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After Battle With Cancer, Chef Savors Beard Award

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 9, 2008

A Chicago chef known for his ethereal cooking - as well as the tongue cancer that nearly ended his life - was named the nation's top chef Sunday by the James Beard Foundation.

The award marked another victory in a tumultuous year for Grant Achatz, who last July was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer, underwent aggressive treatment to save his life and sense of taste, and by December was cancer free.

Achatz's cooking at his 3-year-old restaurant, Alinea, has come to define the so-called molecular gastronomy movement, an approach to eating about as similar to home cooking as particle physics is to a junior chemistry set.

His ultramodern style has crafted menus that read like the shopping list of a culinary mad scientist, with items such as "black truffle explosion, romaine, parmesan" and "transparency of raspberry, rose petal, yogurt."

The James Beard awards are known as the Oscars of the food world, and honor those who follow in the footsteps of Beard, considered the dean of American cooking when he died in 1985.

Business partners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich also were honored at Sunday's ceremony as the nation's top restaurateurs. They oversee a cadre of restaurants, including New York's Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca and Del Posto.

New York's Gramercy Tavern was named the nation's Outstanding Restaurant.

Gramercy Tavern, which since opening in 1994 has been nominated for and received numerous Beard Awards and cemented the careers of culinary luminaries such as Tom Colicchio, is known for its contemporary American cuisine.

Gavin Kaysen of New York's Cafe Boulud was named Rising Star Chef, while the award for Outstanding New Restaurant went to Michel Richard's Central Michel Richard in Washington. Richard was named Outstanding Chef by the foundation last year.

The awards were co-hosted by actress Kim Cattrall.

The Associated Press

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