Toasting local foods and culinary artisans, the nation's top chefs and foodies gathered Sunday night for the 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards at Lincoln Center.

New York's Danny Meyer took home the Outstanding Restaurant Award for his popular Gramercy Tavern, while Chicago's Grant Achatz was named Outstanding Chef for his work at Alinea. Central Michel Richard of Washington, D.C., captured Best New Restaurant, and Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali were named Outstanding Restaurateurs for Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca.

The theme of the awards this year was "Artisanal America," which highlighted the importance of fine, fresh and local ingredients. But as food prices soar, chefs also noted the balance between quality and cost.

"The key is to find multiple uses and to use every last thing that there is," says chef Michael Psilakis, whose restaurant Anthos was nominated for Best New Restaurant. "It's really a test of a true chef to take something that may not be the best part of an animal and make something beautiful with it."

Danny Meyer wins the
Outstanding Restaurant medal.

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto suggested cost efficiency by cooking in large batches and freezing the leftovers. "Bigger is better," he says. "Cook one time. Save gas, save energy."

David Chang, who won Best Chef in New York City for his Momofuku Ssäm, was more sanguine about rising costs. "As prices rise, maybe people will appreciate food more. We'll have a better food culture," he says. Rising food costs shouldn't lead to lesser products, he warned. "Just because [food is] more expensive, don't compromise and buy an inferior product."

The chefs at the gala reception following the awards ceremony, which was hosted by "Sex and the City's" Kim Cattrall and the Food Network's Bobby Flay, surely didn't skimp on their dishes. Guests milled across two levels in Lincoln Center to sample the dozens of offerings, including soft-shell crab, duck sliders, organic wines and foie gras.