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By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Helen Chock in the kitchen of Helena's, a restaurant she
has run almost single-handedly for 54 years.

Helen Chock takes the fuss in stride
as she accepts her award from the
James Beard Foundation, the
restaurant industry's Oscars

Black-ties, chandeliers at culinary 'Oscars'
Prestigious award brought pressure
2000 Beard Award winners listed

By Betty Shimabukuro
Star-Bulletin

NEW YORK -- Helen Chock can work all day and into the night in her restaurant kitchen, but a few hours in this frantic city left her exhausted.

Too much waiting, too much standing in line, too much sitting in traffic. When it came to New York, she was singularly unimpressed.

New York, on the other hand, was quite impressed with her.

Monday night, Chock was handed one of the mega-prizes in the restaurant world, a James Beard Award. Her restaurant, Helena's Hawaiian Foods, which she has run almost single-handedly for 54 years, was named a Regional Classic, a special designation for locally owned, neighborhood eateries that best reflect the character of their communities.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Helen Chock up front with neighbors who are long-time patrons.

On the arm of her grandson, Clayton Katsuyoshi, she stepped on stage draped in lei, a spot of color amid all the black tuxedos and formal gowns. Bill Monroe, president of Bertolli U.S.A. (the olive oil company and sponsor of the award) struggled a little to fit the bronze medallion over the haku atop her head.

Then she offered him a lei of pikake and ilima, and a collective "awww" rose from the audience of 1,700, obviously charmed by this little, 83-year-old lady from Kalihi.

By the time of the gala Italian dinner that followed the ceremony, Chock was feeling better about her New York experience.

Her lei and new medallion drew a lot of attention, she said. "All kind of strangers would stop by and say, 'Congratulations and we will definitely come by when we come to Hawaii.' I invited so many people -- 'Yes, come and see us.' "

She also bonded with other Regional Classic winners such as Seema Wilkes, the 93-year-old founder of Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room in Savannah, Ga. Some stories -- about grease traps, for example -- are best shared by people with like experiences.

Chock was smiling broadly. "I have new friends."

The Regional Classics awards have been issued for three years. One restaurant is recognized for each of eight regions of the country.

Unlike the splashy chef awards, which go through a national voting process, the Regional Classic winners are chosen within the Beard Foundation's Restaurant Committee, based on suggestions from local food professionals and restaurant critics.

William Rice, chairman of the committee, said the Regional Classics pay tribute to James Beard's belief that fine cuisine is crafted at all levels. "He loved simple food as well as complex food," Rice said.

Helena's appealed to the judges as a true classic. "It seemed to be built around a very special personality and it seemed to have a real connection to the history of the state," Rice said. "It's such a wonderful contrast to the sleek and modern things people find today."

Until a couple months ago, Helen Chock had never heard of James Beard. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the letter inviting her to New York (she had to fly at her own expense, by the way; only the dinner tickets came free).

But enough people assured her this was a Big Deal, big enough to do something she hates -- shut down her restaurant -- to take the trip.

Her daughter, Elaine Katsuyoshi, took charge of the arrangements, which included trying to find Chock a fancy new muumuu.

"We went to Mamo Howell, we went to Hilo Hattie. I got tired." Her hands waved dismissively as though batting away all the silliness.

"I finally said, 'What's wrong with the ones I have? They're old-fashioned, but I'm old!' If I get something new I have to have it altered -- waste more of my time."

Time that should be spent at the restaurant, is the unspoken closure to that thought. Chock works 14 hours a day, four days a week at Helena's. On days the restaurant is closed, she's usually there anyway, prepping.

Drives there herself, too -- "the same old route, I don't hardly make left turns."

Helena's was closed today -- Chock got back from New York just last night. But chances are she was in the kitchen anyway, making ready for tomorrow's rush.

Helena's is always closed Saturday through Monday, so Chock lost just two days of business to this James Beard affair, but she had seen enough of the city.

Didn't want to play tourist, didn't want to sample the city's great restaurants, didn't want to shop. Had tickets to a Broadway show, but missed it because her flight out of Honolulu was delayed half a day.

Up until the awards ceremony, she spent almost all her time watching television and napping in her hotel room overlooking the furious activity of Times Square.

Flew in the day before the ceremony, flew out the day after. "I wanted to come back," she said. "I have a couple orders for Mother's Day."

REGIONAL WINNERS Along with Helena's Hawaiian Foods, these restaurants won Regional Classic Awards: Camp Washington Chili, Cincinnati, Ohio Mario's, Bronx, N.Y. Moosewood, Ithaca, N.Y. Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, Savannah, Ga. The Original Sonny Bryan's, Dallas Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco White House Sub Shop, Atlantic City, N.J.

Big Winners

Marcella Hazan -- chef, cooking instructor and author -- was awarded the 2000 James Beard Award Lifetime Achievement Award for her groundbreaking work in promoting authentic Italian cuisine in this country.

In addition, Hazan's cookbook, "Classic Italian Cooking" (Knopf), was placed in the Cookbook Hall of Fame.

Other winners in major categories announced Monday night:

Outstanding Chef Award: David Bouley, Danube, New York City

Outstanding Restaurant Award: Charlie Trotter's, Chicago

Best New Restaurant: Gary Danko, San Francisco

Rising Star Chef of the Year: Andrew Carmellini, Cafe Boulud, New York City

Outstanding Pastry Chef: Claudia Fleming, Gramercy Tavern, New York City

Outstanding Wine Service: Rubicon, San Francisco

Wine and Spirits Professional: Kermit Lynch, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants, Berkeley, Calif.

National Cooking Show: "The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter," produced by First Daughter Mediaworks, Honolulu

REGIONAL BEST CHEF AWARDS

New York City: Tom Colicchio, Gramercy Tavern

California: Judy Rodgers, Zuni Cafe, San Francisco

Pacific Northwest/Hawaii: Jerry Traunfeld, The Herbfarm, Issaquah, Wash.

Mideast: Michael Schlow, Radius, Boston

Midwest: Arun Sampanthavivat, Arun, Chicago

Mid-Atlantic: Craig Shelton, The Ryland Inn, Whitehouse, N.J.

Southwest: Janos Wilder, Janos, Tucson, Ariz.

Southeast: Ben Barker, Magnolia Grill, Durham, N.C.

COOKBOOK AWARDS

Cookbook of the year: "A Mediterranean Feast," Clifford A. Wright (William Morrow)

Single Subject: "The Cook's Illustrated Complete Book of Poultry," the editors of Cook's magazine (Clarkson Potter)

General: "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home," Julia Child and Jacques Pepin (Knopf)

Chefs and restaurants: "The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter," Charlie Trotter (Ten Speed Press)

Americana: "American Home Cooking," Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison (Broadway Books)

International: "Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian," Madhur Jaffrey (Clarkson Potter)

Healthy focus: "A Spoonful of Ginger," Nina Simonds (Knopf)

Reference: "The Oxford Companion to Food," Alan Davidson (Oxford University Press)

Wine and spirits: "Terrior," James E. Wilson (University of California Press)

Entertaining: "Entertaining 1-2-3," Rozanne Gold (Little, Brown & Co.)

Baking and desserts: "The Bread Bible," Beth Hensperger (Chronicle)

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