James Beard Awards 2018: Somerville Chef Named Semifinalist

SOMERVILLE, MA – It's Oscar season again in the food world. The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday released its list of semifinalists for national and regional chef and restaurant awards. For the second consecutive year, a Somerville chef is up for a regional award.

Cassie Piuma of Sarma is one of 20 contenders for best chef in the Northeast region, which includes Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Together with Ana Sortun, Piuma runs the kitchen at Sarma, which serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired fare.

The list of semifinalists announced Wednesday will be sent to a panel of more than 600 judges — made up mainly of restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators and past James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award winners — to whittle each category down to five nominees. The finalists are announced on March 15 and the winners will be announced May 1 in Chicago, according to the James Beard Foundation.

Piuma was named a finalist for "Best in the Northeast" last year, but the award ultimately went to Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley of Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, ME.

Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors chefs and other leaders making America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine.

He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening.

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