The James Beard Foundation has released its list of semifinalists for the 2010 James Beard Awards—widely considered the Oscars of the culinary world—and Houston chefs are well-represented in the mix.
Culled from thousands of nominations, each of the nine nationwide categories and 10 regional categories has around 20 semifinalists, which will be culled to handful of nominees on March 22, with the award winners announced May 3.
Fresh off RDG + Bar Annie's trio of triumphs—named best new restaurant in Texas by Texas Monthly and one of the top ten new restaurants in America by Forbes and Gayot/MSN—Robert Del Grande has even more to celebrate as a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef.
Levi Goode and Jim Goode, of the Houston fave Goode Company family of restaurants, are once again semifinalists in the Restaurateur of the Year category.
Stella Sola's salumni whiz kid Justin Basye makes the list for Rising Star Chef of the Year, and Textile pastry chef extraordinaire Plinio Sandalio earns a nod for Outstanding Pastry Chef.
In the Best Chef: Southwest category, semifinalists included three exceptional Houston chefs from two restaurants—Bryan Caswell of Reef (who was a finalist last year as well) and James Silk and Richard Knight of Feast (who made the list last year as semifinalists in the Best New Restaurant category).
A big congrats to all the nominees!