James Beard Award Semifinalists for 2011 Announced


The semifinalists for the annual James Beard Foundation Awards were revealed this morning. Here are the Philly nominees…

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Amis, Philadelphia

Barbuzzo, Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING CHEF

Jose Garces, Amada, Philadelphia

Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF

Carla Gonçalves, KOO ZEE DOO, Philadelphia

Erin Stafford, Barbuzzo, Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT

Vetri, Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR

Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants, Philadelphia (Alma de Cuba, Barclay Prime, Buddakan, Butcher and Singer, The Continental, The Continental Mid-town, The Dandelion, El Rey, El Vez, Granite Hill at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Jones, Makota, Morimoto, Parc, Pizzeria Stella, Pod, and Steak 954)

OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia

Vetri, Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE

Savona, Gulph Mills, PA, Melissa Monosoff

Tria, Philadelphia, Michael McCaulley

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR

Lee Styer, Fond, Philadelphia

BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC

Pierre Calmels, Bibou, Philadelphia

David Gilberg, KOO ZEE DOO, Philadelphia

Chip Roman, Blackfish, Conshohocken, PA

Adán Saavedra, Paloma, Philadelphia

Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia

Basically, it looks a whole lot like last year’s semifinalist list. The full list of semifinalists can be found on the James Beard Foundation website and the finalists will be revealed on March 21. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday, May 9 in New York City.

Congrats to all the local chefs and restaurateurs!