John Sharpe, chef of the Turquoise Room restaurant in the historic La Posada hotel in Winslow, Ariz., received a nomination as one of the country’s best chefs by the James Beard Foundation, according to the Arizona Republic.
Sharpe is one of the 20 semifinalists — including those in Aspen, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas — for the prestigious honor. He’ll find Monday whether he’s one of five finalists for the best chef in the Southwest. Winners will be announced May 9 in New York City.
This excerpt about Sharpe’s more-utilitarian approach stands out:
The Turquoise Room is in La Posada, the only hotel amid all the roadside motels in Winslow, and Sharpe must make sure his food fits its guests: a mix of international travelers and RV tourists. He also caters to the blue-collar tastes of local ranchers and railroad workers.
“This is not a ‘just doing dinner and high-end food to impress everybody,’ ” he said. “This is not just a chef trying to show off.”
It means Sharpe can’t simply focus on the blackberry sauce for his bison short ribs, or the consistency of the mashed Gilfeather rutabagas that will be the bed for the steelhead trout. He must sometimes flip burgers.
The whole article is worth reading — about owner Alan Affeldt saving La Posada (a former Harvey House) from the wrecking ball, the suspicion that locals regarded the English-born Sharpe, how he trains his staff but encourages them to be themselves, how he uses local produce and meat when he can (including churro lamb from Navajo Indians).
I’ve found Sharpe’s restaurant to be extremely creative, and recommend it highly. If you’re curious about what he serves, you can peruse his menus online. Sharpe also published a Turquoise Room cookbook a few years ago.
Looking over the Beard list, I found one other chef nominated for a restaurant directly on an early alignment of Route 66 — Restaurant Martin in Santa Fe. Other restaurants nominated that aren’t on Route 66 can be found in St. Louis, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and Chicago. But Sharpe’s nomination for his Turquoise Room is made even more impressive by how far off the beaten path it is.
UPDATE 3/21/2011: Alas, Sharpe did not advance to the finalist stage in the competition.