It’s rare that I can really comment on restaurants from around the country now that I no longer work in national wine sales! I try to visit as many as I can when out of my local sphere, but my affiliation with Santé offered me a great opportunity this year to virtually visit these restaurants by judging the Santé Restaurant Awards 2009 in the wine category. I was very impressed with the calibre of the restaurants that entered, I have judged these awards before, but this year was REALLY tough! It just goes to show the direction that wine programs are taking in our country and the results show that more than ever offering service to our customers is at our top priority. I literally salivated over some of these lists and menus while reviewing them, and now I have a long list of restaurants I want to visit around the country. I hope that you can visit some of these winners! Thank you for entering, competition was fierce. I will be attending the Santé Restaurant Symposium this October at The Sagamore, go to www.isantemagazine.com for more information. I went a few years ago and the event is full of great seminars, events, dinners, and some of the most amazing wine, spirit and restaurant professionals in the country. It is great to have an excuse to visit the east at the height of the autumn foliage and a way to check in with my roots, and is conveniently right after my 20 year high school reunion, WOW. Hope to see you there to tell you how that goes.
For more infomation on the symposium go to http://vimeo.com/5414093
TWELFTH ANNUAL SANTÉ RESTAURANT AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The Santé Awards program is the only peer-judged restaurant and hospitality competition in North America.
Santé’s 2009 Grand Award Winners are:
Culinary Hospitality Restaurant of the Year: Fair Hill Inn, Elkton, Maryland
Wine Hospitality Restaurant of the Year: PRIMA, Walnut Creek, California
Spirits Hospitality Restaurant of the Year: Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Boston, Massachusetts
The Santé Restaurant Awards are based on a variety of criteria, and winners represent a broad spectrum of restaurant- and hospitality-industry professionals with a common passion for their work and a commitment to excellence. Representatives from grand-award-winning establishments, those from regional-award-winning restaurants (listed below), and four Santé Professionals of the Year will be honored for their achievements at the 2009 Santé Restaurant Awards Gala Dinner and Presentation Ceremony on October 19, 2009 at The Sagamore in Bolton Landing, New York. The ceremony takes place during the 2009 Santé Restaurant Symposium, a four-day education and networking event for restaurant professionals. Ribera Del Duero is the exclusive wine sponsor for the 2009 Santé Restaurant Awards.
2009 SANTÉ RESTAURANT AWARDS WINNERS
Culinary Hospitality Awards, honoring restaurants and professionals that exhibit outstanding achievement in culinary service and hospitality:
Culinary Hospitality Restaurant of the Year: Fair Hill Inn, Elkton, Maryland
Regional Winners:
Traditional
Twenty-Two Bowen’s, Newport, Rhode Island
Bricco, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Bastille, Alexandria, Virginia
Kyma, Atlanta, Georgia
Annie Gunn’s, Chesterfield, Missouri
Chez Roux at La Torretta Del Lago, Montgomery, Texas
Epic Roasthouse, San Francisco, California
Azure Restaurant, Honolulu, Hawaii
Il Fornaio, Seattle, Washington
Innovative
Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Swan’s Café, Boston, Massachusetts
il Buco, New York, New York
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Elizabeth on 37th, Savannah, Georgia
FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Restaurant Kelly Liken, Vail, Colorado
RH Restaurant and Bar, West Hollywood, California
Alan Wong’s Restaurant, Honolulu, Hawaii
Joel Robuchon Restaurant, Las Vegas, Nevada
Sustainable
Michael’s on the Hill, Waterbury Center, Vermont
The Pines Tavern, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Lovettsville, Virginia
The Inn at Dos Brisas, Brennon, Texas
Waterbar, San Francisco, California
Washington Athletic Club, Seattle, Washington
Wine Hospitality Awards, honoring restaurants and professionals that exhibit outstanding achievement in wine service and hospitality:
Wine Hospitality Restaurant of the Year: PRIMA, Walnut Creek, California
Regional Winners:
Fine Dining
UpStairs on the Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Barbetta, New York, New York
Charley’s Steak House, Orlando, Florida
Piccolo Sogno, Chicago, Illinois
Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops, Salt Lake City, Utah
A16 Restaurant & Wine Bar, San Francisco, California
Bistro
Angelo’s Tavola, Scotia, New York
Capsouto Frres, New York, New York
Backstreet Café, Houston, Texas
California Café, Los Gatos, California
bin on the lake restaurant & wine bar, Kirkland, Washington
Hotel/Resort Fine Dining
Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel, Ocean City, Maryland
Flying Fish Café, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
The State Room, East Lansing, Michigan
Addison at the Grand Del Mar, San Diego, California
Sun Mountain Lodge, Winthrop, Washington
Spirits Hospitality Awards, honoring restaurants and professionals that exhibit outstanding achievement in spirits service and hospitality:
Spirits Hospitality Restaurant of the Year: Eastern Standard Kitchen & Bar, Boston, Massachusetts
Regional Awards:
Hotel/Resort Bar
The Grille at Canyon Ranch Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
Petrossian Bar, Las Vegas, Nevada
Restaurant Bar
JoeDoe, New York, New York
Enology, Washington DC
Ocean Prime, Columbus, Ohio
III Forks Steakhouse, Dallas, Texas
Service Professional Awards, honoring individuals who exhibit outstanding professional achievement in food, wine, and spirits service:
Paul Barry, Grafton Street Pub + Grill, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cheryl Holt, Tosca Restaurant, Hingham, Massachusetts
James Dixon, Artist Point, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Kenneth Pace, Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina
Robert Walsch, The Pasta Tree, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jerald Appling, Suite & Tender, San Diego, California
Lygia Bortolotti, Suite & Tender, San Diego, California
RebeccaChapa.com 