James Beard Foundation names 2019 Beard Awards nominees

The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees for the 2019 Restaurant and Chef Awards Wednesday in Houston, with winners to be named at the Beard Awards on May 6 in Chicago. The awards nomination ceremony was led by James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach, in her first full awards season as head of the culinary organization.

Since taking the helm in early 2018, Reichenbach has shifted the focus of the James Beard Foundation to encourage culinary diversity, inclusivity, and advocacy across the industry, including a new Foundation mantra: “good food for good.” 

The 2019 Beard Awards nominees reflect the new identity of the nonprofit organization, with one of the more diverse short lists in recent memory of the best-in-the-industry awards. For example, the nominees for the Rising Star Chef of the Year award this year — honoring chefs under the age of 30 — are all women and people of color. However, only one woman — Ashley Christensen of Poole’s in Raleigh, N.C. — was nominated for the Outstanding Chef category. 

New awards categories this year include a design award category for “Other Eating and Drinking Places” honoring the design of quick-service and fast-casual eateries, food trucks, food halls, and cafes. 

The 2019 awards ceremony will be held at the Lyric Opera in Chicago and will be hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson. 

The complete list of Restaurant and Chef awards are below: 

Best New Restaurant 
• Angler, San Francisco
• Atomix, New York City
• Bavel, Los Angeles 
• Frenchette, New York City
• Majordomo, Los Angeles 

Outstanding Baker
• Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, New York City
• Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery and Café, Cambridge, Mass.
• Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie, Detroit
• Avery Ruzicka, Manresa Bread, Los Gatos, Calif.
• Greg Wade, Publican Quality Bread, Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program
• Bar Agricole, San Francisco
• Dead Rabbit, New York City
• Kimball House, Decatur, Ga.
• Lost Lake, Chicago
• Ticonderoga Club, Atlanta

Outstanding Chef 
• Ashley Christensen, Poole’s Diner, Raleigh, N.C.
• David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
• Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
• Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans
• Marc Vetri, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia

Outstanding Pastry Chef 
• Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
• Kelly Fields, Willa Jean, New Orleans
• Meg Galus, Boka, Chicago
• Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles
• Pichet Ong, Brothers and Sisters, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurant 
• Balthazar, New York City
• FIG, Charleston, SC
• Jaleo, Washington, D.C.
• Quince, San Francisco
• Zahav, Philadelphia

Outstanding Restaurateur 
• Hugh Acheson, Atlanta (Empire State South, Five & Ten, The National)
• Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, Boka Restaurant Group, Chicago (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro)
• JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline, New Orleans
• Ken Oringer, Boston (Little Donkey, Toro, Uni)
• Alex Raij and Eder Montero, New York City (La Vara, Txikito, Saint Julivert Fisherie)
• Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group, Philadelphia (Fork, High Street on Market, High Street on Hudson)

Outstanding Service
• Brigtsen’s, New Orleans
• Canlis, Seattle
• Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, Colo.
• Saison, San Francisco
• Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco
• Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Outstanding Wine Program 
• Bacchanal, New Orleans
• Benu, San Francisco
• Miller Union, Atlanta
• Night Market, Los Angeles
• Spiaggia, Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer
• Cathy Corison, Corison Winery, St. Helena, CA
• Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell, High Wire Distilling Co., Charleston, S.C.
• Steve Matthiasson, Matthiasson Wines, Napa, Calif.
• Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, Maine
• Lance Winters, St. George Spirits, Alameda, Calif.

Rising Star Chef of the Year

• Ana Castro, Coquette, New Orleans
• Alisha Elenz, MFK, Chicago
• Alexander Hong, Sorrel, San Francisco
• Jesse Ito, Royal Izakaya, Philadelphia
• Kwame Onwuachi, Kith and Kin, Washington, D.C.
• Jonathan Yao, Kato, Los Angeles

Best Chef: Great Lakes (Ill., Ind., Mich., Ohio)
• Diana Dávila, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago
• Jason Hammel, Lula Café, Chicago
• Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark, Parachute, Chicago
• David Posey and Anna Posey, Elske, Chicago
• Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago
• Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (Del., Md., N. J., Pa., Va. and Washington, D.C.) 
• Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.
• Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint, Washington, D.C.
• Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia
• Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia
• Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (Iowa, Kan., Minn., Mo., Neb., N.D., S.D. and Wis.) 
• Michael Corvino, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Kansas City, Mo.
• Michael Gallina, Vicia, St. Louis
• Ann Kim, Young Joni, Minneapolis
• Jamie Malone, Grand Café, Minneapolis
• Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
• Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko
• Brooks Headley, Superiority Burger
• Daniela Soto-Innes, Atla
• Alex Stupak, Empellón Midtown
• Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, Via Carota

Best Chef: Northeast (Conn., Mass., Maine, N.H., N.Y., R.I. and Vt.)
• Tiffani Faison, Tiger Mama, Boston
• James Mark, North, Providence
• Tony Messina, Uni, Boston
• Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA
• Benjamin Sukle, Oberlin, Providence

Best Chef: Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Mont., Ore., Wash. and Wyo.)
• Peter Cho, Han Oak, Portland, Ore.
• Katy Millard, Coquine, Portland, Ore.
• Brady Williams, Canlis, Seattle
• Justin Woodward, Castagna, Portland, Ore.
• Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle

Best Chef: South (Ala., Ark., Fla., La., Miss. and Puerto Rico)
• Vishwesh Bhatt, Snackbar, Oxford, Miss.
• Jose Enrique, Jose Enrique, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus, Coquette, New Orleans
• Slade Rushing, Brennan’s, New Orleans
• Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (Ga., Ky., N.C., S.C., Tenn. and W.Va.)
• Mashama Bailey, The Grey, Savannah, Ga.
• Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, N.C.
• Cassidee Dabney, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
• Ryan Smith, Staplehouse, Atlanta
• Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis

Best Chef: Southwest (Ariz., Colo., N.M., Okla., Texas and Utah)

• Charleen Badman, FnB, Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Kevin Fink, Emmer & Rye, Austin, Texas
• Michael Fojtasek, Olamaie, Austin, Texas
• Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine, Austin, Texas
• Steve McHugh, Cured, San Antonio

Best Chef: West (Calif., Hawaii, Nev.)

• Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles
• Jeremy Fox, Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica, Calif.
• Jessica Koslow, Sqirl, Los Angeles
• Travis Lett, Gjelina, Venice, Calif.
• Joshua Skenes, Saison, San Francisco

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected] 
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