Durham bar among James Beard Award semi-finalists
For the second year in a row, a Durham bar is a semi-finalist for a national James Beard Award.
Kingfisher at 321 E Chapel Hill St. is one of two North Carolina bars vying for the award for Outstanding Bar Program this year. Charlotte's Salud Cerveceria is also a semi-finalist.
Last year, Durham's Alley Twenty Six was named a semi-finalist and finalist for the same award. The bar was not on this year's list.
The James Beard Awards are often referred to as "The Oscars of Food," and the Triangle has a legacy of taking home honors. The semi-finalists were announced Wednesday.
Greg Collier of Leah & Louise in Charlotte is a semi-finalist for the Outstanding Chef award. Winston-Salem's Heff's Burger Club and Neng Jr.'s in Asheville were named semi-finalists in the Best New Restaurant category. Both are national awards.
The best chef in the southeast award semi-finalist list includes several from North Carolina:
- Sam Hart of Counter in Charlotte
- Josiah McGaughey of Vivian in Asheville
- Dean Neff of Seabird in Wilmington
- Keith Rhodes of Catch in Wilmington
- Stephanie Tyson of Sweet Potatoes in Winston-Salem, NC
- Preeti Waas of Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in Raleigh
North Carolina chefs have a history of winning James Beard Awards. Lantern's Andrea Reusing won best chef in the southeast in 2011. Ben Barker of Magnolia Grill won the same honor in 2000. Karen and Ben Barker of Magnolia Grill won outstanding pastry chef in 2003.
Raleigh's Ashley Christensen, who won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2019, won the award for best chef in the southeast in 2014.
Last year, Saltbox Seafood's Ricky Moore won the award for Best Chef in the Southeast.
Finalists for each award will be revealed on March 29 and the winners will be honored on June 5 at an event in Chicago.
