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Betting on Beard

Our secret panel of industry insiders predicts this year’s James Beard winners

By Jacqui Gal

Special to Metromix
June 2, 2008

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Catherine Zeta-Jones, sadly not our chef judge, sauces things up in 'No Reservations'

The Chef
After stints with Batali and Ripert, this chef was yelled at by a past Beard winner for choosing to work at a well-received new restaurant in NYC instead of taking a gig as said nominee's chef.

For Rising Star Chef of the Year (which David Chang nabbed last year), our insider says Café Boulud’s Gavin Kaysen is probably in with a shot. “He has to be a talented guy if Daniel’s going to pick him to be his chef,” The Chef says. “I have friends that have worked there, and they say it’s a really hard place to be.”

Our chef also has a lot of love for Dan Barber’s work: “They do great food at [Blue Hill]. I totally think he fucking deserves that shit.”

As for Chang’s Best Chef New York City nomination this year, our insider is cynical: “I’m sure he’s talented, I’m sure he’s great. But to put him in the same category as some of these other guys, I think it’s a little soon for that. Not when you’ve got guys like Gabriel [Kreuther] and Terrance Brennan. They have both been working in the city for a really long time and done a lot.”

And Wylie Dufresne? “That guy is a fucking genius. The way he approaches cuisine—it’s not my style, but it is way, way beyond. Out of control. Other people are trying to do it in the city, and he does it the best. I think he deserves it.”

Adds The Chef, “The only one I think is bullshit on that whole list is David Chang. It is not because I think David Chang is bullshit. I just think it is to soon for a guy like that to be listed with those guys. I think 10 years from now David Chang should be nominated, for sure. Not now.”

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Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures