The James Beard Foundation and the Presidio Trust of San Francisco announced today that it will reveal the 2016 James Beard Foundation Award nominees at a live press conference in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 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 9:00 A.M. PST / 12:00 P.M. EST.
“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,” said 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,” said 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 Monday, 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 Wednesday, February 17, are then narrowed down to a final list of nominees, which will be announced in San Francisco on Tuesday, 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 Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 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 Monday, May 2, 2016. During the 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.
The 2016 James Beard Awards nomination announcement and press conference is presented in partnership with local partners: The Presidio Trust, Fedele Bauccio & Bon Appétit Management Company, Traci Des Jardins, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, San Francisco Travel, Magnum PR, and the City of San Francisco.
The 2016 James Beard Awards are presented in association with HMSHost, Lexus, and Mariano’s; and the following partners: Premier Sponsors: All-Clad Metalcrafters, American Airlines, Lenox Tableware and Gifts, True Refrigeration®; Supporting Sponsors: Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water, Breville, Goose Island Beer Company, Lavazza, S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, Skuna Bay Salmon, Valrhona; Gala Reception Sponsors: Braveheart Black Angus Beef® from PERFORMANCE Foodservice, Ecolab, Groupon, Royal Caribbean International, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts; with additional support from: Chefwear, VerTerra Dinnerware, and Wisconsin Cheese. The James Beard Foundation also gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Chicago Department of Aviation, Choose Chicago, and the Illinois Restaurant
About The James Beard Foundation
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org. Get food news, recipes, and more at the James Beard Foundation’s blog. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About The Presidio & Presidio Trust
The Presidio Trust is a unique federal agency created to save the Presidio, once a legendary U.S. Army post, and transform it into a new kind of national park at San Francisco’s Golden Gate. Today, after two decades of restoration of natural habitats and historic buildings, the Presidio is home to the spectacular vistas, nature, and programs that you would expect in a great national park, plus much more. Hundreds of restored former military buildings are now animated by more than 3,000 residents and 200 companies—including high tech start-ups, innovative non-profits and others that offer a surprising mix of experiences. Visitors can enjoy world-class museums, a spa, a rock-climbing gym, a bowling alley, and a trampoline park, and more. As part of its ongoing park-making work, the Presidio Trust provides many services and amenities for visitors, including the Presidio Officers’ Club, a public golf course, the Inn at the Presidio, 24-miles of hiking trails, and hundreds of free cultural and family events each year. Additionally, the Presidio has partnered with celebrated Bay Area Chef Traci Des Jardins to create three notable restaurants: The Commissary, Arguello and TRANSIT. In 2015 The Presidio was recognized as a top destination by National Geographic Traveler’s magazine Best of the Worldlist. To learn more, visit www.presidio.gov.
