Field Narrowed for James Beard Awards
Plus, cat rescue alert: Have room for your own Big Orange Boy?
Meet Our Region’s James Beard Semi-Finalists
Yesterday’s Local Food Forum featured the winners and beneficiaries of the 2024 Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence in the Chicago region. Today, we turn our attentions to the semi-finalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards, which will be handed out on Monday, June 10 during the annual ceremony at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House.
A trimmed-down semi-finalist list was announced last week, but I held off because a) I was sick with COVID and b) I didn’t want to overshadow the winners of the Jean Banchet Awards (roughly in that order).
As I am trying to expand the purview of Local Food Forum’s coverage, the following chefs and restaurants are semi-finalists from the full four-state Lake Michigan region. There are, of course, numerous contenders from across the nation; to view the full list of semi-finalists, click the button below.
The finalist nominees will be announced on Wednesday, April 3.
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Outstanding Restaurateur
Marcos Carbajal, Carnitas Uruapan, Chicago, Illinois
Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, Baobab Fare, Detroit, Michigan
Nicolas Poilevey and Oliver Poilevey, Obelix, Le Bouchon and Taqueria Chingón, Chicago
Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton
Gregory León, Amilinda, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth, Chicago
Outstanding Restaurant presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water
The Duck Inn, Chicago
Selden Standard, Detroit
Emerging Chef presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Mineral Water
Rocky Coronado, Nepantla, Detroit
Zubair Mohajir, The Coach House by Wazwan, Chicago
Bryce Stevenson, Miijim, La Pointe, Wisconsin
Best New Restaurant
Alpino, Detroit
Atelier, Chicago
Outstanding Bakery
Loba Pastry+Coffee, Chicago
Shatila Bakery, Dearborn, Michigan
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Syovata Edari, CocoVaa Chocolatier, Madison, Wisconsin
Anna Posey, Elske, Chicago
Outstanding Hospitality presented by American Airlines
AlTayeb Restaurant, Dearborn
Lula Cafe, Chicago
Pasture and Plenty, Madison
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Folk, Detroit
Middle Brow, Chicago, IL
Spencer, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Outstanding Bar
Scratch Brewing Company, Ava, Illinois
Best Chef: Great Lakes
Diana Dávila Boldin, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago
Salvador Fernandez, Bridges Craft Pizza & Wine Bar, Greencastle, Indiana
Joe Fontelera, Boonie’s Filipino Restaurant, Chicago
Joe Frillman, Daisies, Chicago
Doug Hewitt, Freya, Detroit
Ji Hye Kim, Miss Kim, Ann Arbor
Dan Klenotic, Bellflower, Ypsilanti, Michigan
James Martin, Bocadillo Market, Chicago
Thomas Melvin, Vida, Indianapolis, Indiana
Sujan Sarkar, Indienne, Chicago
Hajime Sato, Sozai, Clawson, Michiganb
Jenner Tomaska, Esme, Chicago
John Yelinek, Ladder 4 Wine Bar, Detroit
Donald Young, Duck Sel, Chicago
Best Chef: Midwest
Ross Bachhuber and Samuel Ek, Odd Duck, Milwaukee
Lisa Carlson and Carrie Summer, Chef Shack Bay City, Bay City, Wisconsin
Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, EsterEv, Milwaukee
Kyle Knall, Birch, Milwaukee
Sean Pharr, Mint Mark, Madison
Make Room for Edgar
If you’ve been around Local Food Forum, you know Barb and I are very fond of orange tabby cats. In fact, Hobbes, our B.O.B.Cat (B.O.B. = Big Orange Boy), is 2 years old today!
So my friend Eileen, who works at Pilot Light and supports Local Food Forum, asked if I could help find a forever home for this guy:
Meet Edgar, a friendly stray who Eileen gave shelter and has rather made himself to home. Much as she is sweet on him, Eileen already has quite a menagerie, and would love to find a new family for this B.O.B.Cat.
Here is Edgar’s “first-feline” account, as translated by Eileen:
Hi! I’m Edgar! Remember that really nasty cold weather we had a few weeks back? Well I do, too.
I’ve heard there’s this story about someone called Goldilocks, you might think of me as a Gingerlocks. I tried an outdoor cat house made for me — it wasn’t my taste. I got to move into a basement with my fellow alley cat for a while and that was better, but I decided what I really want is a family who will let me be an indoor cat.
Things I have going for me: I am sweet, confident, and will never stop purring once I get to know you. I still need a trip to the vet since I’m a stray. So far I seem to get along with other cats and I don’t react to those dogs that live upstairs (seriously, why are they so obsessed with me?!).
If you’re interested in being my family, please text Eileen @ 773-896-5791.
If you can’t resist that face, please reach out to Eileen. I’m hoping someone out there in readerland can make room for Edgar.
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