Lowcountry Cuisine Summer/Fall 2019

LC 38 www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.MountPleasantRestaurant.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com lowcountry cuisine W hen it comes to food today, everyone’s a critic. Eye-candy Instagram food shots, Yelp reviews and Trip Advisor postings clutter the internet. For culinary insiders, the James Beard Awards are a solid indicator of food excellence. This is very good news for Charleston because, in 2019 alone, eight semifinalists came from the city. “This year’s list is very representative of the dynamic culinary scene that we have in Charleston,” said chef Mike Lata, chef/owner of FIG and The Ordinary, two restaurants that have consistently made semifinalist lists in many categories over the past decade, winning several of the awards outright. He acutely remembered that first win in 2009 for Best Chef: Southeast just four years after FIG had opened. “I sat down with the staff and congratulated them on all their hard work. I told them that since there would now be a heightened sense of expectation, we had to make sure to stay humble and honor the award by continuing to do the best work possible. That was our approach then and now.” James Beard was a chef, cookbook author and the first person to host a food program on television. He contributed greatly to the food revolution in this country. During his lifetime, he continuously invited people to Celebrating Culinary Excellence James Beard Awards BY PAMELA JOUAN