Andrea Reusing of Lantern was named Best Chef of the Southeast and Crook’s Corner was presented with an America’s Classic Award on Monday by the James Beard Foundation.
Reusing is chef/owner of Lantern, which has consistently garnered national recognition for its innovative fusion menu and dedication to the use of local ingredients. In 2006, Lantern was selected by Gourmet magazine as one of the nation’s top 50 restaurants. Reusing is now sharing her recipes in a new cookbook, Cooking in the Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes.
John Fleer of Canyon Kitchen in Cashiers was the only other North Carolina finalist in the regional best-chef category.
The America’s Classic category honors “restaurants with timeless appeal, beloved in their regions for quality food that reflects the character of their community.â€
In praise of Crook’s, the Beard Foundation quoted Christiane Lauterbach of Atlanta Magazine: “Bill Neal was one of the first American chefs to explore the cultural import of the regional food he worked to revive. … Since Neal’s untimely death in 1991, Gene Hamer has served as the restaurant’s steward, while Bill Smith has overseen the kitchen, cooking iconic Crook’s dishes like shrimp and grits, hoppin’ John, jalapeno hushpuppies, and persimmon pudding.â€
– Staff Reports