399862 Wed May 09 08:02:47 -0700 2007 0 9 New Orleans 0 2554485 Herbsaint is one of my favorite spots. NIce for the city, nice for the state, great for this wonderful chef. Story below from the Baton Rouge Advocate: New Orleans chef wins Beard award as best Southern chef NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- New Orleans chef Donald Link won the 2007 James Beard Award for best Southern chef. The honor was announced Monday night in New York City. The Beard awards recognize outstanding achievement in the industry in 62 categories that include restaurants, chefs, authors, restaurant designers and others. The awards are given out by the James Beard Foundation, named for the late cookbook author and culinary expert. Link, chef and owner of Herbsaint and Cochon restaurants, was chosen by independent volunteer panels of more than 600 food and beverage professionals from around the country. Wed May 09 08:02:47 -0700 2007 19291 frankiii