The James Beard Foundation has released its short list of nominees for awards in all categories, including media. The long list for awards was announced in late February, but now it's been whittled down, and we still made the cut.
Congrats to Hugo Ortega of Hugo's, Chris Shepherd of Underbelly and Justin Yu of Oxheart on their nominations for Best Chef Southwest. They join two other chefs, Kevin Binkley of Binkley's in Cave Creek, Arizona, and Bryce Gilmore of Barley Swine in Austin, meaning three out of the five nominees are Houstonians.
This is Yu's first time as a finalist; Shepherd and Ortega have been finalists in the past.
Another Houstonian was also nominated--Alison Cook, for her reviews in the Houston Chronicle. The James Beard Foundation noted three reviews in the nomination: "Corkscrew BBQ a New Houston Classic," "The Cosmic Soup of Pho Hung" and "The Pass Unleashes Plates of Playfulness."
The awards will take place in New York City in May. The Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards ceremony will be held on May 2, and the James Beard Awards Gala, featuring all of the restaurant awards, is set for May 5.
