James Beard Awards: See How Minnesota Fared

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Foodies rejoice: you have some new restaurants to seek out. The semifinalists for this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards — dubbed the Oscars for restaurants — have been released and 10 restaurants from Minnesota made the list.

The awards across 21 categories for national and regional chef and restaurant awards were released on Thursday. Categories include best new restaurant, best chef, outstanding baker and outstanding service, among others.

Out of more than 20,000 entrants, 12 from the Twin Cities made the list:

They are:

New Restaurant

• Grand Café — Minneapolis

Outstanding Chef

• Alex Roberts, Restaurant Alma — Minneapolis

Outstanding Baker

• Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart — Minneapolis

Outstanding Pastry Chef

• Diane Yang, Spoon and Stable — Minneapolis

Outstanding Service

• 112 Eatery — Minneapolis

Best Chef Midwest

• Lisa Carlson, Chef Shack
• Thomas Boemer, Corner Table — Minneapolis
• Steven Brown Tilia Minneapolis
• Gavin Kaysen, Spoon and Stable — Minneapolis
• Ann Kim, Young Joni — Minneapolis
• Jamie Malone, Grand Café — Minneapolis
• Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai — Minneapolis

The foundation holds an online open call for entries every year. A committee reviews thousands of entries to come up with a nominating ballot of semifinalists in each category.

An independent volunteer panel of more than 600 judges — comprised of top regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators, and past winners — then votes on specific award categories to determine the final five nominees in each category.

They then vote on these five nominees to select the winners.

The foundation will announce the final nominees on the morning of March 14 at Parc in Philadelphia. The event will be live-streamed.

The winners will be announced at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City on April 27. They’ll receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. There are no cash prizes.

Click here to see the full list of awards.

Photo: AP Photo/Larry Crowe