Houston's James Beard Award Finalists for 2012

After a handful of Houston James Beard Award semifinalists were announced in February, it was a long, almost-month of waiting.

Waiting to find out who would make it to that coveted list of finalists. Today, those finalists (as well as the nominees in the food media categories) were announced via Twitter and a livestream video on our mothership, Eater.com.

The two Houston James Beard Award nominees still in the running are:

Alison Cook, food critic for the Houston Chronicle, for The Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award; specifically for her reviews of Melange Creperie, Ava Kitchen & Whiskey Bar and Pondicheri.

Chef Hugo Ortega of Hugo's for Best Chef Southwest, who makes the cut alongside the most recent winner of Top Chef, Paul Qui of Austin's Uchiko.

Congratulations to all from Eater Houston, we fully expect to have two James Beard Award winners in our midst come May 4.

· Here are the 2012 James Beard Award Finalists [-EN-]
· All James Beard Award Coverage on Eater Houston [EHOU]