Site Title

If you’re a player in the industry, you’re probably getting ready to head to New Yorkfor the James Beard Awards happening on Monday night. If you’re a civilian, you may have read about it this week. The JBF awards are considered the Oscars of the culinary world.

.

Back in the day, the parties would start on Friday night and go until Tuesday morning. I remember one year I clocked 36 hours of cocktail parties over the 3-day weekend. The biggest fete was always Chef’s Night Out with everyone (more than 1,000 of us) pilling in for a late night of revelry and catching up with everyone from around the country.

.

This year, somewhat mysteriously the party seems to have dropped of the radar. The past five years running I’ve always found the invite in my mailbox. But not this year. I wondered if I’d somehow dropped off the list? Turns out, I’m not the only one. I’ve received call, emails, queries and questions from chefs across the country. “What happened to chef’s night out? I didn’t get invited this year.”

.

My sources say the usual JBF invite list of 1000 or so names was culled down to about 500 by the party planers (budget issues or some such). So yes we all fell of the list. But don’t feel bad, lots of chefs (even some nominees) and industry folks (including press and people at JBF) fell off too.

.

My sources say the party is indeed happening at the not-yet-opened Chinatown Brasserie located on the corner of Lafayette and Great Jones in the old Time Café space in NoHo. I happened to walk by today and they were installing the lights, had all the tables piled in cartons on the sidewalk, and a sign in the window announced an open call waitstaff interviews.

.

It is the usual day, at the usual time. You all know what I mean. (I’m being coy intentionally to keep out the party-crashing civilian riff-raff)

.

I don’t know about you, I might go anyway. Want to come with? We may get turned away at the door, so maybe let’s make an alternate rendez-vous point. Comments are open if anyone has a suggestion.