The James Beard Awards have become known as the Oscars of the food world. Competition has become intense as chefs and restaurateurs constantly search for an edge that will boost them to the top. To have “James Beard Award winning chef” or “James Beard Award nominee” next to one’s name can be that edge. It is valuable recognition. It can result in more than just an increased interest in what that chef is cooking.
So an announcement such as the one that was made by the Beard Foundation in New York City in September is significant. The James Beard Best Chef Award regions are being redrawn for 2020. An executive of the foundation stated that this was nothing new. “The national restaurant scene and the populations that fuel it are constantly shifting,” said James Beard Chief Strategy Officer Mitchell Davis. “We understand that as a foundation, we must continually adapt to serve our community as fairly as possible.” The last time changes were made was in 2012. Davis said demographers analyze current population and hospitality industry data every few years, mining data such as what culinary communities are burgeoning. Usually this review results in a tweak to what states are assigned to which regions.
For 2020, the number of regions will be expanded from 10 to 12, which had not been done since shifting from eight to 10 in 2007. The expansion is the result of reintroducing standalone states as their own regions. The state of New York will now be its own region and will include the five boroughs of New York City – which have stood as their own region since the second Beard Awards were handed out in 1992. The state of New York had been part of the New England region. “While [New York City’s] food culture remains vibrant and dynamic, it is no longer the only or the best gastro game in town,” the foundation said. “To recognize the incredible depth and diversity of dining in cities in other regions across the country, we are beginning to level the playing field.”
Will this new playing field result in more players from more well-known food areas such as ours?
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HE’S WORTHY: James Beard-nominated chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway and Nick’s on Westminster. The awards, known as the Oscars of the food world, will undergo changes in 2020.
/ COURTESY JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY[/caption]
There is some speculation as to how the new configuration might play out. With competition among chefs in New England now confined to our six-state region, there would appear to be an opportunity for more chefs from exceptional dining destinations such as Providence and Newport to enter. It might also attract interest from areas such as Maine and Vermont. In 2019, the number of entries from those areas was up, as was the number of semifinalists. Local chefs, including past finalists such as Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway and Nick’s on Westminster and multiple nominee Champe Spiedel of Persimmon, are reserving comment.
Other redistricting highlights include California becoming its own region. The West and Northwest regions will be partially combined into a new Northwest & Pacific category. Texas will become its own region, as well. The Beard Foundation observes that California and Texas have unique cultures, elements of which help distinguish their food.
The Beard Foundation stated that the new regions were designed to be “as evenly distributed and culturally distinct as possible.” With a focus on New England as its own region, there is an opportunity for our local and regional restaurants and chefs to shine in their own spotlight instead of being in the shadow of the megalopolis down Route 95. The 30th anniversary James Beard Foundation Awards will be presented in New York and Chicago in May 2020.
Bruce Newbury’s “Dining Out” radio talk show is heard Saturdays at 11 a.m. on 1540 AM WADK, on radio throughout New England, through various mobile applications and his podcast. Email Bruce at Bruce@brucenewbury.com.
