Bravo for the Beard Awards!

David Chang, Daniel Boulud, Dan Barber and Jean-Georges Vongerichten were among the big winners at last night's James Beard Awards, held at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. The glittering evening, known to avid restaurant-goers as the Oscars of the food world, drew the industry's best an brightest for an evening of peer recognition and, of course, good eating.

Show hosts Cat Cora, Emeril Lagasse and actor Stanley Tucci did an admirable job of keeping the proceedings moving, but much like the Academy Awards, the Beard show is infamous for running long and dry. Still, enduring the speeches is always a small price to pay for the post-awards reception and after-parties. In keeping with the theme of this year's show, Women in Food, the reception featured the culinary creations of some of the nation's leading women chefs, including Lidia Bastianich, Anita Lo, Michelle Bernstein, Carrie Nahabedian and Jennifer Petrusky.

Once they moved on from Lincoln Center, guests, nominees and winners had their pick of after-parties, with the more ambitious foodies packing in several stops. New York Insider briefly checked out Bar Boulud (conveniently located across the street from Lincoln Center) before heading to Nobu 57, where Drew Nieporent was hosting a Champagne and sushi celebration. We then decamped to the Modern, where the booze was flowing, though there was not a nibble to be had. Other revelers headed downtown to Mario Batali's Otto or to Terroir, in the East Village.

All in all, it was a night of great fun and redkindled friendships—as is always the case when the hospitality world pulls out all of its stops.

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All in Good Taste

Lever House, the New York restaurant treasure that looks as though it was lifted from an episode of Mad Men, was positively buzzing tonight, as delectable food and wines were passed—along with a healthy dose of animated conversation—during Share Our Strength's annual New York dinner. Host chef Bradford Thompson was joined in the kitchen by Anita Lo, Terrance Brennan, Jacques Torres, Marc Murphy, Alain Allegretti and Michael Laskonis, all of whom donated their time preparing a sumptuous series of courses (paired with wines donated by Empire Merchants) to titillate the palates of patrons who had paid $1,000 or more per ticket. Patron proceeds, combined with funds raised during silent and live auctions, will be used to further the charity's goal of eradicating childhood hunger in America by 2015. Dubbed "A Tasteful Pursuit," the evening was the kick-off for a series of similar nights that will be held around the country throughout the year, in cities including Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago. Quoting Mother Teresa, Share Our Strength director Billy Shore expressed why he believes that goal to be attainable: "If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt—only more love."

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