James Beard Chef & Restaurant Awards semifinalists

Earlier today, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2019 Restaurant and Chef Awards. This list includes categories both national awards such as Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Baker, Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Pastry Chef, Outstanding Restaurateur, and Rising Star Chef of the Year, plus regional categories for chefs. 

Not surprisingly, a fair number of the chefs and restaurateurs landing on this esteemed list have written cookbooks – these are among the best chefs in the country, and because of the all the categories, it’s a really long list. These chefs and/or restaurateurs have all written well-regarded books:

• Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, NYC 
• Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie, Detroit MI
• Ashley Christensen, Poole’s Diner, Raleigh, NC 
• Renee Erickson, Bateau, Seattle 
• David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA 
• Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
• Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco 
• Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans
• Maricel Presilla, Cucharamama, Hoboken, NJ  
• Missy Robbins, Lilia, Brooklyn, NY 
• Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR 
• Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA   
• Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.   
• Marc Vetri, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia, PA
• Pichet Ong, Brothers and Sisters, Washington, D.C.   
• Hugh Acheson, Atlanta (Empire State South, Five & Ten, The National, and others)   
• Paul Bartolotta and Joe Bartolotta, The Bartolotta Restaurants, Milwaukee (Ristorante Bartolotta, Harbor House, Lake Park Bistro, and others) 
• Alex Raij and Eder Montero, NYC (La Vara, Txikito, Saint Julivert Fisherie, and others)  
• Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Seattle (Ballard Pizza Co., Bramling Cross, Cortina, and others)  
• Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston   
• Brooks Headley, Superiority Burger   
• Joseph “JJ” Johnson, Henry at Life Hotel   
• Sohui Kim, Insa, Brooklyn, NY  
• Rawia Bishara, Tanoreen, Brooklyn, NY 
• Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske, Wildair  
• Alex Stupak, Empellón Midtown 
• Helen You, Dumpling Galaxy, Queens, NY 
• Erin French, The Lost Kitchen, Freedom, ME 
• Evan Mallett, Black Trumpet, Portsmouth, NH  
• Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle  
• Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans  
• Jeremy Fox, Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica, CA 
• Jessica Koslow, Sqirl, Los Angeles 
• Travis Lett, Gjelina, Venice, CA 
• James Syhabout, Commis, Oakland, CA  
• Pim Techamuanvivit, Kin Khao, San Francisco  
• Kris Yenbamroong, Night + Market, Los Angeles    

Whew! The JBF will announce the final Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, plus the nominees for its cookbook awards, on Wednesday, March 27. The nominee announcement will be announced in real time via Twitter. We’ll have the list of nominees up as soon as possible after the announcement.