Hasta La Ideas

(Photos, from left to right: James Beard Foundation, Kent Miller)

As if Wright’s swell Ron Gilad exhibition, the Target pop-up store, and the fact that it is home to one Steve Delahoyde weren’t reason enough to visit Chicago, the Windy City is also where you’ll find the best designed resturant in the country, at least according to the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards, which were announced on Monday evening at a foodie-filled ceremony at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. Thomas Schlesser of New York-based Design Bureaux bested Philippe Starck and co. to win the Best Restaurant Design Award for his work at The Publican: check out some tasty photos of the Chicago restaurant’s interior, including its distinctive ladderback walnut chairs, here. Schlesser (pictured above with his shiny new medal, which we still suspect is filled with chocolate) was also a finalist for his design of Bar Boulud in New York City. Taking home the 2009 award for Best Restaurant Graphics was the Korn Design design team of Denise Korn, Javier Cortés, and Bryant Ross for the Boston- and New York-based firm’s work on everything from the identity and signage to website and art installations at Denver’s The Corner Office. Go for the graphics, stay for the blueberry cheesecake waffles.