After eight nominations and no wins, Nancy Oakes and Pat Kuleto's American-French Boulevard nabbed 2012's Outstanding Restaurant honor at this year's James Beard Awards. A well-deserved (and somewhat tardy) win, Boulevard beat out Balthazar (NYC), Blue Hill (NYC), Highlands Bar and Grill (Birmingham, AL), and Vetri (Philadelpha). Also, though not nominated for the Best Pasty Chef accolade, noted sweet-tooth Emily Luchetti (Waterbar) was inducted into the Who of Food & Beverage in America.

And now, who lost: Dreamy Michael Chiarello of Bottega, "animal-style" Chris Cosentino of Incanto, Christopher Kostow of the Restaurant at Meadowood, and Daniel Patterson of Coi (this year's The Tree of Life nominee) all lost out to Matt Molina of Osteria Mozza — located on Melrose in LA — for Best Chef: Pacific. Which: way to go, SoCal. You've earned flouncy foodie respect over the last few years, and with good reason.

Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park (NYC) trumped Gary Danko of Gary Danko for Outstanding Chef. And Best New Restaurant honors went to Next (Chicago), not to the splendiferous and seasonal (i..e, they change the decor with each season, not just the menu) AQ Restaurant.

All in all, the Bay Area was pretty much shut out this year. Alas. Better luck next year. Then again, it's just an award, a circle jerk that Anthony Bourdain famously described last year as a "self congratulatory goat rodeo/awards ceremony/chef shakedown."

Via Grub Street, here's the list of last night's winners:

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Bruce Sherman
North Pond Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Maricel Presilla
Cucharamama Hoboken, NJ

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Tory Miller
L’Etoile Madison, WI

Best Chef: New York City
(Five Boroughs)
Michael Anthony
Gramercy Tavern

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT)
Tim Cushman
O Ya Boston

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)
Matt Dillon
Sitka & Spruce Seattle

Best Chef: Pacific (CA, HI)
Matt Molina
Osteria Mozza Los Angeles

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)
Chris Hastings
Hot and Hot Fish Club Birmingham, AL

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Hugh Acheson
Five and Ten Athens, GA

Linton Hopkins
Restaurant Eugene Atlanta

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)
Paul Qui
Uchiko Austin, TX

Best New Restaurant
Next
Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
Paul Grieco
Terroir NYC

Outstanding Wine Program
No. 9 Park
Boston

Outstanding Bar Program
PDT
NYC

Outstanding Service
La Grenouille
NYC

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Mindy Segal
Mindy’s HotChocolate Chicago

Outstanding Restaurateur
Tom Douglas
Tom Douglas Restaurants Seattle

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Christina Tosi
Momofuku Milk Bar NYC

Outstanding Restaurant
Boulevard
San Francisco

Outstanding Chef
Daniel Humm
Eleven Madison Park NYC