Wolfgang Puck is among five finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s 2008 Outstanding Restaurateur Award. The Beard Awards, according to the foundation, are “the country's most coveted honor for chefs; food and beverage professionals; broadcast media, journalists, and authors working on food; and restaurant architects and designers.”
The nomination isn’t really news — Puck is an annual nominee of the Beard Awards, which recognized Puck in 1991 as Outstanding Chef of the year and bestowed Puck its humanitarian award in 1994. Puck’s 20.21 opened at the Walker in May 2005.
Here’s a list of all the 2008 Beard Award nominees. Winners will be announced June 6.
While Wolfgang Puck’s “nomination isn’t really news,” there is something else worth a blogger’s time:
Local chefs who actually toil full-time in Twin Cities-based restaurants also got Beard nominations. Why not support nominees like Alex Roberts of Alma, Isaac Becker at 112 Eatery or Tim McKee at La Belle Vie (just across the road from the Walker)? Or tune in to MPR and hear locally produced “best radio show” nominee Lynn Rosetto Kasper of “The Splendid Table”?
Comment by paul — 3/25/2008 @ 5:51 pm
All Minneapolis nominees deserve commendation — congratulations to the aforementioned — but I’m not writing a local food/restaurant blog. Puck’s nomination, while not “news” in the context of his previous nominations, is still worthy of mention in a Walker-hosted blog.
Comment by Matt Peiken — 3/26/2008 @ 10:14 am