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Top Chef's Tom Colicchio Wins Best Chef at James Beard Awards

Food & Spirits: The James Beard awards are amongst the most prestigious in the restaurant industry. Heading up the list for the nation's best chef is Tom Colicchio, who has become a household name thanks to his role as the head judge on the popular reality competition show Top Chef.

Colicchio owns numerous restaurants and eateries in cities around the country including Craft, Craftsteak and the new Colicchio & Sons. He has been recognized by the Beard Foundation in the past for his contributions to the food industry, including his cookbook, Think Like a Chef which earned him a Beard cookbook award in 2001 and opening Gramercy Tavern with Danny Meyer in the mid 90s, which earned three stars from The New York Times and several Beard awards, including best chef in New York City in 2000 and outstanding restaurant service in 2001.

The James Beards awards have been compared to being the Oscars of the food world, honoring those who follow in the footsteps of Beard, considered the dean of American cooking when he died in 1985. The awards ceremony was held in New York, where the Beard Foundation is based.

Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Richard Drew, FILE)

Carly Zinderman

Carly Zinderman is a Senior Staff Writer for JustLuxe, based just outside of Los Angeles, CA. Since graduating from Occidental College with a degree in English and Comparative Literary Studies, she has written on a variety of topics for books, magazines and online publications, but loves fashion and style best. In her spare time, when she?s not writing, Carly enjoys watching old movies, reading an...(Read More)

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