Charlotte semifinalist misses out on James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast
Chef Robin Anthony of Omakase Experience by Prime Fish in Charlotte, honored this year as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast, isn’t moving onto the finals.
But there are two chefs from the Carolinas who are: Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester, and chef Joe Cash of Scoundrel in Greenville, SC.
The James Beard Awards recognize the nation’s top food and beverage professionals. Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
“’I’m honored to be a semifinalist this year. It represents years of sacrifice, discipline and obsession with doing things the right way when nobody is watching,” Anthony said in a statement to CharlotteFive.
“As someone who immigrated to the US and is self-taught, the Beard Foundation’s recognition proves that hard work, determination and passion matter.”
He continued, “From day one, my goal for Omakase Experience by Prime Fish was never to just be good, it was to stand out on a national stage and prove that we belong here. This is what my team does every single day, and I’m so thankful for them. And thankful for our guests, who give us a reason to work so hard. Today, we salute the chefs who have made it to the Finalist list. For me, this is our signal to keep pushing, keep striving and keep building for you, Charlotte.”
In all, 20 chefs from the Southeast were named semifinalists for the Best Chef award, including Anthony, Montgomery and Cash, plus six others from the Carolinas:
- Matt Dawes of The Bull and Beggar in Asheville
- Steven Devereaux Greene of Herons at The Umstead in Cary
- Cheetie Kumar of Ajja in Raleigh
- Colin Marcelli of Renzo in Charleston, SC
- Bintou N’Daw of Bintü Atelier in Charleston, SC
- Heidi Vukov of Hook & Barrel in Myrtle Beach, SC
Best Chef Southeast finalists
Those joining Montgomery and Cash the finals are:
- Chef Mary Ellen Diaz of Alma Bea in Shepherdstown, West Virginia
- Chef J. Trent Harris of Mujō in Atlanta
- Chef David Willocks of The Baker’s Table in Newport, Kentucky
Along with the James Beard semifinalist recognition, Anthony and his restaurants have gotten plenty of attention recently.
Omasake Experience and Anthony’s original restaurant, Prime Fish, were both deemed Michelin recommended. And spinoff Prime Fish Cellar has reopened after retooling from a retail-focused space into a sushi, sake and wine bar.
Other finalists in the Carolinas
In other categories, other semifinalists from the Carolinas are moving forward as James Beard Award finalists. They are:
- Merci in Charleston, SC, for Best New Restaurant
- Weltons Tiny Bakeshop in Charleston for Outstanding Bakery
- Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani of Asheville-based Chai Pani Restaurant Group for Outstanding Restaurateur. Among the Irani’s restaurants are Botiwalla, which has a Charlotte location at Optimist Hall.
Charlotte’s James Beard Award finalists
A Charlotte chef has yet to bring home a James Beard Award, although a couple of them have been close.
Chef Greg Collier became Charlotte’s first James Beard Award finalist, but ultimately didn’t move on to claim the award. That year, fellow North Carolina chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham took the title.
Collier — who owns Uptown Yolk with his wife, Subrina, and is now the executive chef at Fine & Fettle — has been named a semifinalist four times altogether.
In 2023, chef Sam Hart of Counter- was a finalist for Best Chef: Southeast but lost out to chef Terry Koval of The Deer and The Dove in Decatur, Georgia.
Omakase by Prime Fish
Location: 2907 Providence Rd STE 101, Charlotte, NC 28211
Cuisine: Omakase sushi
Instagram: @omakasebyprimefish
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 10:58 AM.
