Refinery Chef Nominated for James Beard Foundation Award

A Seminole Heights chef has been nominated for a prestigious James Beard Foundation Award, given annually to the nation's finest chefs and restaurants.

Greg Baker of The Refinery is a semifinalist for the foundation's 2012 "Best Chef: South" award, the organization announced Tuesday in its blog.

Also a semifinalist in the same category was Chad Johnson, executive chef at SideBern's in South Tampa. Richard Gonzmart of Ybor City's famed Columbia Restaurant is a semifinalist in the "Outstanding Restaurateur" category.

The Refinery, 5137 N. Florida Ave., was a finalist for a Beard Award last year for the "Best New Restaurant" category in the South.

"We are honored and excited to announce Chef Greg's nomination for the James Beard 2012 Best Chef: South Award!!!!" the restaurant wrote on its Facebook page. "Another huge congrats to Chef Chad of Side Bern's for being nominated in the same category! HOLLLAAA TTTAAAMMMPPPAA!!!!!!!!!!"

Finalists will be announced March 19 on the Beard Foundation's Twitter page.