The James Beard Foundation and the Presidio Trust of San Francisco announced that it will reveal the 2016 James Beard Foundation Award nominees at a live press conference in San Francisco on March 15 at the Presidio Officers’ Club.
Nominees in more than 50 categories in the Foundation’s awards programs—Restaurant and Chef, Restaurant Design, Book, Broadcast, and Journalism—will be announced. The event will take place at 9 a.m. (pacific).
“San Francisco is home to over 40 James Beard Award–winning chefs and restaurants. We’re delighted to be taking our 2016 JBF Award nominations on the road to one of America’s great food cities,” says Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation.
“The Presidio Trust is honored to host the announcement of finalists for these prestigious awards, in partnership with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, San Francisco Travel, and the City of San Francisco,” adds Paula Collins, Presidio Trust board chair. “We look forward to welcoming the James Beard Foundation and its honored guests to the Presidio Officers’ Club—San Francisco’s most historic building—to announce the nominees and enjoy the cuisine of two-time James Beard award–winning chef, Traci Des Jardins.”
On March 14, a Friends of James Beard Benefit dinner will be hosted by chef David Barzelay at San Francisco's Lazy Bear restaurant. Lazy Bear, which opened in 2014, has emerged as one of San Francisco's top restaurants, earning a place on Bon Appétit magazine’s “50 Best New Restaurants” list, one Michelin star, and three and a half stars from San Francisco Chronicle critic Michael Bauer. A limited number of tickets to this dining event, which will feature a unique, private tasting menu and wine pairings, will go on sale on the Lazy Bear website in mid-February.
Semifinalists for the Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards are selected from thousands of online entries, a process that’s overseen by a committee of industry professionals. After the first round of voting by judges, committee members, and previous winners, the semifinalists, which will be announced on February 17, are then narrowed down to a final list of nominees, which will be announced in
San Francisco on March 15, along with nominees in the Restaurant Design, Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards. The nominees will also be announced live via the Foundation’s Twitter feed at twitter.com/beardfoundation.
On April 26, the James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards Dinner, an exclusive event honoring the nation’s top cookbook authors, culinary broadcast producers and hosts, and food journalists, will take place at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City.
The James Beard Awards Gala will take place at Lyric Opera of Chicago on May 2. Duringthe event, which is open to the public, awards for the Restaurant and Chef and Restaurant Design categories will be handed out, along with special achievement awards including Humanitarian of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, and America’s Classics. A gala reception will immediately follow, featuring top chefs and beverage professionals from across the country.
Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields and further the Foundation’s mission to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. Each award category has an individual committee made up of industry professionals who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective Awards program. All JBF Award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Awards insignia. There are no cash prizes.
