More than a dozen metro Detroit chefs and restaurants have been named as semifinalists for the James Beard Awards. The list of semi-finalists for awards in national and regional categories was released on Wednesday.
The James Beard Awards are considered the most prestigious awards for culinary excellence. The annual awards are considered the Oscars of the culinary scene. They recognize restaurants and chefs across the country for their achievements and skills in multiple categories.
In nationwide categories Sandy LevinOwners of Freya, Chartreuse in Detroit and Oakland in Ferndale have been named restaurants of excellence. Hajime Sato of Sozai in Clawson was recognized as a semi-finalist in the Outstanding Chef category. Sato is known for his passion for sustainability. Sozai was named Detroit Free Press’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year. Amado LopezOwner of Casa Amado Taqueria in Berkley, was among the emerging chefs in the semifinals.
Good cakes and casseroles was nominated for the category “Outstanding Bakery”. The remarkable Livernois bakery on Detroit’s historic Avenue of Fashion trade corridor was founded almost 10 years ago and is owned by April Anderson and her wife and business partner, Michelle Anderson.
spencera neighborhood wine shop and restaurant in Ann Arbor, is among the 20 semifinalists for the Outstanding Wines and Beverages program.
In the Best Chef Great Lakes category, nine—the same number as last year—received chefs from Detroit in the semifinals. The category includes chefs from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. In recent years, the category has been dominated by Chicago chefs. This year it’s dominated by these semifinalists from Michigan chefs:
- Omar AnaniSafran De Twah, Detroit
- Abraham BerensGranor Farm, Three Oaks
- Norbert GaritaEl Barzon, Detroit
- Andy HolidaySelden Standard, Detroit
- Ji Hye KimMiss Kim, Ann Arbor
- Hamissi Mamba and Nadia NijimbereBaobab Fare, Detroit
- Michael RansomIma Izakaya, Detroit
- Sarah WalchBone Marrow, Detroit
Omar Anani, Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, Mike Ransom and Sarah Welch were all recognized as semi-finalists in the Best Chef 2022 category. Anani went on as a finalist but did not win. Ji Hye Kim was named a semi-finalist in the Outstanding Chefs category in 2022.
At the 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards, the James Beard Foundation honored Warda Bouguettaya, owner of Midtown’s Warda Pâtisserie, with the title of Outstanding Pastry Chef. Bouguettaya’s win marked the first time a Detroit chef had taken home a James Beard Award in nearly 30 years.
Finalists will be announced March 29 and final winners will be named June 5 at the James Beard Foundation Awards Gala at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Visit jamesbeard.org for the full list of semi-finalists.
Contact Susan Selasky, food writer for the Detroit Free Press, and send food and restaurant news to: [email protected] Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
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