Vedge is on the short list for best chef, mid-Atlantic region. Landau also has V Street and Wiz Kid, all vegan restaurants.
- Ellen Yin of High Street on Market, Fork, a.kitchen, the new High Street Provisions, and New York City’s High Street on Hudson for outstanding restauranteur.
- Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook, from Zahav, for outstanding service.
- Camille Cogswell of Zahav for Rising Star Chef of the Year.
Nominees were announced in nearly 60 categories of the Foundation's various awards programs, including Restaurant and Chef, Restaurant Design, Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, and Media. A complete list of nominees can be found at the end of this release, as well as at jamesbeard.org/awards.
