And the winner is ...

The James Beard awards (considered the "Oscars" for chefs and food writers) took place last night. Lots of interesting winners, listed here.

I see that Gavin Kaysen of Manhattan's Cafe Boulud was named Rising Star Chef (given to 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.") Kaysen was one of the competitors on The Next Iron Chef show that ran on the Food Network. Part of that series was filmed last year in Hyde Park on the campus of the Culinary Institute of America -- in fact, unless I am mistaken, it was the show that featured the chefs grilling at the CIA where Kaysen was eliminated from the competition.

A friend of mine recently dined at Cafe Boulud with her teen-age daughter, who loves to cook and is considering a career as a chef. When she mentioned that fact during her visit to Cafe Boulud, the teen was invited to tour the kitchen and to talk with the chef. Now that's hospitality!