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The James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalists for its 2022 restaurant and chef awards, and the list includes multiple chefs and restaurants from metro Atlanta. Here are the people and restaurants in contention for these esteemed culinary awards.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Among national awards, Kevin Gillespie as well as Todd Richards and Josh Lee are in contention for the Best Restaurateur honor. Gillespie’s Red Beard Restaurants group includes Gunshow, Ole Reliable, and Revival. Richards and Lee are the names behind barbecue concept Lake & Oak.
Mia Orino and Carlo Gan, who operate Filipino pop-up and catering business Kamayan ATL, are in the running for the Emerging Chef title.
Two locals are on the long list for Outstanding Pastry Chef honors: Miller Union’s Claudia Martinez and Jen Yee, executive pastry chef for Linton Hopkins’ restaurant group Hopkins and Co. This is Yee’s fourth Beard nomination and the second for Martinez.
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
Among national restaurant awards, Ticonderoga Club is a semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality while Lyla Lila is in the running for its wine program.
Among regional chef awards, this year’s list of 20 semifinalists in the Southeast includes Jason Liang of Brush Sushi Izakaya, Craig Richards of Lyla Lila and Joey Ward of Southern Belle and Georgia Boy.
The semifinalists announcement comes on the heels of the organization’s announcement of its 2022 America’s Classics Award winners, which include iconic Atlanta restaurant Busy Bee Cafe. The honor is given to locally owned restaurants “that have timeless appeal and are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of its community,” according to the James Beard Foundation. To be eligible, establishments must have been in existence for at least 10 years.
Restaurant and Chef Awards finalists will be named March 16. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony June 13 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The 2022 James Beard Awards are the first in two years, after a hiatus due to the coronavirus and an audit of the awards’ policies and procedures.
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