Humm of Eleven Madison Park Wins in James Beard Awards

Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park, New York, was named Outstanding Chef in the James Beard Foundation awards last night, beating David Chang of Momofuku Ko and four other finalists.

Boulevard, San Francisco, won Outstanding Restaurant; Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar triumphed as Rising Star Chef; and Next, Chicago, took Best New Restaurant. PDT, New York, won Outstanding Bar Program. The Lifetime Achievement accolade went to Wolfgang Puck, of Spago, Los Angeles.

Swiss-born Humm presents diners with a grid of 16 main ingredients from which he constructs dishes. Eleven Madison Park, which Humm owns with his business partner William Guidara, charges $74 for a four-course lunch and $125 for dinner. Tasting menus are $125 and $195, respectively.

The awards are the main event in the U.S. culinary calendar and are accompanied by a weekend of parties and other events attended by chefs and restaurateurs. They were established in 1990 to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity, the foundation’s Website says.

“This is what we’re all about,” Humm said, looking across his restaurant in the early hours as hundreds of people danced and celebrated his victory. “There’s so much youth and energy.”

He was later joined by Daniel Boulud, and the crowd cheered as the two chefs jived together on a counter while other revelers boogied on the tables.

Myhrvold’s Book

Nathan Myhrvold and co-authors Chris Young and Maxime Bilet won Cookbook of the Year for “Modernist Cuisine” in the James Beard Foundation Book Awards at Gotham Hall on May 4. British writer Fuchsia Dunlop won for Food Culture and Travel writing, while Ted Allen triumphed for “Chopped,” on the Food Network.

Myhrvold and April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig, New York, and Grant Achatz of Alinea, Chicago and author were among guests at a Kentucky Derby party at Eleven Madison Park on Saturday.

Bilet and Allen both attended another James Beard event, Chefs’ Night Out, at Chelsea Market on May 6, along with Corton owner Drew Nieporent and Thomas Keller of Per Se.

Other winners included:

Best Chef Great Lakes: Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago
Best Chef Mid-Atlantic: Maricel Presilla, Cucharamama, Hoboken
Best Chef Midwest: Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison
Best Chef New York City: Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern
Best Chef Northeast: Tim Cushman, O Ya, Boston
Best Chef Northwest: Matt Dillon, Sitka & Spruce, Seattle
Best Chef Pacific: Matt Molina, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
Best Chef South: Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club,
Birmingham
Best Chef Southeast: Hugh Acheson, Five & Ten, Athens; Linton
Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
Best Chef Southwest: Paul Qui, Uchiko, Austin.
Outstanding Service: La Grenouille, NYC
Outstanding Pastry Chef: Mindy Segal, Mindy’s Hot Chocolate,
Chicago
Outstanding Restaurateur: Tom Douglas Restaurants, Seattle
Humanitarian of the Year: Charlie Trotter’s, Chicago

(Richard Vines is the chief food critic for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. He is U.K. and Ireland chairman of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. Opinions expressed are his own.)

Today’s Muse highlights include: Amanda Gordon’s Scene Last Night, Lance Esplund on art.

To contact the writer on the story: Richard Vines in New York at rvines@bloomberg.net or http://twitter.com/Richardvines.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.

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Daniel Humm accepts award

Richard Vines/ Bloomberg

Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park, New York, accepts the award for Outstanding Chef in the James Beard Foundation awards, beating David Chang of Momofuku Ko and four other finalists. The ceremony was held in New York.

Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park, New York, accepts the award for Outstanding Chef in the James Beard Foundation awards, beating David Chang of Momofuku Ko and four other finalists. The ceremony was held in New York. Photographer: Richard Vines/ Bloomberg

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William Guidara and Daniel Humm

Richard Vines/Bloomberg.

William Guidara (left) and Daniel Humm entering the Lincoln Center in New York for the James Beard awards. Humm went on to win the top chef award.

William Guidara (left) and Daniel Humm entering the Lincoln Center in New York for the James Beard awards. Humm went on to win the top chef award. Photographer: Richard Vines/Bloomberg.

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Thomas Keller

Richard Vines/ Bloomberg.

Thomas Keller of Per Se is interviewed. He was attending the Chefs' Night Out event in New York.

Thomas Keller of Per Se is interviewed. He was attending the Chefs' Night Out event in New York. Photographer: Richard Vines/ Bloomberg.

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Daniel Humm

Richard Vines/Bloomberg

Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison was named Outstanding Chef in the James Beardstands Foundation awards. The chef was born in Switzerland.

Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison was named Outstanding Chef in the James Beardstands Foundation awards. The chef was born in Switzerland. Photographer: Richard Vines/Bloomberg

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Jim Meehan

Patrick Cole/Bloomberg

Jim Meehan, general manager and managing partner of PDT, a bar and lounge in Manhattan, at the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards held at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. PDT won the foundation's first ever competition for Outstanding Bar Program.

Jim Meehan, general manager and managing partner of PDT, a bar and lounge in Manhattan, at the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards held at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. PDT won the foundation's first ever competition for Outstanding Bar Program. Photographer: Patrick Cole/Bloomberg