This Year’s James Beard Awards Look Pretty Israeli
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
The James Beard awards can make or break a restaurant’s reputation. Given out yearly, they ignite the culinary world, have the power to raise profiles and prices ,and let the media know which chefs are on the rise. In its 28 years of existence, the James Beard awards have yet to recognize a kosher establishment for culinary excellence.
But all is not lost — for Israeli chefs are abound this year!
Philadelphia Israeli eatery Zahav is nominated again. Michael Solomonov’s baby has been nominated for two prizes, one for outstanding service and one for rising star chef of the year, for Camilla Cogswell. In the past, Solomonov’s taken home his fair share of awards and accolades. Last year the Israeli chef won outstanding chef of the year, took home an award for book of the year for his cookbook Zahav in 2016 and won best chef in 2011.
Yotam Ottlenghi, the much-feted Israeli chef who’s reintroduced Israeli cooking to the world, got a nod for his dessert cookbook ‘Sweet.’
Israeli cuisine for the win!
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
