ol_ironstomach Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 The 2015 Semifinalist list (long-list) for the James Beard Awards has been released. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 This looks a little more 2005 than 2015. :-) Jaleo for "Outstanding Restaurant"? Vidalia too. Great to see Fiola Mare as a candidate for Best New Restaurant; guess they weren't as excited about Rose's and Red Hen as Bon Appetit and the RAMMYs. Johnny Monis for Outstanding Chef separate from an Outstanding Service nod for Komi (and Marcel's - score one for Traditional over "New Wave" on service model). And, really great to see Mark Furstenberg again on the list for best baker. It would be incredibly cool if he won it this time (was nominated previously for BreadLine back in the day). Erik Bruner-Yang for Rising Star of the Year. Great but here I am a bit surprised one of a few others didn't make it in the category. Again, thinking Red Hen, Rose's and maybe Crane & Turtle. Finally, I'm intrigued there's a Charlottesville candidate for Best New Restaurant for which there isn't even a topic here on dr.com? Called "The Alley Light." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Some of those DC nominations are just odd... I can't believe I haven't heard of The Alley Light... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Some of those DC nominations are just odd... I can't believe I haven't heard of The Alley Light... I was surprised no one here has created a topic about or posted about The Alley Light. On the other hand, it's reassuring to see at least two cities' best bakeries (BreadFurst here and Clear Flour outside Boston) made the cut. Some Rockwellian needs to check that out but can't recall who among this vast membership is based down there. Know we have some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I was surprised no one here has created a topic about or posted about The Alley Light. On the other hand, it's reassuring to see at least two cities' best bakeries (BreadFurst here and Clear Flour outside Boston) made the cut. Some Rockwellian needs to check that out but can't recall who among this vast membership is based down there. Know we have some. Oh I will be there next time I am in Cville, in fact, I am a little ticked I hadn't heard about it so I might have to go visit my in laws soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Gardner Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I was surprised no one here has created a topic about or posted about The Alley Light. I have to echo these comments about The Alley Light. I've been to Charlottesville a few times in the last year, and was researching restaurants there recently as I was supposed to go again this past weekend. Never came across The Alley Light. Has anyone been? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I have to echo these comments about The Alley Light. I've been to Charlottesville a few times in the last year, and was researching restaurants there recently as I was supposed to go again this past weekend. Never came across The Alley Light. Has anyone been? Same question. Very odd as it has been open about a year. I'll start a topic for it to get any comments about it under its own name. Maybe I'll get a point from our fearless organizer/leader. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnl Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Earlier today I dropped some observations on one of darkstar965's posts about the Alley Light. Being quite a newb here, I'm still learning my way around. Let me see if I can find it and point folks to it...please hold...still checking.... Ding! Ding! This is a link to my notes. (Sorry if I'm not following protocol in cross-referencing here): ==> http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/46449-the-alley-light-new-england-culinary-grad-chef-jose-de-brito-at-108-2nd-st-sw-in-charlottesville-va/#entry287581 I'd encourage folks to visit, but make reservations. It's a small space. While you're in the 'hood, check out Bizou, Whiskey Jar, Bang, and (a little farther afield) Duners. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol_ironstomach Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 And now, for the other shoe:"The 2015 James Beard Award Winners" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Pretty disappointing for DC overall and particularly within the Outstanding Baker category. I wasn't familiar with Jim Layhey, the NYC-based winner for Sullivan Street Bakery so no opinion on him. But I am familiar with the Boston finalist who I think probably second best...in Boston. Was really hoping Mark Furstenberg at BreadFurst would win but probably just based in the wrong city and thus never had a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Pretty disappointing for DC overall and particularly within the Outstanding Baker category. I wasn't familiar with Jim Layhey, the NYC-based winner for Sullivan Street Bakery so no opinion on him. But I am familiar with the Boston finalist who I think probably second best...in Boston. Was really hoping Mark Furstenberg at BreadFurst would win but probably just based in the wrong city and thus never had a chance. Lahey is the man who made no-knead bread super popular a few years ago, FWIW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Lahey is the man who made no-knead bread super popular a few years ago, FWIW. I'm not a baker and, perhaps incredibly, hadn't heard of "no-knead bread" before. Do you think it a good thing? Reading some about it, I would guess some pros might look down their noses at the innovation. The comments here are even more telling than the article but both were interesting to me. "What's With The No-Knead Bread Thing?" by Sharon Astyk on scienceblogs.com Now scratching my head even more at how/why Furstenberg didn't win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I'm not a baker and, perhaps incredibly, hadn't heard of "no-knead bread" before. Do you think it a good thing? Reading some about it, I would guess some pros might look down their noses at the innovation. The comments here are even more telling than the article but both were interesting to me. "What's With The No-Knead Bread Thing?" by Sharon Astyk on scienceblogs.com Now scratching my head even more at how/why Furstenberg didn't win. I find that it always turns out for me, some times better than others, but I've never had it completely fail, even when I've screwed up badly. There's a fairly lengthy discussion of the technique in the Shopping and Cooking forum, starting with this post. My own take on it is that there are sophisticated bread baking reasons (i.e. "science") for doing a long cool rise of a heavily hydrated dough (which also have to do with the type of yeast), but that the relative simplicity of the technique makes it an appealing sell also to people who are intimidated by baking bread or think of it as something that requires a long investment of time. No-knead bread, which actually does involve minimal kneading, requires only a few short labor-intensive bursts of activity. Skimming the posting at the link you provide, that appears similar to the POV of that author. While it's a technique Lahey used at his bakery, the reason for its popularization initially was Mark Bittman, master of the essential simple everything. Discussing Bittman opens a whole new can of worms, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I find that it always turns out for me, some times better than others, but I've never had it completely fail, even when I've screwed up badly. There's a fairly lengthy discussion of the technique in the Shopping and Cooking forum, starting with this post. My own take on it is that there are sophisticated bread baking reasons (i.e. "science") for doing a long cool rise of a heavily hydrated dough (which also have to do with the type of yeast), but that the relative simplicity of the technique makes it an appealing sell also to people who are intimidated by baking bread or think of it as something that requires a long investment of time. No-knead bread, which actually does involve minimal kneading, requires only a few short labor-intensive bursts of activity. Skimming the posting at the link you provide, that appears similar to the POV of that author. While it's a technique Lahey used at his bakery, the reason for its popularization initially was Mark Bittman, master of the essential simple everything. Discussing Bittman opens a whole new can of worms, of course. Interesting! I'm much more familiar with Bittman than I am (was) with Lahey. I guess my real curiosity here is whether you are a big Lahey fan as a result? I wonder if this innovation was a big reason the JBA judges chose him over more traditional and more experienced bakers? Not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Interesting! I'm much more familiar with Bittman than I am (was) with Lahey. I guess my real curiosity here is whether you are a big Lahey fan as a result? I wonder if this innovation was a big reason the JBA judges chose him over more traditional and more experienced bakers? Not sure. I wouldn't say I'm a "fan" of Lahey. At least, I don't have his books. I'm not baking much bread anymore either. He opened his bakery a couple decades ago, so I'd say he's a rather experienced baker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I wouldn't say I'm a "fan" of Lahey. At least, I don't have his books. I'm not baking much bread anymore either. He opened his bakery a couple decades ago, so I'd say he's a rather experienced baker. He runs a pretty good restaurant as well: Co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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