Local chef in semifinals for national culinary award

The James Beard Awards are like the Oscars of the culinary world.

James Beard award winning chef Ashley Christensen’s Death and Taxes was named a semi-finalist for best new restaurant.

The most decorated among the semifinalists is Alter, an adventurous Wynwood spot co-owned by 29-year-old chef Bradley Kilgore. This is his fifth time being honored in the Best Chef: South category. Others were from Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Michigan, Cleveland and Detroit.

The finalist list will be announced on Tuesday, March 15, with the awards ceremony held on May 2 in NY. Graydon’s middle name comes from Joe’s longtime mentor and friend, Chef Jim Noble of Rooster’s.

Joe and Katy Kindred opened their Main Street restaurant early past year, quickly gaining national attention when Bon Appetit magazine named them one of 2015’s best new restaurants.

This is Jose Mendin’s fifth year as a semifinalist and Rapicavoli’s second year on the list. After culinary school, he worked as a pastry chef for Michelin-ranked restaurants Coi in San Francisco and Commis in Oakland.

Commander’s Palace joins the line up this year for Outstanding Wine Program.

Semifinalists for the Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards are selected from thousands of online entries, a process that’s overseen by a committee of industry professionals. Since the foundation started releasing the list in 2009, after it was leaked to the press in 2008, a bit more than half of the names have been repeated from one year to the next.

The latest national attention focused on Pittsburgh’s culinary scene comes with today’s highly anticipated announcement of the semifinalists for the 2016 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards.

Brigtsen’s Restaurant was again nominated this year for the Outstanding Service award, along with returning nominee Restaurant August. Texas made a highly respectable showing, with twenty individuals or restaurants making the cut.