Bon Appétit has announced the 2009 recipients of Bon Appétit Awards, a somewhat nebulous honor for “people, companies, and products setting new standards of culinary excellence in food, drinks, travel, and design.” This year’s winners range from chefs like Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi (honored for “bringing the fun back to dessert”) to food purveyors like Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando (cited for his commitment to rare and heritage beans). OpenTable gets a nod for its iPhone app and Kogi truck founders Caroline Shin-Manguera, Mark Manguera, and Roy Choi are applauded for being “grassroots guerilla restaurateurs.” Check out the full list below — it’s an eclectic one for sure.
• Daniel Boulud, for the inspired idea of going downtown with DBGB Kitchen & Bar
• Jeremy Fox at Ubuntu, for creating innovative, inspired vegetarian food.
• The Beehive Oven from Al Fresco Imports (Fiona Hughes, president), for making it easy to bring wood-fired pizza into our own backyards.
• St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur (Robert Cooper, creator), for giving innovative artisanal “flower power” to the home bar.
• Ace Hotel Group (Alex Calderwood), for making travel budget-friendly, eco-friendly, and stylish.
• Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian of Edible Communities Publications, for the pioneering Edible magazines that empower local cooks, farmers, and restaurateurs to create sustainable culinary communities.
The Bon Appétit Awards 2009 [Bon Appétit]
