The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for the prestigious James Beard Awards, recognizing the top food talent in the US, and six Triangle chefs + restaurants have been named among the cream of the crop.
Here’s who you need to know:
- Scott Crawford: Outstanding Restaurateur
- Ricky Moore, Saltbox Seafood Joint: Outstanding Chef
- Bhavin Chhatwani, Tamasha Modern Indian: Emerging Chef
- Figulina: Best New Restaurant
- The Bar Beej: Best New Bar
- Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue: Best Chef: Southeast
If you’re keeping up, Crawford and Son was among the nominees in 2024, and Durham’s Ricky Moore nabbed Best Chef: Southeast in 2022.
The Bar Beej, Cheeni Durham’s adjoining Bollywood-themed speakeasy, isn’t Chef Preeti Waas’s first brush with the James Beard Awards — Waas is a two-time semifinalist for Cheeni’s original Raleigh emporium.
First timers include: Bhavin Chhatwani who orchestrates the grand performance of Tamasha in North Hills; Figulina and its tasty Italian-meets-English inspired menu; and Christopher Prieto of Prime Barbecue fame out in Knightdale. Plus, Sunny Gerhart of St. Roch was listed for his Wilmington restaurant Olivero.
