James Beard Awards Within Reach for all Restaurateurs

San Francisco restaurateurs, Pat Kuleto and Michael Dellar are among the James Beard Award semifinalists for the 2010 Restaurateur of the Year Award.

The D'Amico brothers, Larry and Richard made the list. The Minneapolis duo began with one well known downtown Minneapolis restaurant, D'Amico Cucina. The high-end classic Italian eatery became a popular Twin Cities gathering spot for cosmopolitan diners who knew the difference between authentic Italian. While other Minneapolis restaurants where still serving Creamette Macaroni the D'Amico brothers led the way for the culinary revolution that eventually put the Twin Cities on major foodie maps.

Kuleto, who opened Fog City Diner in the 1980's in what was then known as "the restaurant graveyard", has opened and operated numerous restaurants in the Bay Area since his Fog City opening. Boulevard, Epic, Farallon, Jardiniere and Martini House are just a few of the iconic culinary projects Kuleto has opened and operated.  His most recent project, the Waterbar and it's sister restaurant, Epic proudly grace San Francisco's waterfront, sitting on the banks of the Bay, next to Cupid's Arrow on The Embarcadero.

But it is Nick's Cove and Cottages, the 14 million dollar project that glistens on the shore of Marin County's Tomales Bay that Kuleto seems most proud.

It took Kuleto almost a decade to permit, remodel and complete the project that now glistens as one of Marin's most sought after destination dining venue.

Pegged “the Oscars of the food world,” by Time magazine, The James Beard Foundation Awards are the country’s most coveted honor for chefs; food and beverage professionals; broadcast media, journalists, and authors working on food; and restaurant architects and designers.

But unlike the Oscars, it doesn't take a multi million dollar budget and a list of celebrities from Baltimore to Bemidji in order to give the thank you speech. It takes hard work, a professionally run restaurant, a service oriented staff and consistency.

Some think The Beard Award is only bestowed on four star restaurants that take months to get into. Untrue. In years past Polly's Pancake House in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire took honors, as did Taylor's Automatic Refresher in St. Helena, California. Both eateries serve consistent, well prepared fresh food.

It was said that James Beard loved a paper funnel full of Fried clams as much as he did a tremendous French meal. He would have loved Michael Dellar's restaurants.

Dellar, CEO of The Lark Creek Restaurant Group, which includes The Tavern at Lark Creek and Yankee Pier in Larkspur is scheduled to open a new downtown Napa, California restaurant this summer. Yankee Pier, famous for clams and lobster rolls is one of the few successful New England styled restaurants in California.  Yankee Pier could easily fit into the dunes along the coast of Maine serving great Lobster Rolls on the traditional flat sided, buttered grilled buns that have made Highway One in New England a Lobster Roll hunting ground.

And many of those clam shacks and Lobster Roll huts have a chance to capture a Beard Award. That's the beauty of the awards: Anyone with a consistent, well run restaurant, a creative menu, a professional staff and a concept that adds excitement to the food industry can be nominated for the culinary honor.

Another Bay Area operator who has been shortlisted is Tim Stannard of Bacchus Management Group.

The trio of San Francisco area restaurateurs is in good company. The semifinalists on the list are who’s who of the industry's best.

Steven Starr also made the list. His concepts offer Philadelphia diners a variety of dining experiences.

Also on the list is Richard Melman, of Lettuce Entertain You, Keith McNally of Balthazar fame in New York City and Jim and Levi Goode of the Goode Restaurant Group in Houston.

The James Beard Awards, the Oscars of the culinary world  will be presented on May 3, 2010.