Chicago Semifinalists for James Beard Awards

The Semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards 2010 have been announced and the list is littered with Chicago establishments and professionals.  It's always exciting to see how well Chicago does with these awards and to bask in the fame that is given to our culinary scene. 

Now for those of you who don't know, the James Beard Awards are a BIG deal.  They've been called "The Oscars of the food world," by Time magazine.  They are named after one of the biggest names in American culinary history, Mr. James Beard.  Mr. Beard was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1903.  His mother ran a boarding house and began an 81 year culinary journey into American food.  He was dubbed "dean of American cookery," by the New York Times.

Now let's get to our Chicago nominees:

The finalists will be announced on March 22nd at the Palace Cafe in New Orleans leading up to the Media Awards presented May 2nd and the James Beard Foundation Awards given out on May 3rd.  Good luck to all Chicago Semifinalists!

13th Annual Grand Chefs Gala

So every year in Chicago, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) gathers the city's best chefs together to create their signature dishes at the Fairmont Hotel's Grand Chefs Gala.  The chefs are also honored with the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence- the only Chicago-based awards for culinary arts and expertise.  For a charitable donation you can enjoy not only the awards, but also cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, a three course meal, dessert buffet and dancing.  The 2010 event was held on Friday, January 29, and though I was unable to attend, Windy City Wine Guy was able to send it's first guest writer!

J'nai Gaither is a food and wine afficionado who experiences new and fabulous restaurants and wine tastings on a frequent basis.  Her goal within 2 years is to own land in Argentina and make wine on her own personal vineyard.  She aspires to be able to play golf and drink wine all day!  This past year she has served of the Gala Committee of the Grand Chefs Gala for Cystic Fibrosis and continues to involve herself in the exhilarating realm of Chicago's culinary landscape. 

Here is a bit about her experience at the Gala in her words:

The Fairmont Chicago and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation held the 13th annual Grand Chefs Gala  on January 29, 2010. The black tie Grand Chefs Gala is a fabulous event which also simultaneously holds the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence. The event began with a cocktail hour in an upstairs ballroom of the beautiful Fairmont Hotel. Over 30 chefs set up tables and cooking stations to offer guests hors d'ouevres to introduce them to the tastes of their respective restaurants, and to whet their appetite for the three course dinner to follow. Food at the cooking stations ranged from the relatively simple (i.e. “sushi” roll made up of all fruit from Bistro Dragon), to the downright exotic (i.e. veal heart with frisee and truffle oil). But it's obvious you'd get that depth of range at a prestigious culinary event!

 The bars, of course, served glasses of some of the best wine around, and because the theme of this year's event was Green for Life, they served signature “Greentinis”--yummy green drinks made of Agave nectar, lime juice, limeade, and club soda. The drinks were festive and apropos for the occasion. Also apropos for the occasion was the décor. Again, because the theme was Green for Life, each table's centerpiece was a floral/foliage piece of twisted branches and recycled paper flowers which seemed to grow organically from the table. The stage that the emcees shared also reflected the green theme  of  tree branches and flowers. Green foliage danced along the walls, ceiling and tables thanks to a projector which helped to set the scene. It was a truly a beautiful setting for this event to take place.

 ***Cystic Fibrosis mainly affects the respiratory system, and clean, or “green” air would help make those affected with CF breathe easier. This is one of the reasons why the theme was “Green for Life.” In other ways, we tried to make the event as “green” as possible. All programs and menus were printed on recycled paper; we cut down on the use of paper used for the event by sending out electronic invites to the “chef's social” and save-the-dates. An environmentalist would've been proud.

 Since the Gala was all about the food, check out the three course menu. The soup course was very interesting. It was a creamy porcini mushroom and smoked barley soup. Yes, it was slightly “creamy” but I would also say it was almost paste-like. It wasn't a turn off, however. The color and texture both fit in with the green theme. One might say its look was akin to a mud paste, but it was very good, nonetheless. The salad course was even better than the soup! Had some of my favorite elements in a salad—fresh, green leaves and sweet, delicious fruits. The salad was comprised of arugula, fennel, apples and pomegranates with mandarin orange and vanilla vinaigrette. Now, the entree was the best of all—garlic and parsley crusted filet mignon with cassoulet stew, and baby carrots and leaks poached with olive oil and mustard demi-glace. When you're at a food event to honor culinary creativity, you're going to experience some of the best food around! What a yummy food adventure—and just in three short courses!

 So, what were the categories, and who won the Jean Banchet awards?

Best Catering Co: Blue Plate

Best Sommelier: Scott Tyree of Sepia

Rising Chef: Michael Sheerin of Blackbird

Rising Pastry Chef: Stephanie Prida of Blackbird

Best Neighborhood Restaurant: Piccolo Sogno

Best Fine Dining: Paul Virant of Vie

Celebrity Pastry Chef: Cindy Schuman of Sepia

Celebrity Chef: Rick Bayless

People's Choice Award: Curtis Duffy of Avenues

It was an honor to have Jean Banchet himself, who often doesn't make it to the Gala, introduce the distribution of the awards.

 ***Some of the live auction highlights included a trip to the Canadian Rockies with stays at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Fairmont Banff Springs; shopping and cooking with Chef Brad Parsons of the Fairmont Chicago. Since we're in a recession, many of the auction items unfortunately didn't receive the price at which they were valued, so the auctioneer switched to Dutch auction, in which the asking price is thrown out first, but instead of increasing in price, if no one wants to pay asking, the auctioneer asks for lower pricing.

 The night ended on a sweet note.  Dessert stations were set up outside of the ballroom by acclaimed pastry chefs such as Sarah's Pastries & Candies; blood orange/champagne gelato from Via Gelato; homemade caramels from Katherine Anne's pastries, etc. The food was abundant at the Grand Chefs Gala and some of our culinary favorites were on display at this food museum, so to speak. All in all, a successful night which helped to raise approximately $300,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Windy City Wine Guy and readers, thank J'nai for her insight into one of Chicago's greatest culinary events.  She seems to be on her way to reaching great heights in the culinary and wine scene.  I would encourage anyone else who would like to share their views to contact me (windycitywineguy@gmail.com) as a fresh enthusiastic outlook to the wine scene is always welcome!

Visit at Blackbird

Next visit led us to a small artisanal winery, Blackbird Vineyards.  We were greeted at the farmhouse by Heather Yargus, Blackbird's sales and marketing associate.  The house was full of antiques and paintings- it felt like Little House on the Prairie meets the Guggenheim.  We then were introduced to the wines.

Blackbird began as a vision by proprietor Michael Polenske.  He sees the Oak Knoll District in Napa as having the same capability with Merlot as Pomerol in Bordeaux.  The wines are crafted by winemaker, Sarah Gott of Joel Gott Wines and formerly of Joseph Phelps and Quintessa.  They have garnered high praise and scores from many writers and connoisseurs.  We tried two of them:

  • 2007 Arriviste Napa Rosé- 80/20 Merlot and Cabernet Franc, has great pink color with lots of fruit and a bit of spice.  The finish was medium and seems to be a good summer wine.

  • 2006 Illustration- mostly Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, has a rich dark ruby color, and full body.  Black fruit accompanies floral components, leather, and chocolate.  It has very natural flavors due to being unfined and unfiltered.


If you get your chance to grab one of their wines, take it.  They are low production, fine quality, and definite collectors items.