Kuleto, Phan, Mina and Appleman Among Semi-Finalists For '09 James Beard Awards

The semi-finalists for this year's James Beard Awards have just been announced, with the Bay Area making a fairly impressive showing. Three local restaurant groups got nods for the Outstanding Restaurateur award: Bill Higgins and Bill Upson (Bix, Picco, Betelnut, et al), the Pat Kuleto Empire, and the Washington/Rosenthal/Rosenthal trio (Town Hall, Salt House, A&H).

Other notable picks include Michael Mina and Charles Phan for Outstanding Chef; Nate Appleman for Rising Star Chef; Deanie Fox (Ubuntu) and Nicole Plue (Redd) for Outstanding Pastry Chef; Boulevard, Delfina and Greens for Outstanding Restaurant; and Bottega and Camino for Best New Restaurant. The final list of nominations will come out on March 23 and the awards will be handed out on May 4. The full list of the semi-finalists for all the main categories and the Best Chef in the Pacific Region is below.

2009 James Beard Foundation Awards

Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR

Ashok Bajaj, The Oval Room, The Bombay Club, Ardeo, Bardeo, 701, and Rasika, Washington, D.C.
Tom Baron, Big Burrito Restaurant Group, Pittsburgh
Roger Berkowitz, Legal Sea Foods, Boston
Frank Bonanno, Mizuna, Luca D’Italia, and Osteria Marco, Denver
Jimmy Bradley, Red Cat Restaurants, NYC
Larry D’Amico and Richard D’Amico, D’Amico & Partners, Minneapolis
Tom Douglas, Dahlia Lounge, Palace Kitchen, Etta’s, Lola, Serious Pie, and Dahlia Bakery, Seattle
Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Scottsdale, AZ
Jim Goode and Levi Goode, Goode Company Restaurants, Houston
Bill Higgins and Bill Upson, Real Restaurants, Sausalito, CA
Pano Karatassos, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, Atlanta
Pat Kuleto, Pat Kuleto Restaurant Development & Management Co., San Francisco
Keith McNally, Balthazar, Schiller’s Liquor Bar, Pastis, Morandi, Lucky Strike, and Pravda, NYC
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Chicago
Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group, NYC
Dennis Quaintance, Nancy King Quaintance, and Mike Weaver, Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants, Greensboro, NC
Ralph Rubio, Rubio’s Restaurants, Carlsbad, CA
Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurant Organization, Philadelphia
Alan Stillman and Michael Stillman, Fourth Wall Restaurants, NYC
Doug Washington, Mitchell Rosenthal, and Steven Rosenthal, Town Hall, Salt House, and Anchor & Hope, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING CHEF

José Andrés, Minibar, Washington, D.C.
Dan Barber, Blue Hill, NYC
Tom Colicchio, Craft, NYC
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
Vincent Guerithault, Vincent on Camelback, Phoenix
Sam Hayward, Fore Street, Portland, ME
Jean Joho, Everest, Chicago
Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago
Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park, Boston
Michael Mina, Michael Mina, San Francisco
Tamara Murphy, Brasa, Seattle
Scott Peacock, Watershed, Decatur, GA
Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco
Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles, Dallas
Anne Quatrano, Bacchanalia, Atlanta
Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA
Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL
Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia
Janos Wilder, Janos, Tucson, AZ
Michael Smith, Restaurant Michael Smith, Kansas City, MO

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT

Alan Wong’s Restaurant, Honolulu
Babbo, NYC
Bacchanalia, Atlanta
Bern’s Steak House, Tampa, FL
Blackbird, Chicago
Boulevard, San Francisco
Brigtsen’s, New Orleans
Delfina, San Francisco
Everest, Chicago
Fore Street, Portland, ME
Greens, San Francisco
Hamersley's Bistro, Boston
Higgins Restaurant and Bar, Portland, OR
Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL
Jean Georges, NYC
Kinkead’s, Washington, D.C.
Lucia’s Restaurant, Minneapolis
Magnolia Grill, Durham, NC
Sanford, Milwaukee
Vidalia, Washington, D.C.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Animal, Los Angeles
The Bazaar by José Andrés at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Bottega, Yountville, CA
Camino, Oakland, CA
Cork, Washington, D.C.
Corton, NYC
Distrito, Philadelphia
Django, Des Moines, IA
Emilitsa, Portland, ME
Feast, Houston
Holeman and Finch Public House, Atlanta
Hungry Mother, Cambridge, MA
Izakaya at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ
L2O, Chicago
Merriman’s Kapalua, Maui, Lahaina, HI
Momofuku Ko, NYC
Noca, Phoenix
Palate Food & Wine, Glendale, CA
Poppy, Seattle
Raku, Las Vegas
Richard Chen Pittsburgh
Scarpetta, NYC
Spinasse, Seattle
Sra. Martinez, Miami
Tei An, Dallas
Trattoria Lucca, Charleston, SC
Volt, Frederick, MD
Zahav, Philadelphia

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR

Nate Appleman, A16, San Francisco
Sean Brock, McCrady's, Charleston, SC
Aaron Deal, Tristan, Charleston, SC
Sonja Finn, Dinette, Pittsburgh
Evan Funke, Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, Santa Monica, CA
Vannessa Garcia, Restaurant Charlie at the Palazzo, Las Vegas
Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta
Will Gilson, Garden at the Cellar, Cambridge, MA
Sarah Kosikowski, Michael Mina at Bellagio, Las Vegas
Jackson Kramer, Interim Restaurant & Bar, Memphis
Travis Lett, Gjelina, Venice, CA
Jonathan McDonald, Pub & Kitchen, Philadelphia
Johnny Monis, Komi, Washington, D.C.
Dave Racicot, Lautrec at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, PA
Charles “Chip” Roman, Blackfish, Conshohocken, PA
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
Justin Schoville, Söntés, Rochester, MN
Ryan Skeen, Irving Mill, NYC
Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia
Sameh Wadi, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Minneapolis
Rachel Yang, Joule, Seattle
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's, New Orleans

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF

Cory Barrett, Lola, Cleveland
Beth Biundo, Lilette, New Orleans
David Collier, The Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas
Gina DePalma, Babbo, NYC
Deanie Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Kamel Guechida, Joël Robuchon at the Mansion at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Kate Honeyman, Buddakan, Philadelphia
Marie Jackson, The Flaky Tart, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery and Cafe, Cambridge, MA
Yasmín Lozada-Hissom, Duo, Denver
Jimmy MacMillan, Avenues at the Peninsula Chicago
James Miller, Cafe Besalu, Seattle
Zoe Nathan, Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, Santa Monica, CA
Pichet Ong, P*ong, NYC
Frederick Ortega, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, Philadelphia
Nicole Plue, Redd, Yountville, CA
Aaron Russell, The Chocolate Bar, Decatur, GA
Catherine Schimenti, Craft Los Angeles
Mindy Segal, Mindy’s HotChocolate, Chicago
Khanh Tran, Cosmos, Minneapolis

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE

Acquerello, San Francisco
Archie’s Waeside, Le Mars, IA
Avenues at the Peninsula Chicago
Bin 36, Chicago
Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Canlis, Seattle
Emeril’s New Orleans
Il Capriccio, Waltham, MA
Kazimierz World Wine Bar, Scottsdale, AZ
La Belle Vie, Minneapolis
La Toque, Napa, CA
Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, Philadelphia
Le Bernardin, NYC
Meritage, Boston
Palme d’Or at Biltmore, Coral Gables, FL
Park & Orchard, East Rutherford, NJ
Patina, Los Angeles
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas
Sona, Los Angeles

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL

David Adelsheim, Adelsheim Vineyard, Newberg, OR
Mannie Berk, The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA
T.A. Breaux, Jade Liqueurs, Birmingham, AL
Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head, Milton, DE
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., NYC
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines, Sebastopol, CA
Bob Foley, Robert Foley Vineyards, Angwin, CA
Hubert Germain-Robin, Germain-Robin, Ukiah, CA
Alex Golitzin, Quilceda Creek, Snohomish, WA
Josh Jensen, Calera, Hollister, CA
Jim Koch, The Boston Beer Company, Boston
Celia Masyczek, Corra Wines, St. Helena, CA
Stephen R. McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR
Garrett Oliver, The Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, CA
Eric Solomon, Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC
Anthony Terlato, Terlato Wine Group, Bannockburn, IL
Todd Thrasher, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
Albert Trummer, Apotheke, NYC
Julian P. Van Winkle, III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, Louisville, KY

OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Alan Wong’s Restaurant, Honolulu
The American Restaurant, Kansas City, MO
Brigtsen’s, New Orleans
Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA
Campanile, Los Angeles
Canlis, Seattle
Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC
Courtright’s Restaurant, Willow Springs, IL
Daniel, NYC
The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, Atlanta
Emeril’s New Orleans
La Grenouille, NYC
La Mer at Halekulani, Honolulu
Le Cirque at Bellagio, Las Vegas
Nobhill Tavern at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Palme d’Or at Biltmore, Coral Gables, FL
Pigalle, Boston
Sanford, Milwaukee
Spiaggia, Chicago
Vetri, Philadelphia

BEST CHEF: PACIFIC

Gino Angelini, Angelini Osteria, Los Angeles
James Boyce, Studio at Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, CA
Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles
Josiah Citrin, Melisse, Santa Monica, CA
Chris Cosentino, Incanto, San Francisco
Jeremy Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Hiroshi Fukui, Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas, Honolulu
Bev Gannon, Joe’s, Wailea, HI
Quinn Hatfield, Hatfield’s, Los Angeles
Douglas Keane, Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA
Loretta Keller, Coco500, San Francisco
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Chris Kobayashi, Artisan, Paso Robles, CA
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Peter Merriman, Merriman’s, Waimea, HI
David Myers, Sona, Los Angeles
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco
Gayle Pirie and John Clark, Foreign Cinema, San Francisco
Craig Strong, The Dining Room at the Langham, Pasadena, CA
Jason Travi, Fraiche, Culver City, CA