Collingswood Has 2 James Beard Semifinalists

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — One restaurant and one chef in Collingswood have been named semifinalists for 2019 James Beard Awards. The regional semifinalists for the awards — sometimes referred to as the Oscars of the culinary world — were announced Wednesday.

In Collingswood that group includes:

• Sagami, a semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category; and
• Zeppoli Chef Joey Baldino, a semifinalist for the title of Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Baldino has competition from two other New Jersey chefs, as Randy Forrester of Osteria Radici in Allentown and Dan Richer of Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City are also in contention for the award.

• Maricel Presilla of Cucharamama in Hoboken, for the Outstanding Chef award; and
• Chef Vola’s in Atlantic City, for the Outstanding Service award.

The prestigious Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists represent a wide range of culinary talent, from exceptional chefs and dining destinations nationally and across 10 different regions. The 21 award categories include best new restaurants, outstanding bars, outstanding bakers and rising star chefs 30 years of age or younger.

The final winners will be announced during a press conference in Houston on Wednesday, March 27. It will be hosted by James Beard Award–winning chef Hugo Ortega at his namesake Mexican restaurant, Hugo’s.

The James Beard Foundation solicits entries for the awards in mid-October of each year. They are reviewed by the Restaurant and Chef Committee to determine eligibility and regional representation, and are then voted on by more than 600 judges from across the country to determine the final nominees.

The same group of judges, which is comprised of leading regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators, and past James Beard Award winners, then votes on the nominees to select the winners.

Tabulations to determine the nominees and winners are done by independent auditors Lutz & Carr. The governing Awards committee, board of trustees, and staff of the James Beard Foundation do not vote, and the results are kept confidential until the presentation of winners in May.

Click here for the complete list of semifinalists.