cover story

Magnifico Matador!

By david roffman

June 11th 2008

Photo: Jose Andres

Esplendorsa, José! The James Beard Foundation nominated José Andrés Outstanding Chef for his work at minibar by josé andrés. On Sunday evening, June 8, at Avery Fisher Hall, in the Lincoln Center, in the big apple, our very own Jose Andres, born in Mieres, Asturias, Spain some forty years ago, was in elite company competing for the ulimate prize at the prestigious James Beard Foundation awards show, OUTSTANDING CHEF, given to a working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals.

And just like a matador, Jose Andres has been performing his skills in kitchens where an audience judges him according to his skill, grace, and daring. If it is daring you want to consider, Andres has been a main player in the success of several Washington, DC restaurants – Cafe Atlantico, Jaleo, Zaytina, and Oyamel. And the James Beard Foundation was honoring him with a nomination for Outstanding Chef for his  work at his signature cuisine restaurant minibar by jose andres. His competition was formidable: Grant Achatz/Alines, Chicago; Dan Barber/Blue Hill, NYC; Suzanne Goin/Lucques, Los Angeles; and Frank Stitt/Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL. (For a fuller report on the Awards Show, see end of this story.)

How did Jose Arrive at this Pinnacle?

José Ramón Andrés Puerta (b. 1969, Mieres, Asturias, Spain),  is a Spanish chef often credited for bringing the small-plates concept to America. Early in his career, he trained under Ferran Adria at the famous El Bulli restaurant in Spain. Since 2005, Andrés has produced and hosted “Vamos a cocinar,” a popular food program on Television Española (TVE) Spanish national television.

In May 2007, Andrés began filming José Made in Spain, a 26 part series for public television. Produced by Full Plate Media and sponsored by KQED-TV San Francisco, the series began airing in January 2008. A companion book was published by Clarkson Potter in November 2008.

On the other side of the country, Andrés and his partners’ company, THINKfoodGROUP own several restaurants here in Washington, D.C.:

Cafe Atlantico: an elegant and eclectic restaurant whose cooking is rooted in the Nuevo Latino style.

Jaleo: an award-winning restaurant named after the famous John Singer Sargent painting and serving traditional Spanish tapas. Three locations in the metro area Washington, DC, Bethesda, MD and Arlington, VA.

Zaytinya: which serves mezze, the small plates of the Greece, Turkey and Lebanon. The name means olive oil in Turkish.

Oyamel: authentic Mexican tacos and antojitos, margaritas with salt air. Reopened in Penn Quarter in February 2007. Originally located in the Crystal City neighborhood.

minibar by josé andrés: Andrés’ signature cuisine in a small space. $120, 30-35 small courses, six diners, three chefs, two seatings a night.

In developing his menu for Oyamel, Andres met with acclaimed Mexican-food expert Diana Kennedy.

Andrés released his first cookbook in 2005. First published in English as Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America (published in the United States by Clarkson Potter) and shortly after in Spanish, Los fogones de José Andrés (published by Planeta). The book is an homage to Spanish cooking and to tapas, Spain’s gift to the world of good cooking. The book has been well received by the public in Spain and the US selling over 100K copies in Spain. A second book based on his popular cooking show “Vamos a cocinar” was published by Planeta in Spain in May of 2007.

In April of 2007 he bested chef Bobby Flay, winning ‘Battle Goat’ on Food Network’s Iron Chef America.

In 2006, Andrés was named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). In 2005, Food Arts magazine awarded him their prestigious Silver Spoon award saying “the irrepressibly energetic chef José Andrés, the best thing to happen to Spain in North America since 1492.” Bon Appetit magazine named Andrés Chef of the Year in the fall of 2004 and Food & Wine included Andrés in their 35 under 35 Tastemakers list for 2004. Saveur included Andrés on their 2004 Saveur 100 list, noting that he “represents the broad spectrum of Spanish (and Hispanic) cooking from ancient traditions to the fantasies reminiscent of El Bulli, where he once worked, better than anyone else in America today.” In 2003, Andrés won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region.

He resides in Washington with his wife Patricia and three daughters.

MADE IN SPAIN ON PBS
Be sure to check out José Andrés’ new cooking series for PBS, Made in Spain. Saturdays at 12:30pm on Washington’s WETA. Check your local PBS station to find when it’s showing in your area.

Other Local Chefs Nominated
For Various James Beard Awards

BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC
(DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Cathal Armstrong
Restaurant Eve - Old Town Alexandria, VA

Eric Ziebold
CityZen - Washington, DC

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS
PROFESSIONAL AWARD
For a winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for at least five years.

Terry Theise
Terry Theise Estate Selections - Silver Spring, MD

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD
For a chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Johnny Monis
Komi, Washington, DC
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
For a restaurant opened in 2007 that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service and is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Central Michel Richard, Washington, DC - Chef/Owner: Michel Richard

2008 James Beard Award Winners

Over the weekend in New York City, the ‘Oscars of Food,’ the James Beard Awards, took place at various locales, with the big finale Sunday evening at the Lincoln Center.

Kim Cattrall and Bobby Flay kicked things off, and of course she played off the Sex & The City thing: “Is there anything sexier than food?...Maybe what’s sexier are the chefs.” And then she and Flay engaged in some awkward and forced flirting.

The first award winner of the evning was Gavin Kaysen who won the Rising Star Chef Award for his work at Cafe Boulud. Eleven Madison Park won for Best Wine Service.

The best chef in NYC, this year, right now is David Chang who beat out Wylie Dufresne, Michael Anthony, Terrance Brennan, and Gabriel Kruether. The man can apparently do no wrong. Chang had not one, but two party busses for after the show.

Word in the press room was the afterparties were at Bar Boulud, Lee Schrager’s shindig at P.J. Clarke’s, Eleven Madison Park, Todd English’s annual fest at Olives, and of course Chang’s bus.

Morimoto’s design firm won for best restaurant design. Morimoto hammed it up for the crowd, fanning his designer with a paper fan.

La Grenouille lost out the Best Service Award to Terra.

Favorites Babbo’s Gina DePalma and Pichet Ong lost out to the San Francisco’s Tartine for the Best Pastry Chef Award

The final four!!:

The James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant went to DC hottie Central Michel Richard. Tough break Psilakis and Arpaia. The cute and jovial Richard looks like a big French Santa Claus. (he appeared on the cover of this newspaper as Santa one year). Who could mind losing to him?

Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali won best restaurateurs. Batali was a no show and Joey B did the speech solo, did an accent and got the laughs.

Outstanding Restaurant Award went to Gramercy Tavern. It was a big night for Danny Meyer. From his speech: It’s taught me about giving, about teaching, about learning, about loving, about eating, and so on. Is he running for Mayor of New York?

Grant Achatz chef at Alinea in Chicago,  won the Outstanding Chef Award and got a standing ovation from the crowd. Achatz noted the drive he learned at the Laundry helped him with his battle with cancer. He won over Jose Andres, minibar by jose Andres; Dan Barber, Blue Hilly, NYC; Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles; and Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama.

And that was a quick look at the 2008 James Beard Awards, from Lincoln Center.