Philly wins big at the James Beard Media Awards

Philly’s reputation as a food city has been bolstered for several years now by plaudits showered on its chefs, restaurants, and bars by national magazines and food institutions, none more prominent than the James Beard Foundation.

After big wins last year, Philly was largely shut out of this year’s James Beard Chef and Restaurant Awards, set to be announced Monday in Chicago. But its food writers had anything but a disappointing showing on Saturday evening, when the winners of the James Beard Media Awards were announced.

Inquirer critic Craig LaBan and photographer Jessica Griffin won a James Beard journalism award for travel writing. LaBan and Griffin journeyed to Mexico last year to report a series of articles, including about Cantina La Martina chef Dionicio Jiménez’s first post-pandemic trip home to Puebla and a deep dive into tequila and mezcal production led by Tequilas owner David Suro.

Two other Philadelphia-based authors picked up James Beard book awards Saturday, with Suro himself and coauthor Gary Paul Nabhan winning for Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals and South Jersey bartender Danny Childs winning for Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More.

This is LaBan’s second James Beard Award and his sixth time nominated. He won his first award in 2000 for Best Newspaper Review or Critique. This year he was also nominated for the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award, which went to New Yorker writer Helen Rosner.

Ever camera-shy, LaBan was not present to accept the award Saturday night. Instead, former Inquirer food editor Jamila Robinson accepted on his and Griffin’s behalf. (Robinson is now editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit.)

LaBan also serves on the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee, which helps determine the nominees for the Restaurant and Chef Awards. That award ceremony, widely regarded as the Oscars of the food community, is slated for Monday. After Philadelphia scored several notable wins last year — including Outstanding Restaurant (Friday Saturday Sunday), Outstanding Restaurateur (Ellen Yin), and Best Chef Mid-Atlantic (Kalaya’s Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon) — Royal Sushi chef Jesse Ito stands as the lone Philly finalist this year.

Reached Sunday morning as he was readying to depart for Monday’s award ceremony in Chicago, LaBan said he was grateful for The Inquirer’s investment in an ambitious reporting project as well as his coauthor and award recipient. “Jessica was an amazing travel and reporting partner, always up for whatever crazy ride into the mountains of Michoacan the story demanded. With agave-pollinating bats whizzing past our heads in the night! It’s no wonder her pictures are all so spectacular.”

He also thanked Jiménez and Suro for showing The Inquirer “their Mexico,” he said. “It’s such an incredible thrill to be acknowledged for a story I care so deeply about — to draw the line between Philadelphia’s thriving Mexican community and the source of their inspiration. … It shows how our great food city is an essential part of a global community.”