Kicking Off the Awards Season

At Cipriani Wall Street tonight, the Gotham Independent Film Awards began the 2009-2010 award season that will stretch straight through the New York Film Critics Circle awards, the Golden Globes and ultimately, the Oscars. It was a star-studded evening, with special career tributes being accepted by Stanley Tucci, (left), Natalie Portman, Kathryn Bigelow and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. As busy and talented an actress as she is, how Portman, at age 28 and whose breakout role was in The Phantom Menace a mere ten years ago has earned a "career tribute" was not entirely clear.

Among the other celebs who took their turns on the red carpet this evening included Brooke Shields, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Burstyn, Chris Rock, Oliver Platt, Willem Dafoe, Ryan Reynolds and a sidesplittingly funny (and super-generous with his time) Patton Oswalt, wearing a suit by L.A.-area clothier Savvy Row. Sadly, Meryl Streep, one of the night's presenters, was a red-carpet no-show.

NBC President Jeff Zucker, another expected guest, did not appear on the red carpet, but forgiveably so, given the ongoing negotiations between General Electric and Vivendi Universal, which the Times reports have made a breakthrough today, helping to clear the path for a deal with Comcast.

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.

For more photos, click here.