SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- James Boyce -- chef de cuisine at The Phoenician's culinary showpiece Mary Elaine's -- is one of five chefs to be nominated for "Best Chef" in the Southwest for the 12th annual James Beard Foundation Awards.

According to the Foundation, chefs selected in the American Express Best Chefs category "must display outstanding achievement in their regions." The other Best Chef nominees in the Southwest include: Bruce Auden, Biga on the Banks, San Antonio; Tim Keating, Quattro at The Four Seasons Hotel, Houston; Kent Rathbun, Abacus, Dallas; and Julian Serrano, Picasso at The Bellagio, Las Vegas.  Read more...