New Jersey and Philadelphia restaurants among semifinalists for James Beard Foundation Awards

Yesterday, the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards Seminfinalists in the chef and restaurant* category were announced, and Philadelphia is all over the list. New Jersey got a few nods, too, including local South Jersey’s Joey Baldino of Zeppoli in Collingswood for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Beard Awards are the highest honor in food, often referred to as the “Oscars of the food world.”

I now have several more restaurants on my  need-to-get-to list.

• Best New Restaurant - Vernick Food + Drink, Philadelphia
• Best New Restaurant – Thirty Acres, Jersey City, New Jersey
• Outstanding Bar Program - Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia
• Outstanding Chef – Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia
• Outstanding Pastry Chef – Andre Chin and Amanda Eap of Artisan Boulanger Patissier, Philadelphia
• Outstanding Restaurateur - Stephen Starr, Philadelphia
• Outstanding Service: Vetri - The Fountain at The Four Seasons, Philadelphia
• Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional – Tom Peters of Monk’s, Philadelphia
• Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional – Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Delaware
• Rising Star Chef of the Year – Joe Cicala of Le Virtu, Philadelphia
• Rising Star Chef of the Year - Christopher Kearse of Will BYOB, Philadelphia

There were also several New Jersey and Philadelphia restaurants in the Best Chef Mid-Atlantic category:

• Scott Anderson, Elements, Princeton, New Jersey
• Joey Baldino, Zeppoli, Collingswood, New Jersey
• Pierre Calmels, Bibou, Philadelphia
• Konstantinos Pitsillides, Kanella, Philadelphia
• Sylva Senat, Tashan, Philadelphia
• Brad Spence, Amis, Philadelphia
• Lee Styer, Fond, Philadelphia
• Marcie Turney, Barbuzzo, Philadelphia

Congratulations to all the semifinalists. On March 18, the semifinalist list will be paired down to specific nominees. Winners in The James Beard Awards for the restaurant and chef categories will be announced on May 6 at an Awards Gala & Reception at Lincoln Center in New York City.

* I know many of these restaurants and chefs value our local food and beverage producers and are huge supporters of them, but I’m not familiar with all of them, so just because I’ve listed them here doesn’t mean they’re locavore restaurants.