New Orleans chefs, restaurants (and more) named 2020 James Beard Award semifinalists
FEB 26, 2020 - 9:15 AM
The James Beard Foundation today announced the semifinalists for this year’s culinary awards, the first stop on the road to nabbing these high-profile accolades.
Once again New Orleans has a mix of familiar local names and newer additions in the running.
The awards are widely considered the top honor in the American culinary and hospitality field, and each year they are closely watched by people in the industry. The semifinalist list will be narrowed to finalists, scheduled to be named March 25. Winners will be named on May 4 at a gala in Chicago.
Some local nominees are familiar with the process. The list of semifinalists includes many who have been nominees or James Beard award winners in the past.
The James Beard Foundation said its roster of nominees was selected from thousands of chefs, restaurants and bars submitted by the public during an open call last fall.
This year marks the 30th edition of the awards.
New Orleans contenders by category are:
Best New Restaurant
Gianna, the latest from the Link Restaurant Group, is chef Rebecca Wilcomb's ode to her family's traditional Italian cooking. Wilcomb won the group's regional Best Chef: South award in 2017 for her work at Herbsaint.
Outstanding Baker
Graison Gill, the founder of Bellgarde Bakery, which has helped give Old World baking a new pulse in New Orleans.
Outstanding Chef
Donald Link, for the seventh year now, the head of Link Restaurant Group is in the running for the group’s Outstanding Chef award. He and his restaurant group have won numerous James Beard Awards in the past, and has more irons in the fire this year (see Gianna above).
Outstanding Hospitality
Brigtsen’s Restaurant, the Riverbend bistro from Marna and Frank Brigtsen. Frank won the group's regional best chef award in 1998, and Brigtsen's has been nominated many times for this award when it was called the Outstanding Service award.
Outstanding Restaurateur
JoAnn Clevenger, the proprietor of Upperline Restaurant gets her seventh nomination for Outstanding Restaurateur, an award the James Beard Foundations gives to “a working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship.”
Outstanding Wine Service
Bacchanal, the wine shop that morphed into a wine bar, wine garden and unique oenophile oasis in the Bywater, is again in the running alongside more traditional restaurants around the country.
Rising Star Chef
Ana Castro of Thalia is a semifinalist for this national award recognizing chefs under age 30. She was nominated for this award in 2019 as well for her work at the related restaurant Coquette.
Best Chef: South
Blake Aguillard and William “Trey” Smith, co-chefs of Saint-Germain
Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus, co-chefs of Coquette
Hao Gong, chef of LUVI Restaurant
Michael Gulotta, chef of Maypop
Mason Hereford, chef of Turkey and the Wolf
Isaac Toups, chef of Toups’ Meatery