Last night, streaming live on JBFAwards.com came the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the most prestigious foodie awards in the county. The event was hosted by Chefs Tom Colicchio, Traci Des Jardins and Ming Tsai at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Mouths watering, audiences around the nation watched as the foundation named the best chefs and restaurants in various categories. This year’s theme was “The Ultimate Melting Pot,” which was a tribute to the United States’ diverse culture, which translates directly into a diverse food culture. Following the awards ceremony, guests headed to the gala reception where they enjoyed a meal prepared by notable chefs, including many of this year’s winners and nominees, among them José Andrés, Saipin Chutima, Tyson Cole, Andy Ricker and Michael Solomonov.

No surprise to us, NYC raked in several awards from prestigious categories including: Outstanding Restaurant Award, which went to Danny Meyer’s Eleven Madison Park; Best New Restaurant, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen; Outstanding Pastry Chef, to Angela Pinkerton, also of Eleven Madison Park; Outstanding Service Award was Per Se; and Outstanding Wine Service went to The Modern.

Finally, the best chef in New York City (which is an award in of itself) went to Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune. Looks like getting a table there is going to be more difficult than it already is!

A complete list of all award-winners can be found at the end of this release, as well as on www.JBFAwards.com.

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