Asheville well-represented in Beard Award semifinalists

The James Beard Awards has announced its list of semifinalists for the 2022 honors.

James Beard semifinalists in the area include Chai Pani, Asheville, in the Outstanding Restaurant category; Cleophus Hethington, Benne on Eagle, Asheville, in the Emerging Chef category; Nani's Piri Piri Chicken, Asheville, in the Best New Restaurant category; Susannah Gebhart, Old World Levain (OWL) Bakery, Asheville, in the Outstanding Baker category; Cúrate, Asheville, in the Outstanding Hospitality category; and Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, in the Best Southeast Chef category.

The James Beard Awards are considered the highest honor available to those in the American restaurant and food industry.

Winners in the Restaurant and Chef Awards categories will be announced on March 16. All winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 13 in Chicago.

The James Beard Awards mission “is to recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.”

The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability.

Anointed the “Dean of American cookery” by the New York Times in 1954, James Beard laid the groundwork for the food revolution that has put America at the forefront of global gastronomy. He was a pioneer foodie and an early champion of local products and markets.