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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How Sweet it Was!

Last Saturday night, after a full schedule of eating par excellence, it was only fitting that New York's fooderati finally got their glucose on. In connection with the first-ever New York City Wine & Food Festival, dessert-lovers in the know descended on the West Chelsea event hot-spot la.venue (a sprawling, cavernous and gorgeous space, in case you have not yet had the pleasure) for Sweet, a showcase of confections prepared by forty-five of the city's most talented pasty chefs. Among the masters whose sugary work was available in more than ample quantity were Dominique Ansel (Daniel); Marc Aumont and Patrick Clark (The Modern); Pauline Balboa (Kyotofu); Jansen Chan (Oceana); John Fraser and Vera Tong (Dovetail); Heather Fratangelo (Spigolo); Brooks Headley (Del Posto); Johnny Iuzzini (Jean Georges); Michael Laiskonis (Le Bernardin); Richard Leach (Park Avenue Autumn); John Miele (Eighty One); Nancy Olson (Gramercy Tavern); Pichet Ong (P*ONG); François Payard (Payard Bistro); and Alex Stupak (WD-50). Sweet's invite promised "the greatest collection of sweets ever found in one location," and it did not disappoint. The delicious description further enticed with teasings of "frosted layer cakes with filling flavors you’ll love; dark chocolates infused with exotic spices that will ruin you for everyday candy bars; cookies crafted from the finest ingredients and resembling works of art; and ice-cream so rich and creamy you will dream about it for days." Indeed, it's been four days since Sweet and we're still dreaming. And dreaming. The goodie-laden evening was sponsored by Ferrero Chocolates, Perrier Jouët Champagne and Absolut Vodka. An after-party, sponsored by the Macy's Culinary Council, was held at Xchange next door. Congratulations to Lee Schrager, the mastermind who brought the the Wine & Food Festival to New York and to all of his team who helped make the inaugural event such a resounding success. We're already dieting in preparation for next year's extravaganza. In the meantime, bring on Miami Beach!

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