Update at 10:47 am: The three Kansas City semifinalists for the James Beard award did not make the final cut. Finalists were announced Tuesday.
The original post appears below:
The James Beard awards have been described as the "Oscars of the food world." Named for the cookbook author and teacher, they're considered the highest honor for chefs, restaurants, and other food professionals in the United States.
Finalists will be announced Tuesday.
The selection process began back in October 2013 with an open call. A committee of critics, writers, and editors, narrowed down the nearly 40,000 online submissions to a list of semifinalists. Semifinalists were announced on February 19, and included three from the Kansas City area:
Outstanding Pastry Chef category:
- Nick Wesemann of The American Restaurant
Best Chef: Midwest category:
- Ted Habiger of Room 39
- Howard Hanna of The Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange
A live feed of the announcement of finalists will be offered on Tuesday, starting at 9:30 a.m. central time. The Beard Foundation will also be live tweeting.
The winners of the 2014 James Beard awards will be announced in May in New York City.
Colby Garrelts of bluestem received the Best Chef: Midwest award in 2013. In previous years, The American Restaurant also garnered Best Chef: Midwest in 2007 and 1999, and Strouds received the award for America's Classics in 1998.
