The James Beard Foundation, the grand arbiters of taste, announced the final nominees for the 2008 awards this morning. There are 52 categories, and if you're really interested in all of them, check the official awards site. Otherwise Angelenos and their restaurants make most of the big categories: Best Restaurateur (Wolfgang Puck), Outstanding Chef (Suzanne Goin), Outstanding Restaurant (Campanile), Best New Restaurant (Osteria Mozza), Rising Star Chef (Matt Molina, the Mozzas), and the list goes on and on. Lots of heavy hitters from NY, SF and Chicago in the same categories, but the Mozzas can take 'em. Other notables: David Myers is the only local chef in the California category; Dave Gardetta's profile of Spago in Los Angeles magazine and Brad A. Johnson's restaurant criticism in Angeleno get nods; Top Chef is nominated in two TV categories; and Saipin Chutima from Lotus of Siam in Vegas gets nod for Best Chef in the Southwest.
The awards, one of the biggest foodie events of the year, will take place on June 8 at Lincoln Center in New York.
NEXT: The full list of all the major nominees >>
