Behind the scenes at the Beard Awards

"I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date" kept running through my head as I sat stuck in New York traffic on the way to the James Beard Restaurant Awards on Monday night. I'd just rejoined the awards committee, but had never attended the actual event, held this year at Lincoln Center.

It's a fancy affair: Men in black ties and women in long gowns and high, glittery heels waited in line to present their tickets. No red carpet, but the whole event feels very like the Oscars, complete with paparazzi. As I moved toward the entrance, I caught sight of Wolfgang Puck swarmed by cameras and reporters. David Chang of Momofuku in New York had rock star status too.

Inside, flutes of champagne circulated. But the awards ceremony had already started upstairs with Food Network star Alton Brown playing the Billy Crystal role, moving the event along, inserting a little humor here and there.

Just like the Oscars, the awards had presenters, most often the chef who'd won the same award the year before. And unlike the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, which I'd attended in London the week before, every winner gets to give a short speech. That means the event is long, but it's what gives some heart to what could easily be a boring exercise.

I enjoyed that small glimpse into each winner's story -- from burger flipping to a James Beard Award. The early experiences, mentors and dreams that led to this night. If there was one theme throughout the evening, it was generosity in acknowledging everyone who helped along the way. And reaching out to younger cooks eager to make a mark in the restaurant world. Many wives were thanked, pointing out how male-dominated the world of chefdom is.

Memorable moments:

Tim Cushman of O Ya in Boston (best Northeast chef) thanking the late Michael Roberts of Trumps as one of his mentors.

Nancy Oakes and Pat Kuleto of Boulevard in San Francisco (outstanding restaurant) bumping fists and hugging over their win -- finally! -- after being nominated for eight straight years. 

Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park in New York (outstanding chef) remembering how then-owner Danny Meyer persevered during the worst of the recession, when the high-end restaurant sometimes did only 20 covers a night.

Paul Grieco of Terroir in New York (outstanding wine, beer & spirits professional) accepting the award with a shout-out to "fellow sommeliers for moving away from being cork-pullers to becoming awesome storytellers."

Marisel Presilla of Cucharamama in Hoboken, N.J. (best chef, Mid-Atlantic) dedicating her award to Latin American cooks in kitchens all over the country -- "Yes, you can!"

Puck gave an endearing acceptance speech for the lifetime achievement award, recounting how he left his village at 14 with his little suitcase for his first restaurant job as an apprentice. He was still very small. After a month, the chef fired him. Puck pleaded with the chef, telling him he couldn't go home. But he was fired anyway. Someone in the kitchen took pity on the kid and hid him in the cellar, where he peeled vegetables for two weeks before he was discovered. This time the chef sent him to a sister restaurant, where he thrived. The lesson: perseverance. He ended his speech with the words, "This is just the beginning!"

Afterward, everyone, God knows how many people, filed out into the foyer, where 25 chefs from across the country presented their takes on James Beard dishes to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the James Beard Foundation. I didn't taste everything: It was too hard to get to the food.

I was intent on finding the ever elegant Jeremiah Tower (the late Stars in San Francisco), but never saw him. I caught a glimpse of another San Francisco icon, Joyce Goldstein, who planned the gala reception with Larry Forgione, but the crowd swallowed her up. Same thing with presenter Rick Bayless and Momofuku's Chang. It was like chasing the White Rabbit. You'd see someone across the room but when you made your way to that spot, they were already gone.

I kept running into Ruth Reichl, though -- how can you miss that famous hair?

After-parties fanned out across the city. One contingent headed to Mario Batali's Otto to celebrate Osteria Mozza chef Matt Molina's win as best chef, Pacific; others went to Boulud Sud, Eleven Madison Park, Terroir and other spots. The entire restaurant world pretty much had a hangover the next day.

Me? I walked part of the way back to my hotel and to bed.

-- S. Irene Virbila

'Bitter Feast' and sleepless nights for Mario Batali

Here's a sneak peek at what's coming in this week's Food section:

Gina McIntyre interviews Mario Batali, the chef who turns up in a cameo role in the new low-budget satirical horror film "Bitter Feast," which was designed by writer-director and self-professed foodie Joe Maggio to send up the contemporary culinary culture. The movie, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June and heads to DVD this week, tells the story of Peter Gray (James LeGros), the chef at a new American eatery called Feast, who abducts a food blogger after he publishes a rumor that Gray's television show is about to be canceled.

Despite the untold hours that Batali had spent in front of the camera, he said he was quite nervous about acting — he's much more comfortable being himself on screen. "Generally, when I'm doing my shows, it's completely improvised so there's no way I can mess it up," he said. "The idea of having to nail three lines and eye contact and blocking and everything petrified me. For two days, I didn't sleep."

Read more: "Mario Batali: chef, movie star."

-- Gina McIntyre

Photo: Mario Batali. Credit: Mark Von Holden

A Mexican food quiz, meatless Mondays, Happy Meal hoopla and more

--Even Mario is doing it. Going meatless on Mondays. He'll offer vegetarian friendly items on all his menus. [Huffington Post] 

--Blogspotting: The quarter-pound double chocolate cookies at Dawn Finicane's blog, Vanilla Sugar. Your Twip of the day: Follow Dawn @vanillakitchen

--Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a margarita and a ... Mexican food quiz. Do you know your pico de gallo from your pozole? [Houston Chronicle]

--As the debate continues to rage over Happy Meals, a new dad pleads for a level playing field: "Given that obesity is leading to insanely skyrocketing healthcare costs which are draining our economy ... it seems we should examine why children need to be bribed with toys to eat food which causes diseases." [Wall Street Cheat Sheet] 

--Sushi at home is simple. Just skip the fish. [New York Times]

--Horticulture professor Jay Scott thinks he's created a variety of tomato that will taste just like a tomato any day of the year. [Washington Post]

--Rene Lynch
On Twitter @renelynch

Photo: The quarter-pound double chocolate cookies. Credit: Used by permission of Dawn Finicane

Colicchio and Batali to produce 'Hungry in America' documentary

Filmmakers Lori Silverbush and Kristi Jacobson are currently in production on the film "Hungry in America," exploring why so many people in our country go without food, and what can be done about it. The film is co-produced by Silverbush's husband, "Top Chef" judge Tom Colicchio, along with another well-known culinary superstar, Mario Batali.

"In a country as wealthy as ours, it's amazing that so many people are going without. Forty-nine million people experience hunger in this nation, 17 million of which are children," Silverbush asserts. "The effect on the productivity of our society is extremely negative. And it's largely due to mismanagement of resources rather than scarcity."

Read more about the documentary (and guess where the film's kickoff event will be): 

President Obama teaches Bobby Flay a thing or two about grilling

We knew President Obama was a foodie, who at one point in his life even reviewed restaurants.

But who knew the prez has mad grilling skilz?

Chef Bobby Flay was speaking to the news media recently about Sunday night's special two-hour episode of "Iron Chef America," which goes to the White House for the first time. First Lady Michelle Obama will issue the challenge: Competitors are invited to pluck whatever they like from America's most famous garden and prepare five dishes that epitomize the ultimate American meal. Back in Kitchen Stadium, Flay and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford will go up against Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse. Judges include celebuchef Nigella Lawson, actress Jane Seymour and Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin. (Read more about Sunday night's show here.) 

During the media call, Flay noted that he had been to the White House before, invited to take part in an Obama initiative to mentor young men. While there, he struck up a conversation with the White House pastry chef who revealed that President Obama is quite at home in the kitchen and "can talk about banana cream pie for a really long time." At one point during the cookout portion of the mentoring event, Flay found himself -- where else? -- manning the barbecue. And out of the corner of his eye he saw the president walking toward him.

What was Flay thinking? "OK, here is the leader of the free world about to grab a pair of tongs with me. What am I supposed to do?"

As an icebreaker, Flay told Obama that he'd heard through the grapevine that the president was quite knowledgeable about food and cooking. The president struck a modest reply, "'Oh, no, I don't know much about it, but I'm interested,'" Flay recalled.

A moment later, Flay started to offer the president some gentle suggestions about what to do next at the barbecue. The president, Flay recalled, told him he needn't bother: "Hey, I know what I'm doing."

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Check out chef Mario Batali's orange Crocs. Do you think he and Michelle Obama coordinated colors? From left, chefs Bobby Flay and Cristeta Comerford, "Iron Chef America" MC Alton Brown, the first lady, Batali and chef Emeril Lagasse. Credit: Food Network

VIDEO: Alie & Georgia whip up a Bloody Bacon & Cheese cocktail (you read that right)

Remember the pair who brought you the Ham Daiquiri?

Alie (an L.A. Times writer) & Georgia are  perfecting this revolting cocktail routine with the Bloody Bacon & Cheese cocktail: In addition to starring in this video, they're also the subject of an article in today's New York Times. Time.com also gave them a shout out.

--Rene Lynch

Michelle Obama welcomes 'Iron Chef America'

Michelle Obama's White House garden is having quite a week.

The garden played a starring role in Tuesday night's episode of "The Biggest Loser," and today Food Network announced it will also take center stage in a special episode of "Iron Chef America." Chefs Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse go to D.C. where they will be greeted by the First Lady and joined by White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford for a Super Chef Battle.

The chairman's challenge: Create a meal for America using The White House Kitchen Garden’s produce as their secret ingredients. The episode premieres Sunday, January 3rd.

According to Food Network, the chefs will be allowed to use anything found in the White House Kitchen Garden to help them create their meals. It will be Flay and Comerford against Batali and Lagasse. Each team must come up with five dishes that showcase their garden fresh ingredients and best represent "the ultimate American meal."

The judges include: chef and best-selling cookbook author Nigella Lawson; Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin; and actress, author and designer Jane Seymour.

--Rene Lynch

Join us on Twitter @latimesfood and Facebook at facebook.com/latimesfood

Photo credit: NBC Universal

Sampler Platter: Sprinkles sued, Surfas shutters website, Kraut Fest celebrates cabbage, Mario Batali in hot water [Updated]

Sprinkles is involved in another trade infringement conflict; San Francisco's got its own boom in fancy new food trucks; a celebration of cabbage; and fun food safety alerts in today's food news roundup.

-- Sprinkles, which plans to enter the retail ice cream market, is sued by a Philly fro-yo chain in yet  another trademark conflict. Philadelphia Inquirer
-- Surfas, one of L.A.'s premier culinary supply stores, is shutting its website. After Sept. 11, Surfasonline.com will be Culinarydistrict.com.
-- A police dog lost the trail of an armed robbery suspect because it smelled stolen meat hidden in another man's pants. MyFox Boston
-- Delicious Coma visits Kraut Fest 2009 at Machine Project.
-- A list of nouveau food trucks in San Francisco. Zagat
-- The more you drink, the more you exercise? Reuters
-- Who needs gasoline if you have old beer? MicroFueler makes ethanol out of organic waste. Los Angeles Times
-- Cadbury rejects Kraft Foods' surprise $16.7-billion takeover offer. Chicago Tribune
-- Gourmet Pigs visits Lousin's Arakadz Cuisine, a mom-and-pop Armenian restaurant in Pasadena.
-- FDA requires faster food-safety alerts. Wall Street Journal
-- Mario Batali owes nearly $75,000 in rent on his recently shuttered Chelsea seafood restaurant, the John Dory. New York Daily News

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story said Sprinkles cupcakes had sued Sprinkles Yogurt. It is the other way around.

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Dave Inglis, right, a buyer and trainer of dogs used in police K9 units, stands next to a handler and his dog at a training facility in Santa Paula. Credit: Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times.