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Chef McKee Wins "Oscar" of the Food World

05 May 2009

James Beard Awards culinary restaurants La Belle Vie culture Minneapolis

Chef McKee Wins "Oscar" of the Food World

Third Time Proves the Charm for Minnesota Chef- Wins James Beard Best Chef Midwest Honors

MINNEAPOLIS–(May 4, 2009)–Chef/restaurateur Tim McKee made history tonight as he became the first chef in Minnesota to win the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest.

This is McKee's third consecutive James Beard nomination and first win. However, the St. Paul native is very likely the most critically acclaimed chef in Minnesota. His list of awards, accolades and positive reviews is extensive. He's earned numerous Best Chef, Best Restaurant and four-star honors over the years for his restaurants, La Belle Vie, Solera, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and most recently Barrio which opened late last fall.

McKee was one of five nominees in the Best Chef Midwest category. Other nominees included Alex Roberts of Restaurant Alma and Isaac Becker of 112 Eatery both in Minneapolis, plus two chefs from Missouri, Gerard Craft of Niche in St. Louis and Colby Garrelts of Bluestem in Kansas City.

The James Beard Foundation Awards shine a spotlight on the best and brightest talent in the food and beverage industry. Covering all aspects of the industry—from chefs and restaurateurs to cookbook authors and food journalists to restaurant designers and architects and more—the James Beard Foundation Awards are the highest honors for food and beverage professionals working in America. The awards are presented each spring at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Nominees and winners are fêted at a weekend of gala events in New York City that has become the social and gastronomic highlight of the year. A complete list of James Beard Foundation Award winners can be found online at www.jamesbeard.org <http://www.jamesbeard.org>.

James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving and nurturing America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a "performance space" for visiting chefs. For more information, visit www.jamesbeard.org.

La Belle Vie La Belle Vie is the Twin Cities' fine dining mecca with more awards, honors and accolades than virtually any other fine-dining restaurant in Minnesota history. Among its numerous honors, Gourmet named it one of the "Top 50 Restaurants in America," ZAGAT named it one of America’s Top Restaurants, and Chef Tim McKee is a 2007 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef Midwest. La Belle Vie offers a sophisticated, relaxed lounge area with hand-crafted, gourmet cocktails and a menu featuring lighter dishes and tastings. The main dining room showcases both five- and eight-course tasting menus, plus offers a la carte items and an extensive wine list. La Belle Vie is located at 510 Groveland Ave., Minneapolis, Minn. For more information or reservations, call 612-874-6440 or visit, www.labellevie.us <http://www.labelleview.us>.

Media: For more information contact: Jacqueline Hanson, Hanson Communications, 952-941-3949, Jackie@HansonPR.com.