Chef Junghyun Park of Atomix in Murray Hill took home the honor for best chef in the state, but the city’s culinary talent was iced out of national prizes at this year’s James Beard Awards, held Monday night in Chicago.
The awards, sometimes called the “Foodie Oscars,” are overseen by the James Beard Foundation and honor American food culture.
Nationally, a big winner was the city of Philadelphia, which took two top honors: for outstanding restaurant, Friday Saturday Sunday; also, Ellen Yin, of High Street Hospitality Group (which includes Fork and High Street Hoagies, among other venues) was named outstanding restaurateur.
“Philly’s a destination that has long been ignored by awards in general,” said Rick Camac, executive director of industry relations for the Institute of Culinary Education, who said the James Beard Foundation was “getting away from being a New York City club.”
He said he could not remember a year when the Big Apple was shut out of every national award and called the results a “big surprise,” though he supports the new direction.
“I think it’s great,” said Camac. “I’m a lifetime New Yorker, so I guess I should be grumbling about that, but I think everyone should get a shot.”
“It’s important for the industry that people are recognized outside of the major metropolitan areas,” added Camac.
New York City took top honors in one local category, best chef in New York state, which went to Junghyun Park of Atomix restaurant in Murray Hill.
Park, along with his wife Ellia, runs the Michelin-starred Korean restaurant out of a Murray Hill brownstone.
He beat out a field that included Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy, Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh, Mary Attea of the Musket Room, and Shaina Loew-Banayan, of Cafe Mutton, in Hudson, New York.
“It was an incredible ceremony,” said finalist Alikhani of Sofreh, adding it was one of her favorite experiences since entering the industry. “I was just blown away.”
She said the audience was moved…
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