For this, Chef Justin Johnson's third and final stop in the James Beard edition of The Engine Room series, he found himself far outside the posh and pricey metro Milwaukee Downtown at Meritage on Vliet Street, a mere bean bag toss from Wauwatosa.
Meritage chef and owner Jan Kelly is still stunned that she is a semifinalist for a James Beard Foundation Award. Kelly is among 20 persons named semifinalists for the prestigious best chef's award in the Midwest region. Dan Van Rite of Hinterland and Justin Aprahamian of Sanford are also on the list, which will be narrowed down to five next Monday.
The list of restaurant and chef semifinalists were announced today for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation's most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the North American food and beverage industries. Semifinalists for this year's awards were chosen from 28,000 online nominations, and Wisconsin-area restaurants and chefs were nominated in three categories including Best Chef in the Midwest, Outstanding Bar Program and Outstanding Wine Program.
In the second installment of this two-part feature, we asked a host of Milwaukee area chefs and restaurateurs about their fondest holiday food memories - their favorite dishes, and the traditions they love.
Sam's Club has partnered with eight all-star chefs from across the country, including Milwaukee's own Jan Kelly, to provide working families with quality meal ideas.