North Bay Business Journal

Several North Bay restaurants and restaurateurs have been nominated as semifinalists in the James Beard Awards, a prestigious national recognition in the food and beverage industries.

More than 44,000 entries were submitted from around the country, according to the New York-based James Beard Foundation (jamesbeard.org/awards). Semifinalists were selected across 20 categories and in 10 geographic areas.

Finalists will be announced March 18; and winner, in early May.

North Bay semifinalists

Best Chef: West

• Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena
• Michael Chiarello, Bottega, Yountville
  

Outstanding Restaurant

• Terra, St. Helena

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Mark Stark and Terri Stark, Stark Reality Restaurants (Willi’s Wine Bar, Monti’s Rotisserie & Bar, Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar, etc.), Santa Rosa and Healdsburg

Outstanding Service

• The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena

Outstanding Wine Program

• Press, St. Helena

Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Professional

• John and Kathe Dyson, Williams Selyem Winery, Healdsburg
• Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol
• Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol
• Duncan Meyers and Nathan Roberts, Arnot-Roberts, Healdsburg
  

San Francisco semifinalists

Best New Restaurant

• Rich Table, San Francisco
• State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Outstanding Bar Program

• The Abbot’s Cellar, San Francisco
• Bar Agricole, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef

• Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
• Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco

Outstanding Pastry Chef

• Melissa Chou, Aziza, San Francisco
• William Werner, Craftsman and Wolves, San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurant

• Foreign Cinema, San Francisco
• Greens Restaurant, San Francisco
• The Slanted Door, San Francisco

Outstanding Service

• Michael Mina, San Francisco
• Quince, San Francisco

Outstanding Wine Program

• A16, San Francisco
• Nopa, San Francisco

Rising Star Chef Of The Year

• Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco and NYC
• Thomas McNaughton, Flour + Water, San Francisco

Best Chef: West

• Matthew Accarrino, SPQR, San Francisco
• Nicolaus Balla, Bar Tartine, San Francisco
• Chris Cosentino, Incanto, San Francisco
• Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
• Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco
• Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
• Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco