The list of restaurant and chef semifinalists were announced today for the 2013 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 44,000 online nominations, and Wisconsin area restaurants and chefs were nominated in two categories including Best Chef in the Midwest and Outstanding Bar Program.
Justin Aprahamian, of Sanford, received the nomination for Best Chef in the Midwest for the third year in the row. He is joined by newcomer, Dave Swanson, of Braise Restaurant, as well as two Madison area chefs, John Gadau and Phillip Hurley,of Sardine.
Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee was nominated in the category of Outstanding Bar Program.
Other Wisconsin-based semi-finalists include Madison’s Forequarter, run by the Underground Food Collective, which was included among Best New Restaurants; Elizabeth Dahl, of Nostrano, in Madison, who is among the nominees for Outstanding Pastry Chef; L’Etoile in Madison for Outstanding Wine Program; and Daniel Bonanno, of A Pig in a Fur Coat for Rising Star Chef of the Year.
Nominees for the 2013 JBF Awards will be announced on Monday, March 18 at the historic Lowndes Grove Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, with winners announced at the annual gala on May 6 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.
For the complete list of semifinalists, visit jamesbeard.org.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
