This year’s list of restaurant and chef semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards was just released. There are 11 semifinal nominees from Maine:
- Outstanding Restaurateur – Krista Cole, Sur Lie and Gather
- Best New Restaurant – Wolfpeach
- Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker – Atsuko Fujimoto, Norimoto Bakery
- Outstanding Hospitality – The Quarry, Sur Lie
- Outstanding Bar Program – The Jewel Box
- Best Chef: Northeast – Sara Jenkins, Nina June; Jason LaVerdiere, Flux; Courtney Loreg, Woodford Food and Beverage; Tony Pastor, Fore Street; Isaul Perez, Isa Bistro.
Additionally, chef David Vargas is a semifinalist in the Outstanding Chef category for his restaurant Vida Cantina in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Vargas also owns Ore Nell’s BBQ which is located on Badger Island in Kittery, Maine.
The final list of nominees will be released March 29th, and the awards ceremony will take place on Monday June 5th in Chicago.
Related information:
- Maine Award Winners, Nominees and Semifinalists – a complete digest of winners and nominees from 2008 to 2022.
- Award and Nomination Process – learn more about the award nominations process.
- Award Categories – see the list of categories and eligibility requirements.
- James Beard in Portland – read about the time James Beard himself taught cooking classes in Portland in 1964.