Marais Chef Semifinalist for Prestigious James Beard Award

GROSSE POINTE, MI – Garrett Lipar of Marais in Grosse Pointe, is a semifinalist for the “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award from the James Beard Foundation, Eater.com reports.

Also, celebrity chef James Rigato’s newest offering, Mabel Gray in Hazel Park, is among 25 restaurants across the country vying for the prestigious “Best New Restaurant” award.

The “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award is presented to a chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to make a significant impact on the industry in years to come. There are 27 semifinalists for the award, and Lipar is the only one from Michigan.

Nick Janutol, the chef at the Forest grill in Birmingham, and Andy Hollyday of Selden Standard in Detroit are Great Lakes winners in the “Best Chefs” competition.

Eligible candidates may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as a chef for at least five years with the three most recent years spent in the region.

The winners of the James Beard competitions — which also include categories for restaurant design, book, broadcast and journalism — will be announced in waves.

The awards for the best restaurant, chef and design competition will be announced at a gala at the Lyric Opera in Chicago on May 2.