Sullivan's in South Boston Receives a James Beard America's Classics Award

An iconic seaside eatery known in part for its hot dogs, burgers, fried clams, and lobster rolls has gained some national recognition.

According to a press release, Sullivan's in South Boston is a winner of the James Beard America's Classics Award, which was given to a total of six places in the United States for 2025. Owner Brendan Sullivan says of the award, which is given out to regional spots for their food quality, local character, and timeless appeal, that it "is not only a recognition of our commitment to serving outstanding food but also a celebration of the traditions that have defined Sullivan's for generations. Sullivan goes on to say that "We are deeply honored to be recognized among America's Classics and to continue our legacy of bringing people together over great memories. This is not just an award for us: this is an award for all of New England."

Sullivan's has been in South Boston since 1951, with a second location opening in Hanover in 2023 (the Hanover outlet is open year round, while the Castle Island location is seasonal).

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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List of 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalists in the Greater Boston Area

The James Beard Foundation has begun the process of awarding the best restaurants, bars, chefs, and others in the food industry, and the Greater Boston area is well represented. Among the list of semifinalists for 2025 are the following:

-- Outstanding Restaurateur: Chef Douglass Williams of MIDA (various locations)

-- Outstanding Chef: Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville

-- Best New Restaurant: Somaek, Boston (Downtown Crossing)

-- Best New Bar: Equal Measure in Boston's Fenway; Merai in Brookline

-- Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale of Koji Club in Brighton

-- Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service: Oscar Simoza of Wig Shop in Boston's Downtown Crossing

-- Best Chef: Northeast: John DaSilva of Chickadee in Boston's Seaport District; Conor Dennehy of Tallula in Cambridge; Valentine Howell of Black Cat in Jamaica Plain; Kwasi Kwaa of Comfort Kitchen in Dorchester; Erin Miller of Urban Hearth in Cambridge; Rachel Miller of Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn; Michael Serpa of Select Oyster Bar and Little Whale Oyster Bar in Boston's Back Bay.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

 

A Number of Local Names and Restaurants Included Among 2020 James Beard Award Nominees

The 2020 James Beard Award nominees have been picked, and there is quite a local presence among the choices, including chefs, restaurateurs, restaurants, and more.

According to a post from the James Beard Foundation site, the following nominees in the Greater Boston area have been included:

-- Hacin + Associates (Shore Leave in Boston) for Outstanding Restaurant Design (76 Seats and Over)

-- Fox & and the Knife in South Boston for Best New Restaurant

-- Maura Kilpatrick of Sofra Bakery in Cambridge for Outstanding Baker

-- Ana Sortun of Oleana in Cambridge for Outstanding Chef

-- Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer of JK Food Group (Coppa, Toro, Little Donkey) in Boston and Cambridge for Outstanding Restaurateur

-- Irene Li of Mei Mei in Boston for Rising Star Chef of the Year

-- Tiffani Faison of Orfano in Boston for Best Chef: Northeast

-- Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville for Best Chef: Northeast

In addition, Devra First has been nominated for her "What She's Having" column for The Boston Globe, Joanne Chang has been nominated for her cookbook "Pastry Love: A Baker's Journal of Favorite Recipes," and America's Test Kitchen and Milk Street Kitchen have also been nominated for their cookbooks.

The winners of the James Beard awards are slated to be announced on September 25.

For a complete list of the nominees, please go to the link below:

https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2020-james-beard-award-nominees

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

Food and Wine Magazine Includes Fox and the Knife in South Boston Among Its Best New Restaurants of 2019

A popular magazine that focuses on food and drink has come out with its picks for the ten best new restaurants in the United States, and a local dining spot has been included.

According to its website, Food & Wine Magazine has picked Fox & the Knife in South Boston as one of the top new restaurants in the country, saying that the Italian eatery is "an instant classic" while mentioning such items as the panzanella and Caesar salads, wild-boar bolognese, mafaldini (a type of pasta), and hot focaccia with taleggio. The restaurant first opened in early February in the former Maiden space on West Broadway, with Karen Akunowicz--who won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast last May--being behind the place.

For a look at all of the top new restaurants picked by Food & Wine Magazine for 2019, please go to the link below.

Best New Restaurants 2019

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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Tony Messina of Uni Among 2019 James Beard Foundation Award Winners

by Marc Hurwitz

The winners of the 2019 James Beard Foundation awards have been announced, and regional winners include the chef and partner of a popular hotel restaurant in Boston.

According to a post from Eater, Tony Messina of Uni in the Back Bay won the Best Chef: Northeast category, which included such finalists as Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville and Tiffani Faison of Tiger Mama in the Fenway. Messina was the only winner in the Greater Boston area last night, though an earlier Eater post mentions that Christopher Kimball won the general book category for "Milk Street: Tuesday Nights" in late April. (Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, ME, also won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer.)

To see the complete list of the 2019 James Beard Award winners from the James Beard Foundation website, please go to the link below:

THE 2019 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNERS

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Karen Akunowicz, Jody Adams, J.M. Hirsch, Galleria Umberto Win 2018 James Beard Foundation Awards

by Marc Hurwitz

The winners of the 2018 James Beard Foundation awards have been announced, and local winners include a chef, a restaurateur, a writer, and a neighborhood eatery.

According to several sources, including a post last night from Eater Boston, Karen Akunowicz of Myers + Chang in Boston's South End won Best Chef: Northeast, Jody Adams of Trade, Porto, and Saloniki was inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, J.M. Hirsch of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Magazine won an award in the "dining and travel" category for his article "In Pursuit of Perfect Hummus," and Galleria Umberto in the North End was picked as one of five spots called "America's Classics." Eater says that the last three picks had been announced previously, with Akunowicz's award being mentioned last night.

For a complete list of the 2018 James Beard Foundation awards winners, please go to the links below:

THE 2018 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNERS
THE 2018 JAMES BEARD MEDIA AWARD WINNERS

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Joanne Chang Wins 2016 James Beard Award

The 2016 James Beard Award winners have been announced, and a local baker and restaurateur is among the picks.

According to the list of last night's winners, Joanne Chang of Flour was awarded Outstanding Baker, besting Mark Furstenberg of Bread Furst in Washington, D.C., Zachary Golper of Bien Cuit in Brooklyn, Belinda Leong and Michel Suas of B. Patisserie in San Francisco, and William Werner of Craftsman and Wolves in San Francisco. This is the first James Beard Award for Chang, who is also co-owner of Myers + Chang in Boston's South End in addition to being behind locations of Flour in the South End, Back Bay, Fort Point, and Cambridge's Central Square.

Other local folks who were nominated this year include Susan Regis of Shepard in Cambridge and Karen Akunowicz of Myers + Chang (both for Best Chef: Northeast) and Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana in Cambridge (for Outstanding Pastry Chef).

For a complete list of the 2016 James Beard Award winners, please go to the link below:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/2016-james-beard-award-winners

[Earlier Article]
Four Local Names Included Among 2016 James Beard Award Nominees

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Four Local Names Included Among 2016 James Beard Award Nominees

The 2016 James Beard Award nominees have been picked, and four Boston-area folks have made the list.

According to a post from the James Beard Foundation site, Susan Regis of Shepard in Cambridge and Karen Akunowicz of Myers + Chang in Boston's South End are both nominees for Best Chef: Northeast, Joanne Chang of Flour (multiple locations) is a nominee for Outstanding Baker, and Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana in Cambridge is a nominee for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The winners of the James Beard awards will be chosen on May 2 at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

For a complete list of the nominees, please go to the link below:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/2016-james-beard-award-nominees

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Barry Maiden of Hungry Mother and State Park in Cambridge Receives 2015 James Beard Foundation Award

The winners of the 2015 James Beard Foundation awards have been announced, and a chef and restaurateur who runs a couple of spots in Cambridge has been included among the awardees.

According to an article in Bloomberg Business, Barry Maiden of Hungry Mother and State Park was picked as the winner in the Best Chef: Northeast category, which includes all six New England states plus the state of New York. The post lists Hungry Mother, an upscale Southern-influenced eatery in Kendall Square that Maiden runs, though he also operates State Park, an eclectic dining and drinking establishment that is also in Kendall Square.

Other winners in the region include a number of New York restaurants, chefs, mixologists, and bakers, including Batard and Sevilla in the former category and Jim Lahey, Michael Anthony, Christina Tosi, Mark Ladner, Dale DeGroff, and Wylie Dufresne in the latter categories.

For more information on the James Beard awards, please go to the link below:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Jamie Bissonette, Barbara Lynch Win 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards

The winners of the 2014 James Beard Foundation awards have been announced, and a couple of Boston-area chefs/restaurateurs are included on the list.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Jamie Bissonette of Coppa in the South End was picked as the winner in the Best Chef: Northeast category while Barbara Lynch of B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Drink, Menton, and No. 9 Park was picked in a national award as Outstanding Restaurateur. The article says that Bissonette defeated Joanne Chang (Myers + Chang in the South End), Barry Maiden (Hungry Mother in Cambridge), Michael Leviton (Lumiere in Newton), and Matthew Jennings (Farmstead in Providence) while Lynch defeated  Phil Suarez (Wd-50 in New York), Donnie Madia (Blackbird in Chicago), Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustards Grill and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in Napa Valley, CA), and Caroline Styne (several restaurants in the Los Angeles area).

For a complete list of the 2014 James Beard Foundation awards winners, please go to the following PDF link:

2014 JBF Awards Winners

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Barbara Lynch Inducted into James Beard's Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America

The 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards have been announced, and a well-known Boston-area chef and restaurateur has received recognition as one of the most accomplished food and beverage professionals in the United States.

The list of this year's winners shows that Barbara Lynch has been inducted into James Beard's "Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America," joining Eric Asimov, Dorothy Kalins, and Zarela Martinez of New York, Bill Yosses of Washington, DC, and Michael Mina of San Francisco as inductees this year. The Who's Who, which has been administered by JBF since 1990, includes a ballot of 20 candidates each year. (Cook's Magazine started the Who's Who in 1984, according to the JBF website.)

Barbara Lynch is known for such restaurants and bars as Menton, Drink, No. 9 Park, The Butcher Shop, and others in Boston, along with Stir (cooking classes) and 9 at Home (catering). Lynch is also the author of Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition  Her website can be found at http://barbaralynch.com/

For a complete list of the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards, please go to the following PDF link:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/sites/default/files/static/pdf/2013-jbf-winners-site.pdf

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Jason Bond of Bondir in Cambridge Is Opening a Second Location in Concord

[Ed note: This article was updated on December 18 to reflect the fact that we now know the person who is opening the new restaurant, as well as a name and address.]

A new restaurant is on its way to Concord, and the person behind it is very well known in the Boston area and beyond.

A job post on the Craigslist site indicates that a "nationally-known chef with James Beard Foundation recognition" is going to be opening a "hot" new dining spot somewhere in "historic Concord Center," with the eatery possibly opening in early 2013. The post mentions that the cuisine will be "true farm-to-table fine dining" that will use ingredients from Concord-area farms along with local fisheries. The restaurant, which will have its own sommelier, will be open for lunch and dinner, with the post emphasizing that there will be no brunch at the place.

[December 18 update: Eater Boston is reporting that Jason Bond of Bondir in Cambridge is behind the upcoming restaurant in Concord, which will also be called Bondir and will be at 24 Walden Street, which is where Walden Grille had been. EB says that the 90-100 seat eatery could be open by August 1 of next year, though that date could certainly change.]

[September 24, 2013 update: A new post from Eater Boston states that Bondir in Concord may be opening in early November.]

[November 14, 2013 update: The Restaurant Hub blog of The Boston Globe says that the new Bondir in Concord plans to open on Thursday. November 21.]

[A poster on the Chowhound site says that Bondir has actually opened (apparently with a limited menu), with its official opening still being November 21. Its opening has also been confirmed by the Concord Patch.]

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2012 James Beard Foundation Awards Include a Boston Restaurant, Chef

The 2012 James Beard Foundation restaurant and chef awards have been announced, and a Boston restaurant along with a Boston chef are included among the winners.

The Washington Post reports that No. 9 Park across from Boston Common was chosen in the Outstanding Wine Program category, while Tim Cushman of O Ya in the Leather District was picked  in the Best Chef: Northeast category. The only other award in New England went to Shady Glen in Manchester, CT; the roadside restaurant was one of several James Beard Foundation America's Classics that were picked.

For a complete list of the 2012 James Beard Foundation awards, please go to the link below. (Note: This is a PDF file.)

http://www.jamesbeard.org/sites/default/files/static/additional/050712_JBF_WINNERS.pdf

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2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominees Include Boston Restaurant, Three Local Chefs

The James Beard Foundation Awards nominees have been announced for 2011, and one Boston restaurant and three Boston-area chefs are included on the list.

According to The Boston Globe, Menton in the Fort Point District of the city has been nominated for best new restaurant, Tim Cushman of O Ya in the Leather District and Tony Maws of Craigie on Main in Cambridge have been nominated for best chef: Northeast, and Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery + Cafe has been nominated for outstanding pastry chef. A look at the James Beard site shows a number of New York restaurants and chefs being nominated (including ABC Kitchen for best new restaurant and April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig for best chef: New York City), as well as a few New England chefs being nominated for the Northeast category (Krista Kern Desjarlais of Bresca in Portland, ME; Matt Jennings of La Laiterie, in Providence, RI; Eric Warnstedt of Hen of the Wood in Waterbury, VT).

The winners of the 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards will be announced on Monday, May 9.

For more information on the James Beard Foundation Awards nominees for 2011, please go to the link below.

http://www.jbfawards.com/2011/nominees.php

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James Beard Foundation's Taste America in Boston September 28-29

The James Beard Foundation's Taste America food festival is coming to Boston this weekend.

The foundation, which has been in existence for more than 20 years, is hosting events at Veronique (20 Chapel Street
Brookline) at 7:00 PM on Friday, September 28, and at Williams-Sonoma in Copley Place from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, September 29.

General admission tickets for Friday's benefit dinner at Veronique are $125 each, while Saturday's events at Copley Place are free of charge.

For more information, go to the James Beard Foundation's Taste America page.