Cliche Pun on Book Title

eat. drink. be merry.

The James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the restaurant world. The semi-finalists were announced today.

Here are some of the Atlanta and Chicago people/spots in the running:

Outstanding Restaurateur

  • Pano Karatassos, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, Atlanta
  • Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Chicago

Outstanding Chef

  • Jean Joho, Everest, Chicago
  • Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago
  • Scott Peacock, Watershed, Decatur, GA
  • Anne Quatrano, Bacchanalia, Atlanta

Outstanding Restaurant

  • Bacchanalia, Atlanta
  • Blackbird, Chicago
  • Everest, Chicago

Best New Restaurant

  • Holeman and Finch Public House, Atlanta
  • L2O, Chicago

Rising Star Chef of the Year

  • Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta

Outstanding Pastry Chef

  • Jimmy MacMillan, Avenues at the Peninsula Chicago
  • Aaron Russell, The Chocolate Bar, Decatur, GA
  • Mindy Segal, Mindy’s HotChocolate, Chicago

Outstanding Wine Service

  • Avenues at the Peninsula Chicago
  • Bin 36, Chicago

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional

  • Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head, Milton, DE  (I just love this brewery)

Outstanding Service

  • The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, Atlanta
  • Spiaggia, Chicago

Best Chef (done regionally)

  • Suzy Crofton, Crofton on Wells, Chicago
  • Christophe David, Nomi at Park Hyatt Chicago
  • Curtis Duffy, Avenues at the Peninsula Chicago
  • Kendal Duque, Sepia, Chicago
  • Koren Grieveson, Avec, Chicago
  • Michael Maddox, Le Titi De Paris, Arlington Heights, IL
  • Martial Noguier, Café des Architectes at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Chicago
  • Arun Sampanthavivat, Arun’s, Chicago
  • Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago
  • Giuseppe Tentori, Boka, Chicago
  • Arnaud Berthelier, The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, Atlanta
  • Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
  • Hector Santiago, Pura Vida, Atlanta

Complete list can be found here.

Posted at 2:59pm.

Notes: