BEARD AWARDS New York winners at the James Beard Awards, presented Monday night at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, included L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon for Best New Restaurant, David Chang of Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssäm Bar for Rising Star Chef, and Michael Laiskonis of Le Bernardin for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Other winners included Chicago’s Frontera Grill for Outstanding Restaurant; Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle in Washington, D.C., for Outstanding Chef, and Thomas Keller of the French Laundry (and New York’s Per Se) for Outstanding Restaurateur.

PASTRY PROGRESS James Distefano, who used to be executive pastry chef of Fort Pond Bay Company, which has restaurants in Hastings–on-Hudson and Montauk, is baking in the city now as executive pastry chef of Devin Tavern (363 Greenwich St., between Franklin and Harrison streets, 212-334-7337).

LIQUID COURAGESaucy(1409 York Ave. at 75th Street, 212-249-3700) is open, serving various proteins in the sauce of your choice, all prepared by chef Simon Mann, who studied at the Sicilian Culinary Arts School in Italy before cooking in Israel for 20 years.

TOP CHOICE Harold Dieterle, who won the first season of the television show “Top Chef,” has opened a restaurant. At Perilla (9 Jones St. at West 4th Street, 212-929-6868), the former Harrison sous chef is dishing up springtime specialties such as crispy pork belly with pea tendrils, trumpet mushrooms, and a banyuls-vanilla gastrique ($12), broiled Atlantic eel with grilled ramps, jicama, and mole coloradito ($11), and roasted duckling with mustard greens, corn pudding, and foie gras bordelaise ($27).

PLAY IT COOL Grom, an Italian gelato chain, has set up shop on the Upper West Side (2165 Broadway, between 76th and 77th streets, 242-290-7233). Flavors for May include tiramisù, cinnamon, cassata siciliana, and extra-dark chocolate with Ecuadorian chocolate chips. The price is $4.75 a scoop.

PLANNED MOVE Aureole (34 E. 61st St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-319-1660) is moving to the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park. No need to rush to the 19-year-old fine dining institution’s Upper East Side townhouse for a last peek, however. The move is scheduled for spring 2009.

MONKEY SEE The bar at Monkey Bar (60 E. 54th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-838-2600) has reopened after renovation. The full restaurant, featuring the food of Patricia Yeo, will not be up and running for a couple of weeks. For now, a bar menu is available.

Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com.