No Alabamians Move On To James Beard Finals

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Last year was a banner year for the culinary scene, with two winners in the James Beard Awards. This year looked just as promising when the nominees were announced last month and four of the nominees were from Alabama. However, those four will need to be satisfied this year with the honor of just being nominated.

For the first time in a decade, the James Beard Award finalists have no Alabama flavor. The three Alabama chefs and the Birmingham bar named as 2019 semifinalists in February did not advance to the nominee round announced this week at a breakfast at Hugo’s in Houston, according to Alabama News Center.

David Bancroft of Acre in Auburn, Bill Briand of Fisher’s Upstairs in Orange Beach and Timothy Hontzas of Johnny’s Restaurant in Homewood were semifinalists this year for Best Chef: South. Bancroft and Briand were semifinalists for the fourth straight year, while Hontzas was named for the third year in a row. The South region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico.

Highlands Bar & Grill, which won the 2018 Outstanding Restaurant Award, had been a finalist in that category since 2009. And Dolester Miles, chosen as the nation’s Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2018, was a nominee from 2016-18.

James Beard Awards, established by the James Beard Foundation in 1990, “recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields and furthers the foundation’s mission to celebrate, nurture and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse and sustainable for everyone,” the foundation said in a news release.

James Beard Media Award winners will be announced in New York City April 26, while the James Beard Awards Gala will honor winners May 6 in Chicago.