Here Are the Local James Beard Foundation Semifinalists for 2018

Awards season is back again. Today, the James Beard Foundation announced the list of semifinalists for the 2018 restaurant and chef awards, spanning 21 categories and taken from over 20,000 online entries. A committee was responsible for narrowing down the online entry list based on eligibility and regional representation.

The next step is that an independent volunteer judging panel will further narrow the list down to nominees; that list will be announced on March 14. Finally, the same judging panel will choose winners, which will be announced at a glitzy event on May 7 in Chicago. (Winners of the James Beard media awards, which honor food journalists, cookbook authors, and more, will be announced at a separate event on April 27 in New York.)

Here are the New England semifinalists for 2018 James Beard Foundation restaurant and chef awards, which include plenty of familiar names from past years, such as Maura Kilpatrick, Ken Oringer, Joanne Chang, and Garrett Harker:

Massachusetts

People

• Cassie Piuma (Sarma, Somerville) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Garrett Harker (Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34, and others, Boston and beyond) — Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist
• Irene Li (Mei Mei, Boston) — Rising Star Chef of the Year semifinalist
• JC Tetreault and Esther Tetreault (Trillium Brewing Company, Boston) — Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional semifinalists)
• Joanne Chang (Flour Bakery + Cafe, Boston and beyond) — Outstanding Chef semifinalist
• Juan Pedrosa (Yvonne’s, Boston) — Rising Star Chef of the Year semifinalist
• Karen Akunowicz (Myers + Chang, Boston) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Ken Oringer (Uni, Little Donkey, Toro, and others, Boston and beyond) — Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist
• Maura Kilpatrick (Sofra Bakery and Café, Cambridge) — Outstanding Baker semifinalist
• Renae Connolly (Benedetto, Cambridge) — Outstanding Pastry Chef semifinalist
• Seizi Imura (Cafe Sushi, Cambridge) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Tiffani Faison (Tiger Mama, Boston) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Tony Messina (Uni, Boston) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Unmi Abkin (Coco & The Cellar Bar, Easthampton) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist

Restaurants

• The Baldwin Bar (Woburn) — Outstanding Bar Program semifinalist
• Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks (Boston) — Outstanding Service semifinalist
• Grill 23 & Bar (Boston) — Outstanding Wine Program semifinalist
• Les Sablons (Cambridge) — Best New Restaurant semifinalist
• O Ya (Boston) — Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist
• Taberna de Haro (Brookline) — Outstanding Wine Program semifinalist

Connecticut

• Tyler Anderson (Millwright’s, Simsbury) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Brian Lewis (The Cottage, Westport) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist

Maine

People

• Alison Pray (Standard Baking Co., Portland) — Outstanding Baker semifinalist
• Cara Stadler (Tao Yuan, Brunswick) — Rising Star Chef of the Year semifinalist
• Erin French (The Lost Kitchen, Freedom) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Ilma Lopez (Piccolo, Portland) — Outstanding Pastry Chef semifinalist
• Keiko Suzuki Steinberger (Suzuki’s Sushi Bar, Rockland) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Krista Kern Desjarlais (The Purple House, North Yarmouth) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Ravin Nakjaroen (Long Grain, Camden) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Sam Hayward (Fore Street, Portland) — Outstanding Chef semifinalist
• Vien Dobui (Cong Tu Bot, Portland) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist

Restaurants

• The Back Bay Grill (Portland) — Outstanding Service semifinalist
• Chase’s Daily (Belfast) — Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist

New Hampshire

• Matt Louis (Moxy, Portsmouth) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist

Rhode Island

• Benjamin Sukle (Oberlin, Providence) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Champe Speidel (Persimmon, Providence) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Johanne Killeen (Al Forno, Providence) — Outstanding Chef semifinalist

Vermont

People

• Cara Chigazola-Tobin (Honey Road, Burlington) — Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist
• Deirdre Heekin (La Garagista, Bethel) — Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional semifinalist

Restaurants

• Honey Road (Burlington) — Best New Restaurant semifinalist

The James Beard Foundation already announced the five recipients of this year’s America’s Classics awards, including Boston’s own Galleria Umberto, the North End’s longtime Sicilian pizza standby.

• James Beard Foundation [Official Site]
• Here Are the 2018 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists [E]
• The 2018 James Beard Awards Semifinalist List Reckons With #MeToo [E]