Backstage at the Beards 2014

It's not that often that you get an entire nation's worth of chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, bartenders, writers, photographers, eaters, and drinkers to converge in one city and hand one another awards for being the very, very best at what they do. In fact, it happens just once a year, at the James Beard Foundation Awards in New York. We equipped photographer Landon Nordeman (himself a James Beard Award winner) with a Fuji Instax camera, stationed him backstage, and asked him to capture the most interesting faces at the 2014 Beards. Produced by Helen Rosner and Mari Uyehara
Special thanks to Laura Sant, Cecilia Busick, and Amy Fizgibbons

Susan Ungaro, President, James Beard Foundation

Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA; winner: Outstanding Service
Kimberly Murphy, account executive, Susan Magrino
Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, Chicago

Barbara Lynch, Barbara Lynch Gruppo, Boston; winner: Outstanding Restaurateur
David Chang, Momofuku; winner: James Beard Foundation Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America
Leo Robitschek, the NoMad, New York; winner: Outstanding Bar Program

Nick Kokonas, Alinea, Next and The Aviary, Chicago
Lynne Bredfeldt, Park Hyatt New York
Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery; winner: Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional

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Beth Kracklauer, Off Duty, Wall Street Journal winner: Food Coverage in a General-Interest Publication
Bernie Sokolowski, Sokolowski's University Inn, Cleveland; winner: America's Classics
Ken Oringer, Toro, Boston and New York

MJ Wongvorazathe, Chef's Club by Food & Wine
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco winner: Best Chef: West
Questlove, awesome

Mark Rakauskas, 7X Cattle Company
Nicole Garcia, Restaurant Associates
Kat Kinsman, managing editor, CNN Eatocracy

Melissa Clark, columnist, The New York Times
Carla Hall, co-host, The Chew
Jamie Bissonnette, Toro, Boston and New York; winner: Best Chef: Northeast

Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food and Mission Cantina, San Francisco and New York
Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park and the NoMad, New York
Jamie Schneiter, great tattoos

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Raphael Diaz, Lincoln Center
Stephanie Izard, Girl and the Goat, Chicago
Dominique Ansel, Dominique Ansel Bakery, New York; winner: Outstanding Pastry Chef

Andy Chabot, Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; winner: Outstanding Wine Program
Jerry Hansen and Ashley Hansen, Hansen's Sno Bliz, New Orleans; winner: 2014 James Beard Foundation America's Classics
Andrew Knowlton, restaurant and drinks editor, Bon Appetit

Dave Beran, Next, Chicago winner: Best Chef: Great Lakes
Jim Ryan, brand ambassador, Hendrick's Gin
Daniel Boulud, legend

Julia Kramer, assistant editor, Bon Appetit
Dana Bowen, executive editor, Every Day with Rachael Ray
Jimmy Bannos, Jr., The Purple Pig, Chicago; winner: Rising Star Chef

April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig, New York City winner: Best Chef: New York City
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C., winner: Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar, co-hosts, Extra Virgin

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Nina Elder, deputy food editor, Every Day with Rachael Ray
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast, Portland, OR; winner: Best Chef: Northwest
Ashley Christensen, Poole's Downtown Diner, Raleigh, NC; winner: Best Chef: Southeast

Emma Von Enck, New York City Ballet
Will Guidara, Eleven Madison Park and the NoMad, New York
Karim Lakhani, New York Palace Hotel

Ryan Prewitt, Pêche Seafood Grill, New Orleans; winner: Best Chef: South (tie)
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's, New Orleans; winner: Best Chef: South (tie)
Chris Coleman, Kings of Leon

Sarah LeTrent, associate editor, CNN Eatocracy
Matt Lee, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen
Tom Perini, Perini Ranch Steakhouse, Buffalo Gap, TX; winner: 2014 James Beard Foundation America's Classics