The Dish: Few James Beard award nominees locally

The 2010 James Beard Foundation Award nominations announced Monday virtually ignored the Southern California food scene. Out of 55 categories, local writers and chefs got just a few nominations, led by best chef nominee Suzanne Goin of Lucques and Tavern.

Providence’s Michael Cimarusti and Mozza’s Matt Molina were nominated for best chef in the Pacific region. In the journalism awards, Los Angeles magazine’s Patric Kuh and the LA Weekly’s Jonathan Gold received nominations. And “Love Soup,” a cookbook by Ojai’s Anna Thomas, was nominated in the Healthy Focus category. The Los Angeles Times has not entered the awards since 2004.

The awards ceremonies will be held the first weekend in May in New York, with the media and book awards on May 2 and the main awards May 3. The nominations in each category are suggested by a committee of volunteers.

Among the headline categories, in addition to Goin, are owners of local spinoff restaurants Jose Andrés (Bazaar) and Tom Colicchio (Craft), nominations for outstanding chef include San Francisco’s Gary Danko from Restaurant Gary Danko and Charles Phan from Slanted Door.

Best new restaurant nominees are Philadelphia’s Bibou; San Francisco’s Flour + Water, Frances and RN74; and New York’s Marea and Locanda Verde.

Outstanding restaurant nominees were New York’s Babbo and Daniel; San Francisco’s Boulevard; Birmingham, Ala.’s Highlands Bar & Grill and Chicago’s Spiaggia.

Outstanding restaurateur nominations went to Seattle’s Tom Douglas, San Francisco’s Pat Kuleto, New York’s Keith McNally, Chicago’s Richard Melman and Philadelphia’s Stephen Starr.

For a complete list of nominations, go to the awards website, https://www.jbfawards.com.

Cart for a Cause rolls out this week

At long last, the food truck craze has made its way to charity. Cart for a Cause, a gourmet food truck administered by St. Vincent Meals on Wheels (which delivers meals to home-bound senior citizens in L.A.), launched this week. The truck will rove the city every Tuesday through the fall serving $10 meals prepared by popular local chefs who will donate their time and skills.

Chefs include Alex Becker (Nobu, West Hollywood), Susan Feniger (Street), David Myers and Dong Choi (Comme Ça), Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook (Animal), Josef Centeno (Lazy Ox Canteen), Eric Greenspan (The Foundry on Melrose), Jean Francois Meteigner (La Cachette Bistro), Nicholas Peter (Little Door) and Sal Marino (Il Grano).

Nobu West Hollywood provided the inaugural lunch service and will be on the truck next Tuesday as well. Nobu Matsuhisa’s menu includes either four pieces of sushi and two pieces of black cod with butter lettuce, or four pieces of sushi with two chicken skewers. Check Twitter for locations.

9650 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly HiIlls. Follow Cart for a Cause on Twitter at @CartForACause or find out more on Facebook.

La Buca begins delivery; Osteria Mamma is open

Mamma Cortivo is no longer behind the stoves at Osteria La Buca, so who’s the new face of the Melrose Avenue Italian restaurant? It might just be the delivery girl. La Buca started delivery service this week, and women on motorcycles are toting chef Alberto Lazzarino’s spaghetti aglio e olio, gnocchi alla boscaiola, pizza Margherita and tiramisu to neighbors and nearby studio workers. Lucky them.

Meanwhile, Mamma and her son Filippo Cortivo have opened Osteria Mamma down the street in the former Seafood Village space. On the menu are panini, pizzas, entrees such as veal scallopine al Marsala and tagliata (grilled New York steak), and, of course, Mamma’s house-made pastas, such as tagliatelle Bolognese, ravioli burro e salvia and reginette della Mamma (with cream sauce, guanciale, sausage and Treviso radicchio).

Osteria La Buca, 5210 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 462-1900, https://www.osterialabuca.com. Osteria Mamma, 5732 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 284-7060.

Also:

Cana Rum Bar is open downtown (at the Doheny), with a $20-per-annum membership fee. 714 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-7090, https://www.canarumbar.com.

The Canter’s Deli Truck is rolling, serving sandwiches such as pastrami, corned beef, turkey, grilled cheese and Reubens. (Twitter: @canterstruck)

—Russ Parsons, Jessica Gelt and Betty Hallock