Charleston wins a James Beard Award at long last

Champagne all around: Charleston is a James Beard Award winner. Finally.

The Harbor East restaurant, which opened in 1997, won in the category of Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program during the award ceremony Monday night.

After being named a finalist for the James Beard ten times, this is owner Cindy Wolf’s first time snagging the top prize.

She was stunned to hear Charleston’s name called by announcers. “You just can’t imagine that it’s actually happening,” Wolf said. “It was very, very, very exciting.”

She’d just spoken with friends who happened to be dining at the restaurant Monday night. “They’re all screaming and sending me videos,” Wolf said, “and we sent everyone in the restaurant Champagne to celebrate with staff and us.”

The award, Wolf hopes, will shine a spotlight on Charm City. “We don’t get the attention that we deserve in Baltimore, the positive attention,” she said.

Lindsay Willey, Charleston’s wine director, said she was feeling overwhelmed, but “super proud of Charleston, of Baltimore... We always are so happy to have good news for the city.”

Willey said the win would not have been possible without all the work in the years since Charleston opened, and all the work that’s been poured into the restaurant’s wine cellar.

“It’s probably like two dozen people who have contributed…that cellar has so much depth," she said.

The whole staff will be ready for the potential rush of new visitors following the win, Willey said.

“It’s a great team, and we’re always ready to be busy,” she said.

It was Wolf’s tenth trip to Chicago for the Beard awards.

Though Wolf has frequently been nominated for the Beard, one of the food world’s highest honors, the top prize has eluded her. She was a finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2006, 2008 and every year from 2014 to 2019. Last year, the restaurant was named semifinalist in the category of outstanding hospitality.

Other local honorees this year included Clavel bartender Dre Levon and Urban Oyster chef Jasmine Norton, both named semifinalists for James Beard Awards. However, only Charleston advanced to the final round.

At Monday night’s ceremony, held at Chicago’s Lyric Opera, Charleston beat out Minnesota’s natural wine bar and eatery Bar Brava; Campo at Los Poblanos in New Mexico; California’s shipwreck-themed cocktail bar Strong Water; and Houston, Texas Mediterranean restaurant MARCH.

This year marked the first time Charleston has been named a finalist since Wolf and Foreman announced that they would no longer use the Foreman Wolf name to refer to their restaurants.

While Foreman had initially helped shape Charleston’s wine program, today it is managed by Willey. The certified sommelier strives to make connections between local growing seasons, clients’ preferences and the winemakers themselves, she writes in the introduction to Charleston’s wine list.

Wolf said she’s staying in Chicago Tuesday to explore the city. “Now that we won, I’m glad I’m staying tomorrow,” she said. “At the same time, I kind of want to get back and see the staff” at Charleston.

And perhaps, toast with Champagne.