"Beard Awards Semifinalists Announced"

Semifinalists for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards, based on 15,000 entries, have been announced, and as usual there are a slew of local contenders. The finalists will be announced on March 23, when a panel of 400 judges (including restaurant critics, magazine editors, and past award winners) will winnow the nominees down to five per category, and eventually pick winners to be honored at the May 4 ceremony at Avery Fisher Hall. (This year, Lidia Bastianich will guide a celebration of women in food.) Click through to see the list of nominees, with hometown heroes in bold. Read More...