Tag Archives: Dick Flanigan

2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Restaurant + Chef Award Semifinalists from Chicago

Posted on by

James Beard Medal

It’s that time of year again—the countdown to May and the annual James Beard Foundation Awards. The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees on their blog today. The semifinalists for their Restaurant and Chef Awards include a number of Chicago-area chefs and restaurants.

Judges from across the country will take a look at the list and vote to narrow it down to a final list of nominees. The Foundation will be live tweeting the nominee announcement on March 21, but in the meantime you can check to see if your favorite Chicago chefs and restaurants are listed and visit the JBF Blog for the full list from around the country.

Here’s the Chicago roundup:

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Girl & the Goat

OUTSTANDING CHEF
Paul Kahan, Blackbird
Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF
Patrick Fahy, Blackbird
Mindy Segal, Mindy’s HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT
Spiaggia
Tru

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR
Scott Harris (Davanti Enoteca, DiSotto Enoteca,
Dough Boys, Fat Rosie’s, Francesca’s, Osteria Ottimo, Purple
Pig, and Salatino’s)
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises,
(Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, Eiffel Tower, Everest, L2O, Mon
Ami Gabi, Shaw’s Crab House, Tru, Wow Bao, and others)

OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Les Nomades
Topolobampo

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE
Avenues at the Peninsula, Michael Muser

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL
Charles Joly, The Drawing Room

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
Anthony Martin, Tru

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA
Michael Carlson, Schwa
Curtis Duffy, Avenues at the Peninsula
Dirk Flanigan, Henri
Dale Levitski, Sprout
Chris Nugent, Les Nomades
Paul Virant, Vie, Western Springs

About DineWise
DineWise Chicago is written by Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie, the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. The DineWise column appears weekly in Streetwise magazine. Please visit their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com and check out all DineWise articles at www.dinewisechicago.com.