Rick Bayless, a chef credited with changing the profile of Mexican food in the United States, has received one of the top James Beard Foundation Awards. His 20-year-old Chicago restaurant, Frontera Grill, has been named outstanding restaurant for 2007.

It was Bayless' third James Beard Award, considered to be among the most important in the food world. Winners were selected by a committee of their peers and announced at a gala dinner Monday night at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.

Named for the influential American chef, The James Beard Foundation promotes culinary excellence across the United States with awards, scholarships and dining events.

More than 60 foundation awards, including several to the media, were handed out this year.

Bayless and his wife, Deann, opened Frontera Grill in 1987, the same year he wrote "Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking From the Heart of Mexico." The restaurant was designed to highlight contemporary regional Mexican cooking, with seasonal ingredients, rich moles and complex dishes -- a contrast to the Tex-Mex style of nachos-and-tacos most Americans thought of as Mexican cooking at the time.

Other major winners:

* Outstanding chef: Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, D.C.

* Outstanding Restaurateur: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.

* Best New Restaurant: L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Joel Robuchon, New York City.

* Rising Star of the Year: David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York City.

* Outstanding Pastry Chef: Michael Laskonis, Le Bernardin, New York City.

* Cookbook of the Year: "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-be Southerners" by Matt Lee and Ted Lee.

ontheNet

The James Beard Foundation, www.jamesbeard.org