Michael Tusk and Charles Phan Win 2011 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards

Last night, the country's foodoscenti gathered in New York for the second night of the James Beard Foundation Awards to celebrate the winners in the Restaurant and Chef Awards categories. After five straight fruitless nominations in years past, Michael Tusk of Quince and Cotogna brought home gold in the Best Chef: Pacific Category. He was up against LA’s Michael Cimarusti and several other local chefs of note: Christopher Kostow of Meadowood, Daniel Patterson of Coi, and Richard Reddington of Redd in Yountville. Another point of local pride, Charles Phan was inducted into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America. Phan and Tusk join the other local winners who nabbed Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards on Monday night.

The two local noms in the Rising Star Chef category: Aaron London of Ubuntu and Thomas McNaughton of Flour + Water were beaten out by Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland. In the Best New Restaurant group, New York's ABC Kitchen won out over Corey Lee's Benu. Now, for a scroll through all the winners across the country, hop to Eater National.

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