The joke’s on him
Food Network star Ted Allen hosted Monday’s night’s James Beard Awards, but he had a sous-chef in the kitchen when it came time to write his jokes.
Comedy writer Lizz Winstead, co-creator of “The Daily Show,” helped Allen come up with some funnies, and, going into the show, she had one joke in particular she wanted to make sure he got in.
“She said if I don’t refer to Mario as ‘Batalica,’ I am dead to her,” Allen says.
Outer borough on the outs
The Brooklyn food scene may be all the rage in recent years, but not at the Beards. No Brooklyn chefs or restaurants made it to the final round of nominations, though both Williamsburg restaurateur Andrew Tarlow and the Elm, chef Paul Liebrandt’s latest, were semifinalists.
Host Allen, who lives in Brooklyn himself, thinks Kings County will get more James Beard accolades in the coming years.
“Most of the restaurants are neighborhood places, and the Beard Awards are very much white tablecloth and fine dining oriented. It will happen as the social center has been moving there,” he says. “You will see Brooklyn represented at the Beards soon, I am sure.”
Sweet rivalry
One of the hottest races of the night was the best pastry chef category, pitting Cronut-creator Dominique Ansel against Momofuku Milk Bar maven Christina Tosi.
Going into the awards, Allen Salkin, author of “From Scratch: Inside the Food Network,” predicted a win for Ansel after the incredible year he’s had with the Cronut, which will celebrate its first anniversary this Saturday.
“Christina Tosi is great, but people aren’t waking up before dawn for her,” says Salkin. “But the question is, will they split the NY vote so there is a surprise winner from out of town?”
The ever amiable Tosi says she’s a “HUGE” fan of Ansel, and she has a tasty plan to beat any pre-awards jitters: eating some saucy meats with the Momofuku team.
“The tradition is to go to Daisy May’s BBQ to get down and dirty in our finest before the awards,” says Tosi, who planned to wear a long, black raw silk gown by Acne. “That’s the best way to shed the nerves!”
Coming prepared
Eamon Rockey, general manager of best new restaurant nominee Betony, had a less messy, more conventional plan to calm his nerves: booze.
“It’s the first time I’m going to the Beard Awards, but I’ve never been asked so many times if I’m bringing a flask,” Rockey said, going in to the big night.“I realize it’s kind of a thing. I don’t own a flask, but I guess between now and awards night I will get one.”
Party on
Win or lose, the team behind Betony’s competitor in the best new restaurant category, Carbone, was looking to throw a raging party for its staff, friends and fellow chefs.
“No matter what happens, we will have a party, and there may be ice luges around,” says Carbone partner Mario Carbone. “In 2011, we were nominated for Torrisi and didn’t win but we threw a rager anyway.”
“We throw an epic after-party, regardless of whether we win or lose,” adds Carbone’s business partner Jeff Zalaznick.
The old man and the sea salt
Barbuto chef and owner Jonathan Waxman was humble when asked about his being nominated for best chef: New York.
“I am nominated because I am the last man standing. It’s an award for being the oldest chef,” quips Waxman, 63. His competition disagreed.
Another nominee in the category, ABC Kitchen chef Dan Kluger, singled out Waxman from the field, which also included the Spotted Pig’s April Bloomfield, Del Posto’s Mark Ladner and Marea’s Michael White.
“I am very excited to be in a group with Waxman,” says Kluger. “I think he is incredibly talented and an extremely wonderful person.”
Cal-Ital chef Michael Chiarello echoed Kluger’s nice guy sentiments. Chiarello, whose San Francisco restaurant Coqueta was up for best new restaurant — against New York’s own Betony, Carbone and Estela — told The Post he planned to buy Waxman a drink after the awards to thank him for all the help and guidances Waxman gave him as a young chef.
“Jonathan has stayed with him along the way and guided him to where he is today,” says a rep for Chiarello.
The red stuff
Where have the big name out-of-towners been feasting in the run-up to the awards? New Orleans boy John Besh, recipient of a James Beard Who’s Who award, hit up one of his favorite New York spots, Red Farm, with fellow mega chef José Andrés, who is based in Washington, DC. A rep for Besh says the chef “loves the crispy beef.” Who doesn’t?