The James Beard Foundation has released its annual list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists, and guess what? A pair of Tampa Bay chefs were nominated.
St. Petersburg chef Rachel Bennett of The Library, formerly known as The Peabody, was named a Rising Star Chef of the Year, which, holy shit, is a big deal.
As for the Best Chef: South category, Jeannie Pierola, chef-owner behind Tampa’s Edison: Food+Drink Lab, snagged the local nom. Pierola launched edison’s swigamajig divebar and fishkitchen at Sparkman Wharf in November, and she aims to open her third restaurant, Counter Culture, in late spring.
https://www.facebook.com/EdisonFoodDrinkLab/posts/1269300923217415
Last year, Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalist honors went to The Reading Room executive chef Lauren Macellaro and Richard Gonzmart, president of the Columbia Restaurant Group.
The JBF is scheduled to announce the finalists March 27. On May 6, the Beard Awards Gala will take place in Chicago.
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This article appears in Feb 21-28, 2019.