Tripleseat Members Among James Beard Award Semifinalists
This week, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for the annual Restaurant and Chef Awards–the highest honor in the culinary world. As many as 30 semifinalists from across the country were named for each category: a list that will be narrowed down further with the announcement of the finalists on March 18; the winners will be named at the annual James Beard Awards on May 5, at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Anyone in the industry knows that a Beard Award can be a make-or-break for a new restaurant–and a defining moment for a more established one. “Best New Restaurant” is a hotly anticipated award each year, with notable restaurants such as New York’s Estela, Chicago’s Nico Osteria and New Orleans’s Peche making the semifinalists. Outstanding Chef recognizes more established talent–Nancy Silverton in Los Angeles, Mark Vetri in Philadelphia–as does Outstanding Restaurant, recognizing places such as The Slanted Door in San Francisco and Jaleo in Washington, DC.
Special congratulations to the Tripleseat members nominated: Barbara Lynch of Barbara Lynch Gruppo for Outstanding Restaurateur (Menton, No. 9 Park, etc); Garrett Harker, also for Outstanding Restaurateur (Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, et al.); and L’ESPALIER for Outstanding Service.