James Beard Award finalists announced, featuring one notable Charlotte chef
The 2023 James Beard Award finalists were released Wednesday, with chef Sam Hart of Charlotte moving forward in the Best Chef Southeast category.
Counter- and Biblio chef and owner Hart was a first-time James Beard Award Semifinalist, with a nomination in the Best Chef Southeast category. Hart moved onto the finals — a notable achievement for him and the newly opened restaurants.
“It’s a showcase of how stubborn this team has been,” Hart told CharlotteFive. “We felt so misunderstood the first two years, and this is a form of validation that makes the blood sweat and tears worth it. It’s not over. We aren’t at a finish line. This is still the beginning.”
Other Charlotte nominees included Best Chef, Best Chef Southeast and Outstanding Bar:
- Chef Greg Collier, who owns Leah & Louise and Uptown Yolk with his wife, Subrina, has been named a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast three times. This year, he was nominated as a semifinalist in a new category — Outstanding Chef — but he didn’t move on to the finals.
- Salud Cerveceria, owned by Jason and Dairelyn Glunt., was recognized with a nomination for Outstanding Bar. Salud was not included in the five finalists.
Other Best Chef Southeast finalists include:
The James Beard Award winners in the restaurant and chef categories for 2023 are expected to be announced June 5. Last year, Durham chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint won for Best Chef: Southeast.
Editor’s note: This story is developing and will be updated.
This story was originally published March 29, 2023 at 11:08 AM.
