Three Houston Chefs Are James Beard Award Finalists

Last month the James Beard Foundation announced this year's semifinalists, and the names of the finalists were broadcast via a livestream earlier today. Houston scored big with a relatively lengthy list of names. In the Best Chef Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT) category are Hugo Ortega (Hugo's), Chris Shepherd (Underbelly) and Justin Yu (Oxheart). This is Yu's first nomination, and both Shepherd and Ortega were nominees last year. The Houston Chronicle's Alison Cook is a finalist for the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award for these reviews: "Corkscrew BBQ a New Houston Classic," "The Cosmic Soup of Pho Hung," "The Pass Unleashes Plates of Playfulness." Of the semifinalists who didn't make it to this round is Anvil Bar & Refuge, which received a nod for Outstanding Bar Program. The winners will be announced on May 5 in New York City.
· The Complete 2014 JBF Award Nominees [JBF]