2012 James Beard Award Semifinalists

We want to congratulate all of the James Beard Foundation semifinalists in the 2012 Restaurant and Chef Awards categories, including Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Bar Program, Outstanding Chef and Rising Star.

Specifically, we'd like to shout out the chefs and restaurant pros we've featured over the past year on Food Republic. Here are some of those stories so you can familiarize yourself with the contenders:


Our crack pie dealer Christina Tosi told us about winning the job at Momofuku Ssam. And her Halloween candy bag.

Mozza's Nancy Silverton had a correction to make in her award-winning cookbook.

A visit with the chefs at Nashville's white-hot Catbird Seat.

Sampling the Pimientos de Padrón at New York's Tertulia.

Marc Vetri details a bloody kitchen injury.

Mile End owner Noah Bernamoff is one matzo baller.

PDT owner Jim Meehan told us how to pack booze for the beach.

Sean Brock, chef at Husk in Charleston, SC, shared his recipe for PBR vinegar.

Eleven Madison Park chef Daniel Humm is a marathon man, in for the long haul. Plus, a video about his last supper.


Best New Restaurant

AQ, San Francisco

The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis

Bistronomic, Chicago

The Catbird Seat, Nashville, TN

The Dorrance, Providence, RI

The Farm and Fisherman, Philadelphia

Fiola, Washington, D.C.

Harvest, Louisville, KY

Isa, NYC

Little Serow, Washington, D.C.

The Macintosh, Charleston, SC

MB Post, Manhattan Beach, CA

Next, Chicago

Ollie Irene, Mountain Brook, AL

Park Tavern, San Francisco

Petite Jacqueline, Portland, ME

Picca, Los Angeles

Pistou, Burlington, VT

Pondicheri, Houston

Restaurant 1833, Monterey, CA

Salt, St. Louis

ShinBay, Scottsdale, AZ

Tashan, Philadelphia

Tertulia, NYC

Trade, Boston

Tremont, NYC

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Miami Beach, FL

Outstanding Bar Program

Arnaud's French 75 Bar, New Orleans

The Aviary, Chicago

Bar Agricole, San Francisco

Beretta, San Francisco

Clyde Common, Portland, OR

The Columbia Room, Washington, D.C.

Cook & Brown Public House, Providence, RI

Cure, New Orleans

Drink, Boston

The Esquire Tavern, San Antonio, TX

The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia

High West Distillery & Saloon, Park City, UT

Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta

La Belle Vie, Minneapolis

The Old Fashioned, Madison, WI

PDT, NYC

Pegu Club, NYC

The Porter Beer Bar, Atlanta

PX, Alexandria, VA

Rivera, Los Angeles

Standard Tap, Philadelphia

The Violet Hour, Chicago

Outstanding Chef

Sean Brock, McCrady's, Charleston, SC

David Chang, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, NYC

Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco

Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles

Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park, NYC

Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago

Melissa Kelly, Primo, Rockland, ME

David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA

Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia, Chicago

Tim McKee, La Belle Vie, Minneapolis

Carrie Nahabedian, Naha, Chicago

Vitaly Paley, Paley's Place, Portland, OR

Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco

Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles, Dallas

Frank Ruta, Palena, Washington, D.C.

Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles

Holly Smith, Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Cafe, Boston

Melissa Chou, Aziza, San Francisco

Patrick Fahy, Café des Architectes, Chicago

Ken Forkish, Ken's Artisan Bakery, Portland, OR

Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart Bakery, Minneapolis

Hedy Goldsmith, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami

Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery and Cafe, Cambridge, MA

Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, Olivea, Denver

Lisa Lu, Jardinière, San Francisco

Tiffany MacIsaac, Birch & Barley, Washington, D.C.

Cheryl Maffai and Jonathan Stevens, Hungry Ghost Bread, Northampton, MA

Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles

Ghaya Oliveira, Boulud Sud, NYC

Jessie Prawlucki, Fond / Belle Cakery, Philadelphia

Aaron Russell, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta

Mindy Segal, Mindy's HotChocolate, Chicago

Philip Speer, Uchi, Austin, TX

Bob Truitt, Ai Fiori, NYC

Outstanding Restaurant

Balthazar, NYC

Blue Hill, NYC

Boulevard, San Francisco

Canlis, Seattle

Charleston, Baltimore

Fore Street, Portland, ME

Foreign Cinema, San Francisco

Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL

The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento, CA

Magnolia Grill, Durham, NC

Marcel's, Washington, D.C.

Oleana, Cambridge, MA

Patina, Los Angeles

Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas

Restaurant Alma, Minneapolis

Terra, St. Helena, CA

Tru, Chicago

Vetri, Philadelphia

Outstanding Restaurateur

Nick Badovinus, Flavor Hook, Dallas

Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C.

Tom Baron and Bill Fuller, big Burrito Restaurant Group, Pittsburgh

Roger Berkowitz, Legal Sea Foods, Boston

Frank Bonanno, Bonanno Concepts, Denver

Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg, Blue Ribbon Restaurants, NYC

Richard D'Amico and Larry D'Amico, D'Amico & Partners, Minneapolis

Jason Dady, Jason Dady Restaurants, San Antonio, TX

Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants, Seattle

Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Scottsdale, AZ

Richard Gonzmart, Columbia Restaurant, Tampa, FL

Mike Klank and Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta

Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality, Chicago

Nick Pihakis, Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, Birmingham, AL

Piero Selvaggio, Valentino Restaurant Group, Santa Monica, CA

Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants, Philadelphia

Caroline Styne, Lucques/A.O.C./Tavern, Los Angeles

Phil Suarez, Suarez Restaurant Group, NYC

Outstanding Service

Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court Hotel, Palm Beach, FL

Clancy's, New Orleans

The Compound, Santa Fe, NM

Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA

Fountain Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, Philadelphia

The French Room at the Adolphus Hotel, Dallas

Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas

L'Espalier, Boston

La Grenouille, NYC

Manny's Steakhouse, Minneapolis

Michael Mina, San Francisco

Nopa, San Francisco

The Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton, Louisville, KY

Picholine, NYC

Providence, Los Angeles

Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA

Spiaggia, Chicago

Topolobampo, Chicago

Outstanding Wine Program

The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN

Café on the Green at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving, TX

Canlis, Seattle

Charleston, Baltimore

CityZen at Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C.

CUT at Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, CA

Emeril's New Orleans

Five and Ten, Athens, GA

Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO

Hatfield's, Los Angeles

No. 9 Park, Boston

Patina, Los Angeles

Perbacco, San Francisco

Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas

Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA

Sepia, Chicago

Tria, Philadelphia

Troquet, Boston

Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional

Ron Cooper, Del Maguey, Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM

Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, CA

Greg Engert, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Alexandria, VA

Alex Golitzin, Quilceda Creek Vintners, Snohomish, WA

Paul Grieco, Terroir, NYC

Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

Lance Hanson, Peak Spirits, Hotchkiss, CO

David Hirsch, Hirsch Vineyards, Cazadero, CA

Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non, Ventura, CA

Jim Koch, The Boston Beer Company, Boston

Steve McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR

Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery, NYC

Jorge Ordoñez, Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA

Virginia Philip, Virginia Philip Wine Shop & Academy, West Palm Beach, FL

Neal Rosenthal, Mad Rose Group, Pine Plains, NY

Jörg Rupf, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA

Abe Schoener, The Scholium Project, Napa, CA

Eric Solomon, Eric Solomon Selections – European Cellars, Charlotte, NC

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Noah Bernamoff, Mile End, NYC

Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco

Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC

Clayton Chapman, The Grey Plume, Omaha, NE

Joe Cicala, Le Virtù, Philadelphia

Preston Clark, El Paseo, Mill Valley, CA

Chad Colby, Mozza2Go, Los Angeles

Joshua Drew, Farmshop, Santa Monica, CA

Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta

Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine, Austin, TX

Grant Gordon, Tony's, Houston

Emma Hearst, Sorella, NYC

Matthew Kirkley, L2O, Chicago

Casey Lane, The Tasting Kitchen, Venice, CA

Aaron London, Ubuntu, Napa, CA

Sara Lukasiewicz, Red Devon, Bangall, NY

Thomas McNaughton, flour + water, San Francisco

JD Morton, Domaine Hudson, Wilmington, DE

David Posey, Blackbird, Chicago

Jesse Schenker, Recette, NYC

Lee Styer, Fond, Philadelphia

Benjamin Sukle, The Dorrance, Providence, RI

Max Sussman, Roberta's, NYC

Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC

Jarrod Verbiak, DB Bistro Moderne at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami

Sameh Wadi, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Minneapolis

Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn, Lummi Island, WA

Micah Wexler, Mezze, Los Angeles

Kris Yenbamroong, Talésai, West Hollywood, CA

Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's, New Orleans