Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published March 22, 2007 James Beard Nominees: Cochon, Donald Link The James Beard Foundation has announced its annual awards in the restaurant business for 2007. We have two nominees from New Orleans: Cochon as best New Restaurant in America, and its co-owner and chef Donald Link as Chef Of The Year in the Southeast. Not to besmirch Link or Cochon (both of which are certainly deserving of any award they get), I can't help noting once again that the Beard Awards are as much a fundraising effort as a recognition of achievement. And are more about which restaurants did the best job of publicity and hewing to current vogues. And for most award categories (although not the chef and restaurant ones), one has to pay to be considered. Why shouldn't awards for excellence be solely about excellence? Can you think of any honor worth having that requires a donation from possible winners? Or where the awards given to the winners are paid for by the losers? That this thing has become the signal honor in the culinary arts has always seemed to me to say that we need a better one. I wouldn't even mention it if it weren't for the presence of the local guys. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com