Pecan Lodge
Dallas, Texas
In a state known for barbecue, Dallas is rarely a player. But Pecan Lodge has reset ‘cue expectations with killer pulled pork developed to satisfy the owners’ Carolina nostalgia.  Get the ‘Cue-pon: Bring in the June issue of Southern Living, and get a free signature Tumbleweed cookie with the purchase of a pork sandwich.

UPDATE: Also, Will Fleischman of Dallas’ Lockhart Smokehouse was named one of the top 10 pitmasters in the South.

Full list of winners below.

A&R BAR-B-QUE, Memphis, TN – “The star is the sloppy chopped pork sandwich, twitching with tangy slaw and bathed in a sauce thatdoesn’t obscure the robust smokiness of the meat,” reports Southern Living.

ALLEN & SON BBQ, Chapel Hill, NC – “If a foreigner was studying for a barbecue exam, the Allen & Son flash card would surely get a workout,” according to Southern Living. The restaurant borrows from both traditions of western and eastern Carolina ‘cue.

THE BAR-B-QUE SHOP, Memphis, TN – The smoked pork shoulder sandwich has won accolades for its accouterments, including a mustard-tinged sauce, a fiery hot sauce and sturdy Texas toast.

BBQ BARN, North Augusta, SC – South Carolina is the only state with four distinct sauce regions, and BBQ Barn offers them all, including the thick mustard variety rarely found beyond Palmetto state borders.

BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q, Mason, TN – Long famed for its treatment of pork shoulders which emerge moist and tender from the pit, bearing the faintest trace of smoke.

THE BRICK PIT, Mobile, AL – Serving succulent pulled pork slathered with a thick tomato sauce.

BUNN’S BARBECUE, Windsor, NC – Bunn’s minced Boston butt is sandwiched between two flaps of crisp cornbread.

GEORGIA PIG BAR-B-QUE, Fort Lauderdale, FL – Wayne Anderson chops oak-smoked meat and crunchy bits of bark and adds his tangy original sauce, reports Southern Livng.

JIM ‘N NICK’S BAR-B-Q, multiple locations across the South – Produces a phenomenal pork shoulder with traditional methods some many have written off as too time-consuming.

JIMMY’S BBQ, Lexington, NC – A prickly red slaw tops the pork shoulder at Jimmy’s, a Lexington mainstay that specializes in chewy, hickory-scented meat.

LEIGH’S BARBECUE, Kevil, KY – Terrific hickory-kissed pork shoulder is chopped to order and sauced with vinegar.

LEXINGTON BARBECUE, Lexington, NC – The defining Piedmont barbecue joint…chops its shoulders and slaw into an extraordinary mixture of sweetness and smoke, reports Southern Living.

MARTIN’S BAR-B-QUE JOINT, Nolensville, TN – Patrick Martin’s open-faced sandwich, what he calls a Redneck Taco, piles hickory smoked pork, slaw, and Piedmont-style tomato sauce atop a plate-size hoecake.

NEELY’S, Marshall, TX – An 85-year-old establishment serving ground smoked shoulder with mayonnaise, lettuce, and the signature sauce on a hamburger bun.

PAPA KAYJOE’S, Centersville, TN – The flat disks of cornbread that bookend Papa Kayjoe’s pork sandwich are fried to order in lard.

PAYNE’S BAR-B-Q, Memphis, TN – The pork sandwich is graced with smoke-tinged bark, a robe of tomato-based sauce and mustard slaw as yellow as a buttercup, according to Southern Living.

PECAN LODGE, Dallas, TX – Killer pulled pork developed to satisfy the owners’ Carolina nostalgia.

RED BRIDGES BARBECUE LODGE, Shelby, NC – Sandwiches can be requested “outside brown,” the dark chewy bark that lends textural zing and a woodsy demeanor to chopped meat.

SAUCY’S WALK-UP BAR.B.Q., Petersburg, VA – Meat smoked according to low-and-slow traditions, then swabbed with sauces such as mustard-jalapeno.

SIMS BAR-B-QUE, Little Rock, AK – Known for great ‘cue and their tangy, brown Sims sauce.

UPDATE: I have posted the complete list of2012 James Beard Foundation Awards below.

2012 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARDS

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

NEW YORK, NY (May 8, 2012) – Winners were announced last night, Monday, May 7, 2012, at the annual 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industries. During a ceremony hosted by chef and television personality Alton Brown at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, awards in the Restaurant and Chef and the Design and Graphics categories were presented, as well as a number of special achievement awards including Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, America’s Classics, Lifetime Achievement, and Humanitarian of the Year. Winners of the Foundation’s annual Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards were presented on May 4, 2012, at the ceremony and dinner at Gotham Hall in New York City, co-hosted by celebrity chef Michael Symon and CBS News Correspondent Martha Teichner.  A complete list of all award winners can be found at the end of this release, as well as at jamesbeard.org.  

Highlights from this year’s list of winners include:

Outstanding Chef: Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park, NYC)

Outstanding Restaurant: Boulevard (San Francisco)

Rising Star Chef: Christina Tosi (Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC)

Best New Restaurant: Next (Chicago)

In addition, special achievement award honorees included:

Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America: Grant Achatz (Chef and Author, Chicago); Mark Bittman (Journalist and Author, NYC); Dana Cowin (Editor and Journalist, NYC); Emily Luchetti (Pastry Chef and Author, San Francisco); Marvin Shanken (Publisher, NYC)

America’s Classics: The Fry Bread House (Owner: Cecelia Miller, Phoenix); Nora’s Fish Creek Inn (Owners:  Nora Tygum, Trace Tygum, and Kathryn Tygum Taylor, Wilson, WY); St. Elmo Steak House (Owners: Stephen Huse and Craig Huse, Indianapolis); Jones Bar-B-Q Diner (Owners: James and Betty Jones, Marianna, AR); Shady Glen (Owners: William and Annette Hoch, Manchester, CT)

Lifetime Achievement Award: Wolfgang Puck (Chef and Restaurateur, Los Angeles)

Humanitarian of the Year: Charlie Trotter (Chef and Restaurateur, Chicago)

Industry leaders from across the country attended the highly anticipated festivities, which celebrated this year’s Awards theme of “25 Years of Food at its Best,” in tribute to the Foundation’s silver anniversary and mission that honors James Beard’s legacy by celebrating, nurturing, and preserving America’s diverse culinary heritage and future. In recognition of James Beard’s influence on our culinary world, the Foundation invited chefs who had the privilege of knowing James Beard personally, as well as those who have been influenced by his legacy, to prepare dishes inspired by recipes from his more than 20 cookbooks. At the Gala Reception immediately following the Awards Ceremony, guests enjoyed a dine-around gala prepared by these notable chefs, including many of this year’s winners and nominees, among them Gary Danko of Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco, Paul Kahan of Blackbird in Chicago, and Emily Luchetti of Farallon in San Francisco.

The annual James Beard Foundation Awards honor the best and the brightest talents in the food and beverage industries, celebrating outstanding achievement in each of the following categories: Restaurant and Chef, Restaurant Design and Graphics, Books, Broadcast and New Media, and Journalism, as well as several special achievement awards. Each category has an individual Awards Committee made up of industry professionals who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective Awards program. All award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. There are no cash prizes.

Highlights from the Book, Broadcast and Journalism Awards announced on Friday, May 4, 2012, at the Awards dinner at Gotham Hall in New York City included:

Cookbook of the Year: Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold with Chris Young and Maxime Bilet (The Cooking Lab)

Cookbook Hall of Fame: Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking and More Home Cooking

Publications of the Year: Food52, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs and Darra Goldstein, Gastronomica

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: John T. Edge, Saveur “BBQ Nation”

Radio Show or Audio Webcast: Fear of Frying: Culinary Nightmares, Host: Nina Barrett, Area: WBEZ, Producer: Jason Marck

Television Program, In Studio or Fixed Location: Chopped, Host: Ted Allen and Judges, Network: Food Network, Producers: Linda Lea, Dave Noll, and Vivian Sorenson

Television Program, On Location: Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, Host: Andrew Zimmern, Network: Travel Channel, Producer: Andrew Zimmern

Media Personality/Host: Ted Allen, Show: Chopped, Food Network

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication: Lesley Bargar Suter, Los Angeles, “Chinese Food in L.A.,” “It’s Time for Breakfast in L.A.” “Food Lovers Guide”

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review: Alan Richman, GQ, “The Very Tasty Liberation of Paris,” “I Heart SF,” “Diner for Schmucks”

Group Food Blog: The Salt: NPR’s Food Blog, Maria Godoy, npr.org/blogs/thesalt

Individual Food Blog: Poor Man’s Feast, Elissa Altman, Poormansfeast.com “Craving the Food of Depravity”

The 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards are presented with support by the following partners: Premier Sponsors: All-Clad Metalcrafters, Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate, Lenox Tableware and Gifts, Mercedes-Benz; Supporting Sponsors: Campari, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Jade Range LLC, Lavazza, Southern Wine & Spirits of New York, Stella Artois®, Urbanspoon; Gala Reception Sponsors: Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water, Ecolab, Pernod Ricard USA, Rums of Puerto Rico, S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water; and with additional support from Chefwear, St Giles Hotel New York, and Visa Signature®.

About the James Beard Foundation

Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org.  Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation’s blog Delights & Prejudices. Join the James Beard Foundation on Facebook. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Twitter.

2012 James Beard Foundation Awards Winners

2012 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

Presented by Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate

For cookbooks published in English in 2011. Winners will be announced on May 4, 2012.

Cookbook of the Year

Modernist Cuisine
by Nathan Myhrvold with Chris Young and Maxime Bilet
(The Cooking Lab)

Cookbook Hall of Fame

Laurie Colwin

Home Cooking and More Home Cooking

American Cooking

A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen
by Hugh Acheson
(Clarkson Potter)

Baking and Dessert

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home
by Jeni Britton Bauer
(Artisan)

Beverage

Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, & Formulas
by Brad Thomas Parsons
(Ten Speed Press)

Cooking from a Professional Point of View

Modernist Cuisine
by Nathan Myhrvold with Chris Young and Maxime Bilet
(The Cooking Lab)

General Cooking

Ruhlman’s Twenty
by Michael Ruhlman
(Chronicle Books)

Focus on Health

Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
by Heidi Swanson
(Ten Speed Press)

International

The Food of Morocco
by Paula Wolfert
(Ecco)

Photography

Notes from a Kitchen: A Journey Inside Culinary Obsession
Artist/Photographer: Jeff Scott
(Tatroux)

Reference and Scholarship

Turning the Tables: Restaurants and the Rise of the American Middle Class, 1880–1920
by Andrew P. Haley
(The University of North Carolina Press)

Single Subject

All About Roasting
by Molly Stevens
(W.W. Norton & Company)

Writing and Literature

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
by Gabrielle Hamilton
(Random House)

2012 James Beard Foundation Design and Graphics Awards

Outstanding Restaurant Design

For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2009

Design Firm: Bentel & Bentel Architects

Designers: Paul Bentel, Carol Bentel, Peter Bentel and Susan Nagle

Project: Le Bernardin, New York City

Outstanding Restaurant Graphics

For the best restaurant graphics executed in North America since January 1, 2009

Design Firm: Pandiscio Co.

Designer: Richard Pandiscio

Project: The Americano at Hôtel Americano, New York City

2012 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards

For articles published in English in 2011.

Publications of the Year

Food52

Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs

Gastronomica

Darra Goldstein

Cooking, Recipes, or Instruction

Anna Thomas

EatingWell

“The Soup for Life”

Environment, Food Politics, and Policy

Ben Paynter

Fast Company

“The Sweet Science”

Food Coverage in a Food-Focused Publication

Saveur

James Oseland

Food Coverage in a General-Interest Publication

Lesley Bargar Suter

Los Angeles

“Chinese Food in L.A.,” “It’s Time for Breakfast in L.A,” “Food Lovers Guide”

Food Culture and Travel

Fuchsia Dunlop

The Financial Times

“Global Menu: Kicking Up a Stink”

Food-Related Columns

Lettie Teague

The Wall Street Journal

On Wine: Lettie Teague: “Drink, Memory: How to Remember that Wine;” “In Praise of the One-Cabernet Lunch;” “May I recommend: Lessons of Great Sommeliers”

Group Food Blog

The Salt: NPR’s Food Blog

Maria Godoy

npr.org/blogs/thesalt

Health and Well-Being

Maureen O’Hagan

The Seattle Times

“Feeling the Weight: The Emotional Battle to Control Kids’ Diet”

Humor

Brett Martin

GQ

“The Hangover Part III”

Individual Food Blog

Poor Man’s Feast

Elissa Altman

Poormansfeast.com

“Craving the Food of Depravity”

Personal Essay

Cal Fussman

Esquire.com

“Drinking at 1,300 Ft: A 9/11 Story About Wine and Wisdom”

Profile

Susan Choi

Food & Wine

“The Spice Wizardry of Lior Lev Sercarz”

Visual Storytelling

Landon Nordeman

Saveur

“Soul of Sicily,” “BBQ Nation,” “Heart of the Valley”

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages

Sarah Karnasiewicz

Imbibe

“Fizzy Business”

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award

Alan Richman

GQ

“The Very Tasty Liberation of Paris,” “I Heart SF,” “Diner for Schmucks”

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

John T. Edge

Saveur

“BBQ Nation”

2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards

Presented by Lenox Tableware and Gifts
For television, webcast, and radio programs aired in 2011.

Radio Show/Audio Webcast

Fear of Frying: Culinary Nightmares
Host: Nina Barrett
Area: WBEZ
Producer: Jason Marck

Special/Documentary (Television or Video Webcast)

A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt
Network: HBO
Producers: Sally Rowe, Rachel Mills, and Alan Oxman

Television Program, In Studio or Fixed Location

Chopped
Host: Ted Allen and Judges
Network: Food Network
Producers: Linda Lea, Dave Noll, and Vivian Sorenson

Television Program, On Location

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
Host: Andrew Zimmern
Network: Travel Channel
Producer: Andrew Zimmern

Television Segment

CBS News Sunday Morning

Host: Martha Teichner

Network: CBS

Producers: Lauren Barnello, Jon Carras, Edward Forgotson, Patrick Lee, and David Small

Video Webcast

eatTV with Jamie Tiampo
Eattv.com
Host: Jamie Tiampo
Producers: Suzanne Glickstein, Jimmy McCoy, and Jamie Tiampo

Media Personality/Host (Television or Video Webcast)

Host: Ted Allen
Show: Chopped
Network: Food Network

2012 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

Best Chefs in America

Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Each candidate may be employed by any kind of dining establishment and must have been a working chef for at least the past 5 years. The 3 most recent years must have been spent in the region where the chef is presently working.

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Bruce Sherman

North Pond

Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Maricel Presilla

Cucharamama

Hoboken, NJ

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Tory Miller

L’Etoile

Madison, WI

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)

Michael Anthony

Gramercy Tavern

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)

Tim Cushman

O Ya

Boston

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Matt Dillon

Sitka & Spruce

Seattle

Best Chef: Pacific (CA, HI)

Matt Molina

Osteria Mozza

Los Angeles

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)

Chris Hastings

Hot and Hot Fish Club

Birmingham, AL

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Hugh Acheson

Five and Ten

Athens, GA

Linton Hopkins

Restaurant Eugene

Atlanta

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)

Paul Qui

Uchiko

Austin, TX

Best New Restaurant

Presented by Mercedes-Benz

A restaurant opened in 2011 that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service and is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Next
Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional

Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits of New York

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 5 years.

Paul Grieco

Terroir

NYC

Outstanding Wine Program

A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 5 years.

No. 9 Park

Boston

Outstanding Bar Program

Presented by Campari

A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in cocktail, spirit, and/or beer service through a well-presented drink list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about beverages.

PDT

NYC

Outstanding Service

Presented by Stella Artois

A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least the past 5 years.

La Grenouille

NYC

Outstanding Pastry Chef

A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads and who serves as a national standard-bearer for excellence. Candidates must have been pastry chefs or bakers for at least the past 5 years.

Mindy Segal

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate

Chicago

Outstanding Restaurateur

A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past 10 years.

Tom Douglas

Tom Douglas Restaurants

Seattle

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Presented by Jade Range

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.

Christina Tosi

Momofuku Milk Bar

NYC

Outstanding Restaurant

A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 10 or more consecutive years.

Boulevard

San Francisco

Outstanding Chef

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters

A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as chefs for at least the past 5 years.

Daniel Humm

Eleven Madison Park

NYC

2012 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics

Presented by Coca-Cola

The Fry Bread House

4140 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix

Owner: Cecelia Miller

Nora’s Fish Creek Inn

5600 West Highway 22, Wilson, WY

Owners: Nora Tygum, Trace Tygum, and Kathryn Tygum Taylor

St. Elmo Steak House

127 South Illinois St., Indianapolis

Owners: Stephen Huse and Craig Huse

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner

219 West Louisiana St., Marianna, AR

Owners: James and Betty Jones

Shady Glen

840 East Middle Turnpike, Manchester, CT

Owners: William and Annette Hoch

2012 James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America Inductees

Grant Achatz

Chef and Author

Chicago

Mark Bittman

Journalist and Author

NYC

Dana Cowin

Editor and Journalist

NYC

Emily Luchetti

Pastry Chef and Author

San Francisco

Marvin Shanken

Publisher

NYC

2012 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Wolfgang Puck

Chef and Restaurateur

Los Angeles

2012 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

Charlie Trotter

Chef and Restaurateur

Chicago

Bruno in a cab to Lincoln Center. (photo by Brad Murano)

Bruno arrives at Lincoln Center. (Photo by Brad Murano)

Stephanie Hutson, marketing manager at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, is in New York with chef Bruno Davaillon. So is The Brad, aka Brad Murano, the chief creative officer of Splash Media and Bruno’s number one fan. The Brad is going to send us a few pictures over the next couple of hours and document the moments leading up to the Best Chef Southwest Award. I will post the pictures as they come in here, below the jump. If you want an update, follow me on Twitter @DSideDish #jbfa #Dallas

He’s walking the red carpet. JUMP FOR THE PHOTOS!!

Photo by Brad Murano.(Photo by Brad Murano)

Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation, Bruno Davaillon, Stephanie Hutson, Marketing Manager at The Mansion, and Tracy Fitz, Marketing Director at The Mansion (photo by Brad Murano)

Bruno Davaillon's close up! (Photo by Brad Murano)

The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek's chef Bruno Davaillon and his station, which had my favorite item, smoked hummus. Photos by David Higbee

Friday night’s soirée, TACA Lexus Party on the Green, took place on the lawn at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.  There were cars up for winning, a cork pull, fabulous trips and dinners in the silent auction, and food. Oh, so much food. More than 30 chefs gathered in the courtyard to offer up some of their best fare. And it was all going really well, too, that is until Mother Nature got involved. It was a bit muggy at first, then there were sprinkles—little ones that grew—and then it rained. Partygoers and chefs headed toward the doors of the Mansion. Within a couple minutes, Mansion employees walked around offering umbrellas to those who stayed outside. But within maybe 15 minutes, it all cleared up, people and chefs returned to their stations, and the party continued.

Stephanie Hutson, marketing manager at The Mansion, was in high spirits. She said the party hosted about 600 guests. But she was also looking forward to the weekend when she would travel with Mansion chef Bruno Davaillon to the James Beard awards. Davallion’s dish was one of the best of the night. He served pork belly with smoked hummus, pickled ramps and rhubarb. I’m a sucker for hummus. Friday night, I discovered I’m a sucker for smoked hummus. I also really enjoyed Tim Byres’ dry cured pork with purslane and cantaloupe. It was a light, fresh dish on a muggy evening.

Chef Serge Botelli from Rosewood Tucker’s Point in Bermuda got rave reviews for his ancho-cocoa rubbed grilled quail, which came with sage polenta, spiced capsicum jus, and fig syrup. Several people also directed us to the Crescent’s chef Juan Rosado. He was serving a short rib with crispy, sticky rice and pickled vegetables. The ribs (a little large for one bite, but still manageable) offered a bit of kick at the end, which paired nicely with the rice.

I have a very large sweet tooth, so I knew I couldn’t leave without trying the Mansion’s chef Nicolan Blouin’s Mansion Macaroon Mania, an assortment of macaroons, which were made in-house. My favorite was the peanut butter and jelly. I’m simple.

Jump for food shots.

Photos by David Higbee

Texas Monthly’s April 2011 issue was also recognized. The issue’s cover story, “Home Plates” written by Pat Sharpe, Katharyn Rodemann, and June Naylor, is a finalist in the in the Leisure Interests category. The story is a gorgeous and informative feature on the heritage, splendor, and preparation of the ten dishes every Texan should be able to cook from scratch. Congrats to Pat and company for their nomination.

Mint chicken salad from The Mint. (Photography by Elizabeth Lavin)

The popular International Grand Tasting at Savor Dallas 2012 took place on Saturday night at Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas. Organizers noted the move from Dallas to Irving was to make it easier for the residents of Fort Worth to attend.  Any worry that the change in venue would deter event patrons was quickly dispelled once the doors  swung open.  The place was packed, people shuffled around tightly, filling the venue as guests got the opportunity to hob-nob and rub elbows with some of the finest chefs in DFW.  The food and drink were, of course, spectacular as chefs were well prepared to excite and surprise their guests this year.

While nearly every dish our small group sampled was delightful, we thought we would pay homage to some of the most exciting and delicious dishes presented this year.  So here are (in no particular order) our picks of the Top 10 Best Bites of the 2012 Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting…

Gazpacho from Dee Lincoln' Bubble Bar. (Photography by Elizabeth Lavin)

1. Kelly Hightower/Wild Salsa: Shrimp albondigas (spicy shrimp meatball) with ground pumpkin seed and onion, topped with cilantro and contija cheese.  Definitely the spiciest dish of the night, but perhaps, my personal favorite.

2. Juliard Ishizuka/ Dee Lincoln’s: Tomato gazpacho with goat cheese, watermelon, cured chorizo, and micro arugala.  Fine use of spice, temperature, and citrus, all together refreshing and unique.

3. Nick Amoriello/Meddlesome Moth: Shrimp and grits with pepperjack, jalapeno country gravy, and “tons of cream, tons of butter.” Hard to go wrong there.

The spicy star of The Meddlesome Moth's shrimp and grits.(Photography by Elizabeth Lavin)

4. Cesar Gallegos/Bolla: Smoked scallop crudo with avocado mousse, candied pepitas, jicama hot sticks, and a shot of Patron tequila. Bold flavors, unique presentation. I hope we get to see a lot more “hot sticks” in the future.

Brisket Tacos from Neighborhood Services.(Photography by Elizabeth Lavin)

5. Jeff Bekavac/ Neighborhood Services: Street tacos of smoky, sweet barbecue brisket with a blue cheese coleslaw.

The Whiskey Cake.(Photography by Elizabeth Lavin)

6. TJ Lengnick/Whiskey Cake: The Whiskey Cake, no one will question Chef Lengnick’s decision to bring the restaurant’s signature dessert to the party, nor do I think anyone will question its inclusion on this list. This thing is blissful.

7. Nicky Phinyawatana/The Mint: Minced chicken salad with lime, cilantro, mint, red pepper, served on baby endive and bok choy.

8. Pat Robertson/Five Sixty: Kobe beef tataki with asparagus salad, jalapeno ponzu, cilantro and fried garlic.

9. Kay Agnew/Margaux’s Bridge Bistro: Duck and andouille sausage gumbo.

10. Eric Brandt/Bisto 31: Escargot and pork belly with parsley pesto, walnut, and creamy polenta.

Goat Cheese and Sweet Onion Jam from JJ&B.(Photography by Elizabeth Lavin)

Recognition should also be given to the always brilliant Scardello Cheese with their lovely offerings of royal cheddar, landaff, and bleu debasque; JJ&B (Jellies, Jams and Butters) for their splendid sweet onion jam; and Kaurina’s original “kulfi” or Indian ice cream bars in mango, cardamom cream, and pistachio almond. Seriously, people were freaking out about this ice cream, myself included, which can be ordered here from artizone.com.

Badovinus and Fearing lunched with Jean-Georges at Jean-Georges on Central Park West. (Photo from Badovinus)

Dallas chef Dean Fearing is in New York where he will be honored as a “Pioneer of American Cuisine” by The Culinary Institute of America. Fearing is standing in tall grass: tomorrow’s gala dinner will also honor Larry Forgione, Wolfgang Puck, Paul Prudhomme, and Alice Waters. Each honoree was asked to invite a protégée to prepare one of the courses for the dinner. Fearing picked Mansion alumn Nick “Neighborhood Services” Badovinus. On Thursday, Badovinus and his NHS on Lovers chef, Jeff Bekavac, will prepare slow-cooked (48 hours!) brisket tacos (Luna’s corn tortillas!) with New Mexico red chile barbecue sauce and Bosque County blue cheese cole slaw.

After the gala, Fearing heads to Tokyo to create a temporary version of Fearing’s inside the The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo.

If you’re not sure why he’s a big deal, take a look at the profile below:

WHY HE’S AMAZING Because he goes beyond just barbecue, with an in-kitchen wood grill and smoke pit for smoking or curing almost every dish on the menu.
CULINARY SCHOOL Johnson & Wales University (Miami)
BACKGROUND Stephan Pyles, Mansion Restaurant (Dallas)
MUST-TRY DISH Hand-pulled all-natural whole hog, North Carolina style, which is roasted overnight.
WHAT SMELLS SO GOOD Byres smokes or cures almost all his dishes over wood, using either the mesquite-fueled wood grill and barbecue pit in the kitchen or a vintage Appalachian cold smoker out back, which uses hickory, pecan wood and charcoal.
MENU INSPIRATION Before opening Smoke in fall 2009, Byres spent the summer traveling across the South in a rebuilt VW bus, tasting regional barbecue. “Everybody wants to label barbecue styles and areas,” he says. “But wherever you go in the rural South, styles developed from availability and necessity. It’s just honest cooking.”
LOCAL FLAVORS The kitchen team planted an herb and vegetable garden behind the Hotel Belmont, where the restaurant is located.

If you’re feeling a lot of Tim Byres-love today, go vote for him in our People’s Choice Best Chef category so he can also show up in the August issue of D Magazine.

I bid thee, Dallas, to go vote for thy favorite chefs whose first names start with a T.

Congrats to our Dallas area winners: Stephan Pyles in the rarefied air of Outstanding Chef, a national category; ditto for the national nod to The French Room at the Adolphus Hotel for Outstanding Service; Best Chef in the Southwest includes both Bruno Davaillon (Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek) and Teiichi Sakurai (Tei-An); and Café on the Green at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas is in the running for Outstanding Wine Program. I’m stunned and thrilled to see Nick Badovinus’ name in the Best Restaurateur list. Badovinus is a low-key chef and restaurateur without high-profile partners or a team of publicists. His victory would be a real Cinderella story. The finalists will be announced on March 19 and the winners will be revealed at the James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception on Monday, May 7 in New York City. Go DALLAS!

Big Cheeses: Evan Grant, Jay Jerrier, Eric Nadel.

Tuesday night, pizza lover and baseball writer, Evan Grant, and pizza maker and baseball lover, Jay Jerrier held the finals of the “Name a Pizza for Mike Napoli” contest at Cane Rosso. Four of the five finalists showed up to sample their until-then-never-tasted pizza recipes. Jerrier went to great lengths to make the pies. “We don’t make an Alfredo sauce, so I had to create one for Jason Joseph’s “Angel Tears” entry,” Jerrier said.

I slinked in at the end of the evening to try the pies and I’ve got to hand it to all who were picked in the finals. It was a tough decision. My favorite was Doug Fusella’s “The Cane Rosso Napoli Experience” with Jimmy’s sausage, meatballs, sopressata, spinach, and jalapenos. But Grant and Jerrier picked Joseph’s “Angel Tears,” a pie of Italian sausage, salami, sweet onion, jalapenos, roasted garlic, spinach, Roma tomatoes, and mozzarella dusted with Romano. Jump for all of the recipes and the rationale behind the ingredients below. AND PHOTOS!

Winner Jason Joseph and finalist Doug Fusella. Photo by Jason Acton.

Angel Tears

WINNER!!! Created by: Jason Joseph

Alfredo Sauce (It’s the best sauce.)
Italian Sausage (Hmmm)
Salami (For a Nappy Grand Salami)
Sweet Onion (For the sweet sweet tears of the Angels)
Jalapenos (For the Texas heat)
Roasted Garlic (To ward off injury)
Spinach (For a Napoli power up)
Roma tomatoes
Mozzarella
Dusted with Romano

Angel Tears (left) and Take it Like a Napoli Pie (right) pictured with Eric Nadel.

Take It Like a Napoli Pie

Created by: Camille Broadway

A savory pizza in honor of Napoli’s post-season plate collisions with Sean Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera.

Tomato Sauce (for Napoli’s willingness to get crushed in the line of duty)
Hot Soppresata, Prosciutto Cotto and Jimmy’s Hot Sausage (three meats representing the collision of three substantive men. The ham is also a nod to the Cuban sandwich in South Florida where Rodriguez/Napoli grew up and to Tampa where the first collision occurred and where Italian salami often gets added to Cuban sandwiches.)
Olives – a light sprinkling (representing that plug of tobacco that Napoli is still looking for after the Tampa collision)
Mozzarella di Bufala (a water buffalo cheese because I’m pretty sure Cabrera is the size of a small water buffalo)

The Cane Rosso Napoli Experience

Created by: Doug Fusella

Gotta be meaty, Nap’s a big boy

Jimmy’s sausage (for the Nap-Nap, um, Winner)
Sliced Meatballs (he is a catcher, has to have …)
Hot Sopressata (that stuff rocks, and Italians need spice)
Spinach (for the strength of the Nap)
Sliced Jalapenos (this is Texas, gotta be hot)

The defining aspect of the Napoli Pie, its missing a quarter, since Mike is a Heat Fan, we know they can only handle the first three quarters.

Max, Jamey, and Erica Newberg with their Napoli Ever After Pie.

Napoli Ever After

Created by Jamey Newberg

Jimmy’s Sausage (commemorating Napoli’s game-tying, two-run single off TB’s James Shields in Game Two of the 2011 ALDS)
Prosciutto Cotto (in honor of journeyman outfielder Henry Cotto, whose home run total in 10 big league seasons was about one-third of Napoli’s total in just six seasons)
Soppressata (because it just sounds bad-ass)
Calabrian chiles (the “No Pepper” rule in baseball does not apply)
Artichokes (“R.T. Chokes” – Napoli went 4 for 5 in 2011 off Angels righthander Rich Thompson, his old teammate . . . with two doubles and a home run among his four hits)
Burrata (fresh Italian cheese – Napoli’s throws to second base)
Sea Salt (short for “See ya, Salty,” as Napoli cured the Rangers’ situation at catcher)

And Evan Grant’s unofficial entry:

The Grand Salami

Start with traditional Cane Rosso sauce and cheese mix, then add:
Chopped fresh basil (It’s got three meanings on this pizza. To represent the green of the field, the green Napoli is going to earn this season and the green of the Italian flag).
Hot Soppresata (t’s the red in the Italian flag, and the spicy salami in this big pie).
Crumbled Jimmy’s Sausage (It’s the dirt for “The Dirtbag.”)
A small thin ring of smoked provolone (It’s the white of the Italian flag and also it could represent all those teams who Napoli, well, smoked last year)
A very slight dusting of crushed sunflower seeds (Well, that’s the magic dust that Ron Washington seems to sprinkle on every former Angel that comes through here to get huge results and it’s a tribute the togetherness of the 2011 team)

2009 Firebrick Zinfandel – Silver

2009 Lover’s Lane Petite Sirah – Bronze

2010 Wild Diamond Mourvedre – Bronze

2010 Rogues Blend (GSM) – Bronze

Jim Richardson of OCC: “The 2009 Firebrick Zinfandel won silver among Zinfandels. The 2009 Petite Sirah won bronze among the PS varietals. The 2010 Rogues Blend and Mourvedre won in category of Rhone other varietals and Blends.”

They are celebrating by offering you special deals. Jump for them!

To share this good news with you, we have two special offers through February 15 for you to enjoy these wines:

Because we are eager to sell out of the ‘08 Firebrick Zin and ‘08 Lake County Petite Sirah before releasing the ’09s, we are offering the last few cases of these great wines at 50% off. (We are giving our club members first chance to take advantage of this special sale through January 25th.All others Jan 26th – Feb 15th while supplies last.)  Your cost*, including shipping and tax:

12 bottles ‘08 Firebrick Zin   $260 (order now)

12 bottles ‘08 Petite Sirah     $323 (order now)

(We have only 9 cases left of the Zin and 5 cases left of the Petite Sirah.)

We are also offering a special sampler case price on our four latest award-winning wines:

3 bottles 2010 Wild Diamond Mourvedre

3 bottles 2010 Rogues Blend

3 bottles 2009 Firebrick Zinfandel

3 bottles 2009 Petite Sirah

Your cost*, including shipping and tax:

Special Sale Price (20% off)      $364 (order now)

Club Member’s Price (30% off)  $325 (order now)

(If you aren’t a member of our club, you may take advantage of the special club discount on these wines by joining the club here.)

2009 Firebrick Zinfandel – Silver

2009 Lover’s Lane Petite Sirah – Bronze

2010 Wild Diamond Mourvedre – Bronze

2010 Rogues Blend (GSM) – Bronze

To share this good news with you, we have two special offers through February 15 for you to enjoy these wines:

Because we are eager to sell out of the ‘08 Firebrick Zin and ‘08 Lake County Petite Sirah before releasing the ’09s, we are offering the last few cases of these great wines at 50% off. (We are giving our club members first chance to take advantage of this special sale through January 25th.All others Jan 26th – Feb 15th while supplies last.)  Your cost*, including shipping and tax:

12 bottles ‘08 Firebrick Zin   $260 (order now)

12 bottles ‘08 Petite Sirah     $323 (order now)

(We have only 9 cases left of the Zin and 5 cases left of the Petite Sirah.)

We are also offering a special sampler case price on our four latest award-winning wines:

3 bottles 2010 Wild Diamond Mourvedre

3 bottles 2010 Rogues Blend

3 bottles 2009 Firebrick Zinfandel

3 bottles 2009 Petite Sirah

Your cost*, including shipping and tax:

Special Sale Price (20% off)      $364 (order now)

Club Member’s Price (30% off)  $325 (order now)

(If you aren’t a member of our club, you may take advantage of the special club discount on these wines by joining the club here.)