Do you like kudoz? Well today is your lucky day. We've got not one, but two sets of awards for the price of one. First, Food & Wine Magazine announced their 2006 Best New Chefs at an event last night, and the list featured two New Yorkers: Jonathan Benno of Per Se and David Chang, from Momofuku, who seems to be the underdog darling of the national food scene these days (and after eating his noodles, we're not really all that surprised, frankly). Benno and Chang, along with their fellow winners from across the country, will be featured in Food & Wine's chef issue which will hit the stands on June 15th.
Next, Time Out New York announces its Eat Out Awards in today's issue. Although it's always nice to see who has won the readers choice awards, we always enjoy the critic's picks awards, not only for the winners themselves, but for the creativity that clearly goes into their naming process. Full list after the jump.
Critics' Picks:
- Best New Way to Get Your Daily Requirement of Fruits and Vegetables: The Insalata dessert—caramelized mango, pears, and celery—at Spiga
- Best New Cooking Show: David Bouley in his open kitchen at Bouley Bakery
- Most Gratifying Gravity-Defying Dish: The flatbread at the Orchard
- Sneakiest Way to Get a Last Bite of Pork Into the Meal: White-chocolate–covered pork-rind petits fours at Compass
- Best Palate Cleanser: Dill yogurt sorbet at Urena
- Most Comforting Comfort Food: Organic chicken potpie at Northeast Kingdom
- Best Compromise When You Just Can’t Decide Between Japanese and Mexican: Spicy tuna tostada at Oga Japanese Tapas
- Best Highbrow Treatment of a Lowbrow Dish: Truffled mushroom dumplings at Breeze
- Fifth Annual Award for Best-Tasting Dare: The bar tapas at Uovo: sweetbread poppers, lamb’s tongue and bone marrow stuffing
- Best Twist on Chicken and Waffles: Roasted lamb on roti at Xing
- Best Dinner and a Movie: Eating in the screening room at Monkeytown
- Best Reason to Skip Dinner: Pastry chef Will Goldfarb’s dessert-only tasting menu at Room 4 Dessert
- Best Condiments: The 18 kinds of relishes and toppings at Broomedoggs (ed. note: RIP)
- Most Innovative use of Exotic Spices: Cocktails at Loft
- Best Butt in Town: The Down Home Pig Pick’n at R.U.B.
- Best Bang(er) for Your Buck: The $3.50 chorizo bocadillo at Bar Carrera
- Best Head-to-Hoof Dish: The bollito misto at Del Posto
- Best New Way to Stay Carbohydrated: Aloo paratha—hot garlic bread stuffed with little pieces of potato—at Mint
- Most Unanticipated Love Child: The Cuban Reuben at Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction
- Most Deliciously Unhealthy Salad: Watermelon pickle and crispy pork salad at Fatty Crab
- Best-Tasting Eye Candy: The amuse-bouches at Gilt
- Best New Scenery in the Theater District: The scene at Sortie
- Second Annual Award for Most Addictive New Snack: Fried spiced hominy at Cookshop
- Best New Game in Town: The venison at Jovia
- Best Alternative to the Monster Meatpacking District Mayhem: The 18-seat dining room at Naka Naka
Readers' Choice:
- Best new Upper East Sider: Ginger
- Best new Upper West Sider: Telepan
- Best new Brooklyn restaurant: Brooklyn Fish Camp
- Best Garden: DuMont
- Best "secret" restaurant: Chumley's
- Best new wine bar: Uva
- Best Peter Luger offshoot: Wolfgang's Steakhouse
- Best new hotel restaurant: THOR
- Best new bakery: Buttercup Bake Shop
- Best jacket-and-tie required: Per Se
- Best new vegetarian restaurant: Heirloom
- Best non-chain coffee purveyor: Joe, The Art of Coffee
- Best dive bar: Subway Inn
- Best new Mexican restaurant: La Esquina
- Best breakfast (not brunch): Balthazar
- Best late-night eatery (not 24-hour dining): Blue Ribbon
- Best new tapas restaurant that actually serves Spanish food: Las Ramblas
- Best new cocktail bar: Pegu Club
- Best new burger joint: DuMont Burger
- Best new restaurant design: Stanton Social
- Best diner: Empire Diner: 440
- Best Queens restauant: 718
- Best hot dog: Gray's Papaya (uptown)
- Best afternoon-tea service: Alice's Teacup
- Best new restaurant: The Modern
