The annual James Beard Awards, widely known as the Oscars of the food world, are considered one of the top acknowledgments in the restaurant industry. New England spots landed three medals at the Lyric Opera in Chicago at the ceremony on Monday, June
15, with the biggest metro area, Boston, taking home none of them.
The headline is Dana Street of Portland, Maine, whose group — Fore Street, Scales, and other restaurants — has earned an Outstanding Restaurateur nod that reflects its role in shaping the city asa dining destination.
Providence’sLoma Barearned the Best New Bar award, building on the city’s cocktail scene, including this year’s semifinalist Club Frills, and the community of bartenders who came up through spots like Nicks on Broadway.
In Best Chef: Northeast, Evan Hennessey of Stages in Dover, New Hampshire won over Derek Wagner of Nicks on Broadway in Providence; David DiStasi of Materia Ristorante in Bantam, Connecticut; Thomas Takashi Cooke of Izakaya Minato in Portland, Maine; and Paul Trombly of Fancy’s in Burlington, Vermont.
Outstanding Restaurateur
Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, Maine
Best New Bar
Loma Bar, Providence, Rhode Island
Best Chef: Northeast
Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, New Hampshire
