James Beard winner Mark Furstenberg is a reluctant awardee

Photo provided by Mark Furstenberg

If we’d had our way, “outstanding baker” is an honor we would have bestowed on Bread Furst founder Mark Furstenberg a long time ago.

Now, it’s as official as it can get. The James Beard Academy named Furstenberg “outstanding baker” at its May 2nd awards ceremony in Chicago. Not familiar? Furstenberg refers to it as the “Academy Awards of food.”

Furstenberg was nominated in the prior two years the award was offered as well, and then, as now, he was a reluctant participant. Furstenberg writes of the subjectivity of such praise.

There are now a lot of very good restaurants in Washington and there are now a lot of very good bakers in America. Selecting mean excluding and this year having been given the Beard award this time, I am the beneficiary of that.

Regardless, Furstenberg has been the toast of the town. He showed off his shop to WJLA and sat for an interview with WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi.

And Mark, we are proud of you and thankful you chose our corner of DC for your bakery. Congratulations!