Yesterday evening, at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on the Lower East Side, representatives of Eater from across this great continent joined friends and acquaintances from the restaurant and nightlife industries to toast the nominees and winners of the 2013 Eater Awards. Accompanied by unseasonably nice weather, chefs from the American South and some Southern hometown heroes served up deliciousness to a room packed with food-obsessed revelers. Onstage, in front of rockin' Louisville band Houndmouth, custom cans of Eater Awards-brand signature Italian Peeled Tomatoes were stacked high, emblazoned with the names of the Eater Award winners from 27 cities.
Huge thanks go out to our Southern chefs: Andrea Reusing from Lantern, Linton Hopkins from Holeman & Finch, Ashley Christensen from Poole's, Nick Sullivan and Edward Lee from 610 Magnolia, Nick Bishop Jr. and John Lasater from Hattie B's, Michael Shemtov and The Crew from Butcher & Bee, Steven Satterfield fomr Miller Union, Rob Newton from Seersucker, Kyle Knall from Maysville, and Heather & Josh Keeler from Two Boroughs Larder. And thanks to Yana Volfson at Peels and Freemans for the cocktails.
Peruse the party pictures and check out some hangover observations below. Stay tuned for a video of the action later this afternoon.
· Wylie Dufresne's beard won the facial hair of the year award.
· Chris Jaeckle and Chris Cannon were rolling as a crew last night, and everyone wanted to chat with them or at least shake their hands/give them high fives. Jaeckle said that All'Onda won't be a "fusion" restaurant, so don't expect wacky Japanese/Italian mash-ups. He's going for Venetian fare, but Japan is also a point of inspiration.
· Youngest attendee: Ever Voltaggio, Bryan Voltaggio's daughter, who was born last July and sadly was unable to partake in the event's food and drink offerings.
· Many a chef remarked how they wanted to steal the peanut macaron idea from Chef Linton Hopkins' booth. Chef wins the champ of the night award for slicing that ham all night long.
· Most fun station: Toups' Meatery, mostly because they had everyone take swigs from bottles of bourbon. Also: bags of pork skin.
· Houndmouth provided musical entertainment for the evening and took the time to visit chef Robert Newton's restaurant Nightingale 9 over the weekend for lunch. Rob and girlfriend Kerry Diamond (she of Cherry Bombe) are thinking about detouring to Louisville later this year while they're on vacation to take in the band's full show.
· Crowd favorite: Hattie B's Hot Chicken from Nashville wasn't afraid to bring the spice with their mini fried chicken skewered with a homemade pickle, and people were going back for seconds and thirds.
· Yes, the event did give off a Limelight vibe.
· Observed: Stumptown founder Duane Sorenson, whose restaurant Ava Gene's won Restaurant of the Year in Portland, chatting with Wylie Dufrense near the stage.
· Empellon's Alex Stupak seemed pumped that his latest Push Project dinners with his mentor Grant Achatz went over well. Now that he's done it with Grant, he feels like he can do it with anyone.
· Charleston represented well at last night's awards. On one side of the room was the team from Two Boroughs Larder with chef Josh Keeler and his partner Heather Keeler (and, of course, koozies). Michael Shemtov of Butcher & Bee doled out miniature grilled pimento cheese sandwiches on the second floor.
· Other big names in attendance: Danny Meyer, Pat LaFrieda, Mario Carbone, Alex Raij, power couple Robert Bohr and Jordan Salcito, Bryce Shuman and Eamon Rockey from Betony, James Kent, Dominique Ansel, Franklin Becker, Mitchell Davis, Zak Chodorow, John McDonald, Hugh Acheson, and Empire State South executive chef Josh Hopkins.
· And who ruled the after party at Boulton & Watt? Harold Dieterle, Mauro Maccioni, Kate Krader, John Fraser, and Anthony Sasso, among many other winners, fans, well wishers, hangers on, crashers, and tequila lovers.
THE AFTERPARTY
[Driely Vieira]A huge huge thanks to our chefs, the band, our guests, our charity partner Wellness in the Schools, and our incredible sponsors: Negra Modelo, Tanqueray, Lexus, Canon, George Dickel, Kerrygold, Australian Lamb, Parma, CityEats, Wusthof, King & Grove, Visit Raleigh, Verterra, ICE, and Louisville. And a big thanks for the after party to Don Julio.
· All Eater Awards Coverage [-E-]