The "long list" of James Beard Awards 2008 nominees have been announced and voting is underway. These aren't the final noms, but the JBF judges finalize five nominees in each category from these lists. One thing's for sure: The Mozzas were eligible this year, so watch out. Here are the full lists and some LA and SoCal highlights below.

Michael Cimarusti and Adrian Vasquez from Providence each get nods for Best Chef and Pastry Chef, respectively. Also for Best Chef, Sal Marino from Il Grano, Joe Miller from Joe's and Bar Pintxo, David Myers from Sona and Comme Ca, and Mirko Poderno at All' Angelo are all in the pool.

For Best New Restaurant, outshining the juggernaut that is Osteria Mozza might be tough for The Foundry on Melrose, but props to both for the nod.

  Comments

Hammers and saws are still pounding, and the official permits have red tape stuck all over them, but barring a busted pipe or a too-picky last minute inspection, Emeril Lagasse's Table 10 is slated to debut today at the Palazzo. The Bam Man was even spotted in the kitchen this week, exhorting his troops and putting the finishing touches on a menu that will capture "....the warmth and camaraderie of the restaurant kitchen...." that Emeril remembers from his early days. The name: Table 10 is where he planned nightly menus and hired staff at his first restaurant in New Orleans. Just how a 225-seat $7.5 million behemoth can capture such intimacy is anyone's guess, but it has a top shelf position at the top of the escalator at the uber-plush Palazzo shops. No doubt the future will feature large doses of Absence Of Emeril, but for now, he's manning the stoves and expediting like a young and hungry sous chef.

--John Curtas

  Comments

Winding down...

Maybe this is a little more Mario than you can handle today, but please bear with us. Carnevino at the Palazzo is one of only four restaurants open in the resort so far. There's still construction around the property, things seem quieter here than at the long-standing resorts on the Strip, but you wouldn't know it by the crowd at the restaurant last night. Full house. There were so many white-shirted servers and suited managers it made our head spin (no, it wasn't the three glasses of wine). The menu has Batali classics (gnocchi bolognese, the raviolo, orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe), but also steaks, lamb and pork chops, and a smattering of sides all served in Mario-branded cookware. The bomboloni make an appearance, currently chestnut. We poked our head in one of three private rooms (closed now, as is the bathroom)---low ceilings, wine-filled cabintets, very clubby, intimate, and totally opposite the soaring ceilings of the main dining room. Huge bar for solo diners or those who just want to grab a quick drink and/or snack. We suggest the fried calamari with fiery roasted tomato sauce and a glass of gewurtz. Overheard: Batali and Bastianich are currently in town, but we didn't catch a glimpse.

  Comments

This is a rumor we heard before, but we thought we'll throw it out there again. From a reader this morning: "I've heard from a good source that that parking lot across from Disney Center is to be a Mandarin Oriental Hotel with an outpost of Thomas Keller's Per Se! This info comes via one of the devolopers. What fantastic news!"

We called Keller's peeps about this the first time we heard it a couple months ago, and they wholeheartedly denied that Thomas Keller will open Per Se or any other restaurant in the grand Grand Avenue Project. In fact, the publicist officially said: "The information is not true but we do thank you for checking with us." It's understandable that this rumor still swirls because the developers of the project (Related Companies) are the same who built the TimeWarner building in New York, where Per Se is located. Perhaps it's a case of miscommunication, perhaps it's a dare-to-dream rumor. We're going to go with false on this one until told otherwise.
· Grand Avenue Project Is Coming...Just Slightly Delayed [Curbed LA]

  Comments

So the Michel Richard/Social rumor is really gaining ground. First Richard is in talks with Jeffrey Chodorow's China Grill Management group to take over the exec chef post at Social. Then he'll debut a menu for a Variety luncheon in November. We got email confirmation from CGM saying they were "in negotiations" with Richard, but no official word that it's a done deal. Now, this from a reader all the way in Washington D.C., where Richard's Citronelle has been since 1994:

I went to Centrale in DC, which is Michel Richard's newest restaurant (note: NOT michael, but said Michelle like the girl's name) and I asked the manager if Michel was going to be opening a restaurant in LA. She said Yes, and that it was called Social. So I think it's a pretty sure thing that he is at least going to be a partner-chef there, which is a good thing because Centrale is amazing. Especially because he is originally from the LA area. ALSO Wolfgang Puck opened a restaurant in DC 3 weeks ago, which is not as good as CUT but pretty good. Lots off good crossover with DC it seems.

This is such a random rumor, we can't help but put it out there. The restaurant that Todd English and Eva Longoria are involved in has been called Beso just about everywhere. But then we found this article where Longoria calls it De Nada, and we heard her publicist recently called it that, too. Perhaps the Cosmo interview is old, and because Eva's involvement is so miniscule, why would her publicist know the real name of the restaurant? We think we're getting closer to the answer. Nation's Restaurant News not only calls the resto Beso, but also has a little more info---including a much later debut---and confirmation that Todd English is involved:

Prolific celebrity chef Todd English is planning to open a Spanish restaurant in October as his first venture in Los Angeles. The place would be called Beso, which means “kiss” in Spanish. A spokesperson described it as “a Spanish version of Olives,” English’s first restaurant, which opened in Charlestown, Mass., in 1989. There are now six Olives outlets nationwide. Beso will feature Latin themed small plates and shared dishes like paella, as well as an organic juice bar. Desparate Housewives star Eva Longoria is reportedly an investor.

The folks over at New York Magazine's Grub Street blog have some advice for Table 8's Govind Armstrong, who's opening a restaurant sometime, somewhere in NYC (we're told probably in the Village, but the lease is still being signed; and it may be Table 8, or an entirely new concept). But ultimately, the "ultra-laid-back chef" might be just a little too laid-back for the New Yorker sensibility:

If Armstrong is going to make a go of his light, understated California-style cooking, we think he ought to emulate some of the edgier places around town. Take a page out of Fatty Crab or Ssäm’s book, Govind. Get aggressive! New York will love your salt-crusted porterhouse, but most of your organic, locally sourced California food, lovely as it is, will not set you apart from your rivals.

Last week we caught up with chef, restaurateur, and Top Chef sage Tom Colicchio at his new Century City Craft. Yesterday we ran Part 1 of the interview where he dished about being on the show, what cheftestants never seem to learn, but what he has. Today, it's all about LA: Why he's here, why foodbloggers are actually good for business, and why LA is better than New York. Yep. Read on...

Why bring Craft to LA?
I was approached by one of the partners at CAA, and I came in town and we talked about it. I thought it was exciting, what I saw going on over here. I think LA is a great market. The city is so welcoming to everything we're doing. It's been a really good experience. I like this part of town. The tall buildings remind me of home. There's a great restaurant culture here.

Are there a lot of obstacles or challenges you didn't have in the other cities?
There haven't been too many yet. In LA, once LA people get home they stay home, they don’t want to go back out in traffic. New Yorkers go home to change and you get right back here. But we have a built in lunch and early dinner clientele, and we're close to Santa Monica, Brentwood, Beverly Hills. And what's not to love? It's horrible here. [laughs] It's sunny all the time, gorgeous. Really, I'm having a great time.

What do you think the biggest difference is between NY and LA?
People say it's all about the scene here, but there are plenty of restaurants in New York that people go to for the scene. We're not a trendy or sceney restaurant. That's not what we do. Look around, this harkens back to Old Hollywood more than anything else. On Chowhound we read that the staff is really friendly, and they go out of their way to please people. People aren't used to that in LA. But I don't think it's really a NY or LA thing, it's just how we treat and train our staff. This is what service and hospitality is about, and they're two different things. Service is service, hospitality is how we treat people.

So why now?
We've been so successful in Vegas, and I come out every year to do Wolfgang's Meals on Wheels event, and people would come up and talk about Craftsteak, but didn't know what Craft was. That just told me we have strong fan base here and could really bring something.

Tom Colicchio isn't just a chef with a few restaurants anymore, now he's a certified celebrity. Maybe the paps aren't following his every foot step a la Posh and Becks, but he's more recognizable than ever. Colicchio's been in LA for the last few weeks getting his new Century City Craft restaurant up and running, so we stopped in for a chat. Naturally we were 15 minutes late, and he almost sent us home but finally said, "It has to be fast." We were terrified. After a few stiff questions and answers, his watch came off, he sat back and relaxed right into the conversation. An hour later we were talking about good sushi spots near his Rancho Park rental. One thing is for sure: The man likes to talk. This here is a two parter: Since this week's Top Chef episode was a lame reunion/clip show, we'll run Part I, which is all about TC, what the cheftestants never seem to learn, what the show has taught him, and why he's not a maniac screamer and won't play one on TV. We couldn't get him to tell us the winner, however. Trust us, we tried. Tomorrow: Why LA is better than NY, dealing with bloggers, and surfing with Jiraffe chef Raphael Lunetta.

We're fans of CJ. What do you make of him?
We're not allowed to interact with contestants, but I enjoyed CJ a lot. He had a good wit. I thought some of his food was really good, inventive and different. And he's very honest. I liked that.

We talked to Hung, too. That guy's a trip.
I saw that. It was very Hung. Very funny. Totally Hung.

Do you see any of the old contestants?
I see Ilan periodically around New York, I see Harold. I've been into his restaurant, and it's very good. I like to call Harold a cook's cook. His restaurant is very reflective of who he is, he's not doing trendy stuff. And he's not going to.

Is it easy to take off the Top Chef Judge hat when you go out to dinner?
You know, it's funny. Now when I go out to a restaurant and people say, "Oh my god, he's here to critique the restaurant." Look, I'm not a critic. When I go to a restaurant, I have a set of expectations. If it exceeds, great. If it falls below, I probably won't go back. But I don't critique much.

Have any of the chefs been to Craft yet?
Brian from season one was in last night. He lives in LA. No one else.

Will you take their critique if and when they come in?
Ah, whatever. I've been doing this for 30 years, if some kid wants to come in and say bad things about my restaurant, whatever.

In a word: Tizzy. Sheer pandemonium. Everyone's clamoring for a taste of Osteria Mozza. We're getting reports left and right from those who got their reservations (yes, we have ours), and those still trying. We heard from someone who was at the private dinner last night, and she said "it was heavy." As in the food, we think. And then we heard from several people about the orange Croc hanging at the door announcing just who exactly is involved with Osteria Mozza, and thanks to Amanda, finally received a snap. From another reader: "I'm as excited as the next guy or gal about this new arrival, but the last thing I want to think about before an amazing meal is Mario's feet." Touche.
· Breaking: Osteria Mozza Reservation Lines are OPEN [~ELA~]

Who said Eva Longoria and Tony Parker's wedding was the biggest fete in Europe this weekend? LA's very own celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck married his handbag-designer girlfriend, and mother of two of his children, Gelila Assefa on lucky day 7-7-07. According to People, the two tied the knot during a three-day celebration on the island of Capri; the rehearsal dinner alone was for 250. Naturally, Wolfgang Puck Catering fed the crowd.
· Wolfgang Puck & Gelila Assefa Wed in Italy [People]

photo by Kevin Lubera for Joe Buissink/People