Last Monday, October 2, the third edition of the Comer La Vanguardia Awards was held, in which everyday cuisine and all those people who collaborate in ensuring that everyday gastronomy is good, healthy and pleasant were awarded. This edition, dedicated to the journalist and colleague of the Comer channel Brunella Vásquez and hosted by Cristina Jolonch, director of this space dedicated to gastronomy, demonstrated that the Comer awards have established themselves as the annual reunion party between friends of the restaurant industry that They hug again after the summer and wish each other the best in the new year they are starting.
The awards, following Comer's lyrics, went to the hands of some of those ambassadors of everyday cuisine. The C, dedicated to Science, was given to the Alícia Foundation for its 20 years combining gastronomic research, scientific rigor and social commitment. The Origin award went to Lucía Freitas, chef at A Tafona in Santiago de Compostela and promoter of a unique and revolutionary social, cultural and gastronomic project such as Amas da Terra. The photographer Francesc Guillamet received the Mirada award for being a witness and notary of the creations of some of the best-known restaurants in the country, such as El Bulli, El Celler de Can Roca or, currently, Mejorar.
Comer also wanted to focus its attention on the room, with an award dedicated to the Table that Montse Serra received, for her search for excellence in each service at the Miramar restaurant (Llançà). The E for Essence went to Ricard Camarena and his conviction that there is sustainable haute cuisine, which took a radical turn to place the ingredient at the center and that follows its rhythms regardless of trends. And, as in every edition, the Gastronomic Story award was announced by chef Ferran Adrià and went to the hands of the reader Manuel Ruiz de Luzuriaga and his text titled Una de Romanos.
One of the most exciting moments of the night came with the heartfelt tribute to a master chef who has transmitted his passion for the kitchen through television for years: Karlos Arguiñano. For him it was the 2023 Special Award presented by the director of La Vanguardia, Jordi Juan, and Adrià, who defined Arguiñano as "the most influential chef in the history of this country." You can see the full gala and the highlights in the video attached to this article.
