Awards Watch: 2011 Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists

It’s that time of year again—our countdown to May and the annual James Beard Foundation Awards has begun. We're kicking things off with the semifinalists for our Restaurant and Chef Awards. Judges from across the country will take a look at the list below and vote to narrow it down to a final list of nominees. We’ll be live tweeting the nominee announcement on March 21, but in the meantime check to see if your favorite chefs and restaurants have made the longlist.

2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists

BEST NEW RESTAURANT ABC Kitchen, NYC A-Frame, Los Angeles Amis, Philadelphia Bar Agricole, San Francisco Barbuzzo, Philadelphia Baru 66, Windsor Heights, IA Benu, San Francisco Bootsie's Heritage Cafe, Tomball, TX China Poblano at the Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas ChoLon, Denver Commonwealth, San Francisco Community Table, Washington, CT Cook & Brown Public House, Providence Elise Coastal Dining, Pensacola, FL Estadio, Washington, D.C. Girl & the Goat, Chicago Husk, Charleston, SC Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, Washington, D.C. Menton, Boston Mondo, New Orleans Nobuo at Teeter House, Phoenix Piccolo, Minneapolis Prospect, San Francisco Recette, NYC The Refinery, Tampa, FL Salt of the Earth, Pittsburgh Shepherd's Pie, Rockport, ME Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Seattle Star Noodle, Lahaina, HI Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, Miami Torrisi Italian Specialties, NYC Uchiko, Austin, TX Waterloo & City, Culver City, CA OUTSTANDING CHEF José Andrés, minibar by José Andrés, Washington, D.C. Ben Barker, Magnolia Grill, Durham, NC Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco Robert Del Grande, RDG + Bar Annie, Houston Jose Garces, Amada, Philadelphia Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles Sam Hayward, Fore Street, Portland, ME Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago Melissa Kelly, Primo, Rockland, ME Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia, Chicago Michael Mina, Michael Mina, San Francisco Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles, Dallas Holly Smith, Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL Michael Symon, Lola, Cleveland Jerry Traunfeld, Poppy, Seattle Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia Janos Wilder, Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails, Tucson, AZ OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF Beth Biundo, Lilette, New Orleans Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Café, Boston Melissa Chou, Aziza, San Francisco Patrick Fahy, Blackbird, Chicago Ken Forkish, Ken's Artisan Bakery, Portland, OR Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart Bakery, Minneapolis Carla Gonçalves, KOO ZEE DOO, Philadelphia Huw Griffiths, Tabard Inn, Washington, D.C. Maura Kilpatrick, Oleana, Cambridge, MA Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, Olivéa, Denver Shuna Lydon, Peels, NYC Cheryl Maffei and Jonathan Stevens, Hungry Ghost Bread, Northampton, MA Lauren Mitterer, WildFlour Pastry, Charleston, SC Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles Angela Pinkerton, Eleven Madison Park, NYC Aaron Russell, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta Mindy Segal, Mindy’s HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar, Chicago Philip Speer, Uchi, Austin, TX Erin Stafford, Barbuzzo, Philadelphia Cynthia Wong, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT Blue Hill, NYC Boulevard, San Francisco Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA Eleven Madison Park, NYC Fore Street, Portland, ME Herbsaint, New Orleans Higgins Restaurant and Bar, Portland, OR Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL La Belle Vie, Minneapolis Lola, Cleveland Magnolia Grill, Durham, NC The Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas Mélisse, Santa Monica, CA Palena, Washington, D.C. Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas The Slanted Door, San Francisco Spiaggia, Chicago Tru, Chicago Vetri, Philadelphia Vincent on Camelback, Phoenix OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C. (701, Ardeo + Bardeo, Bibiana, The Bombay Club, The Oval Room, and Rasika) Tom Baron, big Burrito Restaurant Group, Pittsburgh (Casbah, Eleven, Kaya, Mad Mex, Soba, and Umi) Roger Berkowitz, Legal Sea Foods, Boston (various locations) Frank Bonanno, Bonanno Concepts, Denver (Bones, Green Russell, Luca D’Italia, Lou’s Food Bar, Mizuna, Osteria Marco, and Wednesday’s Pie) Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg, Blue Ribbon Restaurants, NYC Myles Chefetz, Myles Restaurant Group, Miami Beach, FL (Big Pink, Prime Italian, Prime One Twelve, Shoji Sushi, and Nemo) Michael Cordúa, Cordúa Restaurants, Houston (Amazón Grill, Américas, Artista, and Churrascos) Larry D’Amico and Richard D’Amico, D’Amico & Partners, Minneapolis (Café & Bar Lurcat, Campiello, D’Amico Kitchen, D’Amico & Sons, Masa, and Parma 8200) Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants, Seattle (Dahlia Bakery, Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Lola, Palace Kitchen, Seatown Seabar & Rotisserie, and Serious Pie) Steve Ells, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (various locations) Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Scottsdale, AZ (The Arrogant Butcher, Blanco, Bloom, Culinary Dropout, The Greene House, Modern Steak, Montana Avenue, NoRTH, Olive & Ivy, Sauce, True Food Kitchen, Wildflower, and Zinburger) Scott Harris, Chicago (Davanti Enoteca, DiSotto Enoteca, Dough Boys, Fat Rosie’s, Francesca’s, Osteria Ottimo, Purple Pig, and Salatino’s) Mike Klank and Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta Pat Kuleto, Pat Kuleto Restaurant Development & Management Company, San Francisco (Boulevard, Epic Roasthouse, Farallon, Jardinière, Martini House, Nick’s Cove, and Waterbar) Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Chicago (Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, Eiffel Tower, Everest, L2O, Mon Ami Gabi, Shaw’s Crab House, Tru, Wow Bao, and others) Nick Pihakis, Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, Birmingham, AL (various locations) Richard Sandoval, Richard Sandoval Restaurants, NYC (Isla, Ketsi, La Biblioteca, La Biblioteca de Tequila, La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale, La Sandía, Maya, Pampano, Sandoval’s Kitchen, Tamayo, Venga Venga, and Zengo) Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants, Philadelphia (Alma de Cuba, Barclay Prime, Buddakan, Butcher and Singer, The Continental, The Continental Mid-town, The Dandelion, El Rey, El Vez, Granite Hill at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Jones, Makota, Morimoto, Parc, Pizzeria Stella, Pod, and Steak 954) Phil Suarez, Suarez Restaurant Group, NYC (ABC Kitchen, Chambers Kitchen, Gigino Trattoria, J&G Steakhouse, Jean Georges, Lucy, Matsugen, Mercer Kitchen, Perry Street, Prime Steakhouse, Spice Market, and others) Bill White, Bill White Enterprises, Park City, UT (Chimayo, Ghidotti’s, Grappa, Wahso, Windy Ridge Bakery, and Windy Ridge Café) OUTSTANDING SERVICE Blantyre, Lenox, MA Brigtsen’s, New Orleans Canlis, Seattle Charleston, Baltimore Charleston Grill at Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, SC The Compound, Santa Fe Emeril’s, New Orleans The French Room at the Adolphus Hotel, Dallas La Belle Vie, Minneapolis La Grenouille, NYC Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia Les Nomades, Chicago L'Espalier, Boston Marcel’s, Washington, D.C. Michael Mina, San Francisco Per Se, NYC Providence, Los Angeles Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA Topolobampo, Chicago Vetri, Philadelphia OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE A16, San Francisco, Shelley Lindgren Annie Gunn’s, Chesterfield, MO, Glenn Bardgett Avenues at the Peninsula, Chicago, Michael Muser The Biltmore, Coral Gables, FL, Yvonne Roberts Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN, Andy Chabot Café on the Green at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving, TX, James Tidwell Canlis, Seattle, Nelson Daquip Charleston, Baltimore, Tony Foreman Emeril’s, New Orleans, Ray Gumpert Five and Ten, Athens, GA, Steven Grubbs Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO, Bobby Stuckey Hatfield’s, Los Angeles, Peter Birmingham The Modern, NYC, Belinda Chang Patina, Los Angeles, Silvestre Fernandes Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas, Robert Smith Savona, Gulph Mills, PA, Melissa Monosoff La Toque, Napa, CA, Ken Frank and Scott Tracy Tarbell’s, Phoenix, Mark Tarbell Tria, Philadelphia, Michael McCaulley Troquet, Boston, Chris Campbell OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL Tito Beveridge, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Austin, TX Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, CA Alex Golitzin, Quilceda Creek Vintners, Snohomish, WA Paul Grieco, Hearth and Terroir, NYC Bobby Heugel, Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston David Hirsch, Hirsch Vineyards, Cazadero, CA Charles Joly, The Drawing Room, Chicago Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, CA Steve McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY Rajat Parr, Mina Group, San Francisco Julie Reiner, Clover Club and Flatiron Lounge, NYC Neal Rosenthal, Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Shekomeko, NY Jorg Rupf, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC Todd Thrasher, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA Julian Van Winkle III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, Louisville, KY David Wondrich, NYC RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR Justin Aprahamian, Sanford, Milwaukee Andrew Ashmore, The Greene House, Scottsdale, AZ Benjamin Bailly, Fraîche, Culver City, CA Sean Baker, Gather, Berkeley, CA Clayton Chapman, The Grey Plume, Omaha, NE Sean Ehland, Kaya, Pittsburgh Eric Gabrynowicz, Restaurant North, Armonk, NY Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta Will Gilson, Garden at the Cellar, Cambridge, MA Sam Gorenstein, BLT Steak at the Betsy Hotel, Miami Beach, FL Perry Hoffman, étoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA Casey Lane, The Tasting Kitchen, Venice, CA Greg LaPrad, Quiessence, Phoenix Matt Lightner, Castagna, Portland, OR Aaron London, Ubuntu, Napa, CA Anthony Martin, Tru, Chicago Thomas McNaughton, flour + water, San Francisco Paul Qui, Uchiko, Austin, TX Dan Richer, Arturo's, Maplewood, NJ Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland Jesse Schenker, Recette, NYC Sheldon Simeon, Star Noodle, Lahaina, HI Bjorn Somlo, Nudel, Lenox, MA Nicholas Stefanelli, Bibiana, Washington, D.C. Lee Styer, Fond, Philadelphia Michael Toscano, Manzo, NYC Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC Sameh Wadi, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Minneapolis Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn, Lummi Island, WA Sue Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA

BEST CHEF: GREAT LAKES Myles Anton, Trattoria Stella, Traverse City, MI Zachary Bruell, L'Albatros, Cleveland Aaron Butts, Joseph Decuis, Roanoke, IN Michael Carlson, Schwa, Chicago Craig Common, The Common Grill, Chelsea, MI Curtis Duffy, Avenues at the Peninsula, Chicago Dirk Flanigan, Henri, Chicago David Gilbert, Forest Grill, Birmingham, MI Anne Kearney, Rue Dumaine, Dayton, OH Dale Levitski, Sprout, Chicago Regina Mehallick, R bistro, Indianapolis Chris Nugent, Les Nomades, Chicago Steven J. Oakley, Oakleys bistro, Indianapolis Kent Rigsby, Rigsby's Kitchen, Columbus, OH Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago David Tallent, Restaurant Tallent, Bloomington, IN Paul Virant, Vie, Western Springs, IL Eric Williams, Momocho, Cleveland Magdiale Wolmark, Dragonfly Neo-V Cuisine, Columbus, OH Alex Young, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC Andrew Araneo, Drew’s Bayshore Bistro, Keyport, NJ Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA Pierre Calmels, Bibou, Philadelphia Jay Caputo, Espuma, Rehoboth Beach, DE Bertrand Chemel, 2941 Restaurant, Falls Church, VA Melissa Close-Hart, Palladio at Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville, VA Tony Conte, The Oval Room, Washington, D.C. David Gilberg, KOO ZEE DOO, Philadelphia Michael Krikorian, The Copper Canyon Restaurant, Atlantic Highlands, NJ Johnny Monis, Komi, Washington, D.C. Peter Pastan, Obelisk, Washington, D.C. Maricel Presilla, Cucharamama, Hoboken, NJ Dave Racicot, Notion, Oakmont, PA Dale Reitzer, Acacia, Richmond, VA Chip Roman, Blackfish, Conshohocken, PA Adán Saavedra, Paloma, Philadelphia John B. Shields, Town House, Chilhowie, VA Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C. Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore BEST CHEF: MIDWEST Erik Anderson, Sea Change, Minneapolis Justin Aprahamian, Sanford, Milwaukee Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery, Minneapolis Justin Carlisle, 43 North, Madison, WI Jennifer Coco, The Flatiron Cafe, Omaha, NE Gerard Craft, Niche, St. Louis Timothy Fischer, HoDo Restaurant at the Hotel Donaldson, Fargo, ND Doug Flicker, Piccolo, Minneapolis Colby Garrelts, Bluestem, Kansas City, MO Jonathan Justus, Justus Drugstore, Smithville, MO Russell Klein, Meritage, St. Paul, MN Steve Logsdon, Lucca, Des Moines, IA Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, WI Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe, St. Louis Lenny Russo, Heartland, St. Paul, MN Jason Simon, Alba, Des Moines, IA Matt Steigerwald, Lincoln Café, Mt. Vernon, IA Dan Van Rite, Hinterland, Milwaukee Jim Webster, Wild Rice, Bayfield, WI Kevin Willmann, Farmhaus, St. Louis BEST CHEF: NEW YORK CITY Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig Saul Bolton, Saul Marco Canora, Hearth Scott Conant, Scarpetta Polo Dobkin, Dressler Wylie Dufresne, wd~50 Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune Sara Jenkins, Porchetta Craig Koketsu, Park Avenue Sotohiro Kosugi, Soto Mark Ladner, Del Posto Paul Liebrandt, Corton Anita Lo, Annisa George Mendes, Aldea Missy Robbins, A Voce Masa Takayama, Masa Bill Telepan, Telepan Michael White, Marea Galen Zamarra, Mas (farmhouse) BEST CHEF: NORTHEAST Francesco Buitoni, Mercato, Red Hook, NY Tim Cushman, o ya, Boston Krista Kern Desjarlais, Bresca, Portland, ME Jason Gulisano, The Green Cup, Waitsfield, VT Gerry Hayden, The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold, NY Brian Hill, Francine, Camden, ME Matt Jennings, La Laiterie, Providence Megan Chase, Penelle Chase, Phoebe Chase, and Ted LaFage, Chase's Daily, Belfast, ME Serge Madikians, Serevan, Amenia, NY Evan Mallett, Black Trumpet Bistro, Portsmouth, NH Tony Maws, Craigie On Main, Cambridge, MA Daniel Nilsson, DA/BA, Hudson, NY Peter Platt, The Old Inn On the Green, New Marlborough, MA Demos Regas, Emilitsa, Portland, ME Bjorn Somlo, Nudel, Lenox, MA Champe Speidel, Persimmon, Bristol, RI Suzanne Stack, Suzanne Fine Regional Cuisine, Lodi, NY Bill Taibe, LeFarm, Westport, CT Nathaniel Wade, ¡Duino! (Duende), Burlington, VT Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, VT BEST CHEF: NORTHWEST Chris Ainsworth, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, Walla Walla, WA Matthew Bennett, Sybaris, Albany, OR Andy Blanton, Cafe Kandahar, Whitefish, MT Dustan Bristol, Brick 29 Bistro, Nampa, ID Seif Chirchi and Rachel Yang, Joule, Seattle Matt Dillon, Sitka & Spruce, Seattle Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill, Jackson Hole, WY Mark Fuller, Spring Hill, Seattle John Gorham, Toro Bravo, Portland, OR Christopher Israel, Grüner, Portland, OR Jenn Louis, Lincoln, Portland, OR Paul O’Connor, Il Villaggio Osteria, Teton Village, WY Andy Ricker, Pok Pok, Portland, OR Daniel Roberts, Q Cuisine, Billings, MT Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR Ethan Stowell, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Seattle Jason Stratton, Spinasse, Seattle Ian Troxler, Lone Mountain Ranch, Big Sky, MT Christopher Vane, Crush, Anchorage, AK Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Portland, OR BEST CHEF: PACIFIC Josef Centeno, Lazy Ox Canteen, Los Angeles Kevin Chong, Chef Mavro, Honolulu Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles Josiah Citrin, Mélisse, Santa Monica, CA Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook, Animal, Los Angeles Laurence Jossel, Nopa, San Francisco Loretta Keller, COCO500, San Francisco Andrew Kirschner, Wilshire, Santa Monica, CA Chris Kobayashi, Artisan, Paso Robles, CA Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco Daniel Patterson, COI, San Francisco Gayle Pirie and John Clark, Foreign Cinema, San Francisco Laurent Quenioux, Bistro LQ, Los Angeles Richard Reddington, Redd, Yountville, CA Carl Schroeder, Market, Del Mar, CA John Rivera Sedlar, Rivera, Los Angeles James Syhabout, Commis, Oakland, CA Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco BEST CHEF: SOUTH Zach Bell, Café Boulud, Palm Beach, FL Scott Boswell, Stella!, New Orleans Aaron Burgau, Patois, New Orleans Chris Dupont, Café Dupont, Birmingham, AL Adolfo Garcia, RioMar, New Orleans John Harris, Lilette, New Orleans Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL Scott Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s, Lake Buena Vista, FL Philip Krajeck, Fish Out of Water at WaterColor Inn & Resort, Santa Rosa Beach, FL Dean James Max, 3030 Ocean at Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL Tory McPhail, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans James and Julie Petrakis, The Ravenous Pig, Winter Park, FL Hari Pulapaka, Cress, DeLand, FL Lee Richardson, Ashley’s at Capital Hotel, Little Rock, AR Taylor Bowen Ricketts, Delta Bistro, Greenwood, MS Philippe Ruiz, Palme d’Or at the Biltmore, Coral Gables, FL David Solazzo and Torre Solazzo, Ristorante Del Porto, Covington, LA Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon, New Orleans Wesley True, True, Mobile, AL BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST Hugh Acheson, Five and Ten, Athens, GA Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA Ashley Christensen, Poole's, Raleigh, NC Scott Crawford, Herons at the Umstead Hotel and Spa, Cary, NC Craig Deihl, Cypress, Charleston, SC John Fleer, Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley, Cashiers, NC Damian Heath, Lot 12 Public House, Berkeley Springs, WV Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta Scott Howell, Nana's, Durham, NC Shane Ingram, Four Square, Durham, NC Anthony Lamas, Seviche, Louisville, KY Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, KY Ouita Michel, Holly Hill Inn, Midway, KY Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC Keith Rhodes, Catch, Wilmington, NC Hector Santiago, Pura Vida, Atlanta Chip Smith, Bonne Soirée, Chapel Hill, NC Aaron Vandemark, Panciuto, Hillsborough, NC Ken Vedrinski, Trattoria Lucca, Charleston, SC Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville, TN BEST CHEF: SOUTHWEST Bruce Auden, Biga on the Banks, San Antonio Bertrand Bouquin, Summit at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO Kevin Binkley, Binkley’s Restaurant, Cave Creek, AZ Bowman Brown and Viet Pham, Forage, Salt Lake City Bryan Caswell, Reef, Houston Saipin Chutima, Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin, TX Mitsuo Endo, Aburiya Raku, Las Vegas Mark Fischer, Restaurant Six89, Carbondale, CO Ryan Hardy, Montagna at the Little Nell, Aspen, CO Jennifer James, Jennifer James 101, Albuquerque, NM Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja, Denver Kelly Liken, Kelly Liken, Vail, CO Armando Pomales, Café Central, El Paso, TX Martín Rios, Restaurant Martín, Santa Fe, NM Randy Rucker, Bootsie's Heritage Cafe, Tomball, TX Teiichi Sakurai, Tei-An, Dallas Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Cafe, Phoenix Alex Seidel, Fruition Restaurant, Denver John R. Sharpe, The Turquoise Room at La Posada Hotel, Winslow, AZ