2012 James Beard Awards nominees

The James Beard Awards, known as the "Oscars of the Food World," kicked off its season Monday with it's list of nominees for the best-of-the-best in the food industry.

The James Beard Foundation, named after "the father of American cuisine," announced the nominees at The Azure Pool at The Venetian and The Palazzo in Las Vegas.

The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception on May 7, presented by Food Network personality Alton Brown.  The foundation has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry since 1990.

Here are the nominees for the 2012 James Beard Awards:

Food Coverage in a Food-Focused Publication
Bon Appétit
Gilt Taste
Saveur

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication
Los Angeles Magazine
The Christian-Science Monitor
New York Magazine

Food-Related Column
Josh Ozersky, Time.com
Kevin Pang, Chicago Tribune
Lettie Teague, Wall Street Journal

Personal Essay
Cal Fussman, Esquire.com
Gabrielle Hamilton, Bon Appétit
Anna Stoessinger, New York Times

Health & Well-Being
Janet Rausa Fuller, Chicago Sun-Times
Maureen O'Hagan, The Seattle Times
Melinda Wenner Moyer, EatingWell

Environment/Food Politics/Policy
Brett Anderson, The Times-Picayune
Barry Estabrook, Gastronomica
Ben Paynter, Fast Company

Profile
Susan Choi, Food & Wine
Adam Sachs, Bon Appétit
Emily Kaiser Thelin, San Francisco

Wine, Spirits, Beverages
Ellen Cushing, East Bay Express
Sarah Karnasiewicz, Imbibe
Adam Sachs, Travel +Leisure

Food, Culture and Travel
Lauren Collins, Food & Wine
Fuschia Dunlop, The Financial Times
Jason Sheehan, Gilt Taste

Humor
Christopher Boffoli, The Kitchen
Ann Hodgman, EatingWell
Brett Martin, GQ

Group Food Blog
The Epi-Log
Nona Brooklyn
NPR's The Salt

Individual Food Blogs
Bunkycooks
Cannelle et Vanille
Poor Man's Feast

Cooking, Recipes and Instruction
Mary Allen Perry, Southern Living
Stephen Scoble, Food & Wine
Anna Thomas, EatingWell

Visual Storytelling
Alex Grossman, Bon Appétit
Landon Nordeman, Saveur
Michael Harlan Turkell, Edible Manhattan

The Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award
Alison Cook, Houston Chronicle
Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly
Alan Richman, GQ

M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award
Tamar Adler, Gilt Taste
John T. Edge, Saveur
Todd Kliman, Lucky Peach

Radio Show/Audio Webcast
Fear of Frying: Culinary Nightmares
From Bread Lines to Revolution
The Sporkful

Video Webcast
eatTV with Jamie Tiampo
Food. Curated.
Paul Willis Story

Television Segment
ABC News Nightline, ABC
Good Enough to Eat, CBS
The Hungry Hound, ABC 7 Chicago

Television or Video Webcast Special/Documentary
A Matter of Taste
Lidia Celebrates America
Sky Full of Bacon

Television Program, In Studio or Fixed Location
Chopped
Essential Pepin
Simply Ming

Television Program, On Location
A Taste of History
Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
The Wild Within

TV Food Personality/Host
Ted Allen
Sara Moulton
Ina Garten

Cookbooks: American Cooking
A New Turn in the South by Hugh Acheson
American Flavor by Andrew Carmellini
Masala Farm by Suvir Saran

Cookbooks: International Cooking
The Country Cooking of Italy by Colman Andrews
The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert
The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden

Cookbooks: Baking and Dessert
Baking Style by Lisa Yockelson
Cooking With Chocolate by Frederic Bau
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer

Cookbooks: Beverage
An Ideal Wine by David Darlington
Bitters by Brad Thomas Parsons
The Oxford Companion to Beer by Garrett Oliver and Horst Dornbusch

Cookbooks: Cooking From a Professional Point of View
The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts by Jennifer May, Frédéric Morin and David McMillan
Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara
Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young and Maxime Billet

Cookbooks: General Cooking
My Family Table
Ruhlman's Twenty
The Splendid Table's How to Eat Weekends

Outstanding Bar Program
The Aviary
Bar Agricole
PDT
Pegu Club
The Violet Hour

Outstanding Wine Program
A16
The Barn at Blackberry Farm
Emeril’s New Orleans
Frasca Food and Wine
No. 9 Park

Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spririts Professional
Sam Calagione
Merry Edwards
Paul Grieco
Garrett Oliver
Neal Rosenthal

Best Chef: Southwest:
Bruce Auden
Kevin Binkley
Bruno Davaillon
Jennifer Jasinski
Hugo Ortega
Paul Qui

Best Chef: Pacific:
Michael Chiarello
Chris Cosentino
Christopher Kostow
Matt Molina
Daniel Patterson

Best Chef: Northwest:
Matt Dillon
Jason Franey
Christopher Israel
Naomi Pomeroy
Cathy Whims

Best Chef: Midwest:
Justin Aprahamian
Gerard Craft
Colby Garrelts
Tory Miller
Lenny Russo

Best Chef: Great Lakes:
Michael Carlson
Stephanie Izard
Anne Kearney
Bruce Sherman
Andrew Zimmerman

Best Chef: South:
Justin Devillier
John Harris
Chris Hastings
Tory McPhail
Alon Shaya

Best Chef: Southeast:
Hugh Acheson
Craig Deihl
Linton Hopkins
Edward Lee
Joseph Lenn

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic:
Cathal Armstrong
Johnny Monis. Peter Pastan
Maricel Presilla
Vikram Sunderam

Best Chef: Northeast:
Jamie Bissonnette
Tim Cushman
Gerry Hayden
Matt and Kate Jennings
Eric Warnstedt

Best Chef: NYC:
Michael Anthony
April Bloomfield
Wylie Dufresne
Mark Ladner
Michael White

Best New Restaurant:
AQ
Fiola
Isa
Next
Tertulia

Outstanding Service:
Cyrus
La Grenouille
Michael Mina
Spiaggia
Topolobampo

Outstanding Restaurateur:
 Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg
Tom Douglas
Piero Selvaggio
Caroline Styne
Phil Suarez

Outstanding Restaurant:
Balthazar
Blue Hill
Boulevard
Highlands Bar and Grill
Vetri

Outstanding Chef:
David Chang
Gary Danko
Daniel Humm
Paul Kahan
Donald Link
Nancy Silverton