Top Chef's Tom Colicchio is up for a James Beard Award this year.
The James Beard Foundation, the organization that hands out awards to the best of everything American in food and drink, today announced it list of nominees for its 2010 awards. From books and broadcast media to restaurants and chefs, the list of categories is as varied as the American palate and features more than a few folks whom foodies know well. Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Todd English, Mario Batali, Alton Brown, and Andrew Zimmern are just a few of the folks nominated for their contributions to American food culture. Unfortunately there aren’t any East Nashville establishments or chefs – or indeed, any from greater Nashville – on the list. That isn’t the most stunning revelation, but it’s one that’s worth thinking about.
Nashville has been building something of a reputation as an up-and-coming food city for a couple of years now, and with outsiders like Gwyneth Paltrow discovering (and loving) the options available here it seems like the word is bound to leak out eventually that this town has some serious food chops. Perhaps it’s time for someone in the Nashville foodie community to start seriously considering the idea of hosting an annual Nashville Food Awards to honor the best of Nashville gastronomy – and maybe even boost the city’s reputation in the long run.
If there were the Nashville Food Awards were handed out this summer, what categories would you want to see? Who would be the most deserving nominees? Mull that one over and let us know what you think. In the meantime, you can check out the full list of nominees for the awards that actually exist – and be forewarned, it’s a long list – at the James Beard Foundation website.
The winners of this year’s James Beard Awards will be announced on May 2.
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