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James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award nominees announced

The majority of nominees were also nominated last year

Once again, the majority of nominees for this year’s James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards are returning from last year.

Excluding the category of Best New Restaurant, all of which are new, 57 of the 103 nominees were also nominated last year.

Notable newcomers include three nominees in the Rising Star category, which goes to a promising chef 30 years old or younger. Two of them cook at modern Israeli restaurants: Camille Cogswell of Zahav in Philadelphia, and Zachary Engel of Shaya in New Orleans. The third is Brady Williams of Canlis in Seattle, a landmark restaurant in the city that is also nominated for Outstanding Wine Program. 

Michael Solomonov, chef-owner of Zahav, is nominated for Outstanding Chef of the Year. 

Also of note: For the second year in a row, the award for best chef in the Great Lakes region, encompassing Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, will go to a Chicagoan, since only chefs from that city were nominated. Abraham Conlon of Fat Rice, Lee Wolen of Boka and Erling Wu-Bower of Nico Osteria are returning nominees, joined by Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde, and the team of Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark of Parachute.

The winners of all 21 categories, plus the restaurant design awards, will be announced at a gala celebration at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, on May 1.

The full list of nominees can be found at the James Beard Foundation’s blog.

Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @foodwriterdiary

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