2 Milwaukee chefs make finalist for Beard Awards
Finalists for the culinary world’s James Beard Awards include Karen Bell of Bavette La Boucherie and Justin Carlisle of Ardent.
The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists Wednesday morning from Philadelphia. The finalists were culled from semifinalists announced in February, which included 12 chefs working in Wisconsin.
This is the fourth year in a row that Carlisle was chosen for the honor, and the first for Bell. Ardent was a semifinalist for best new restaurant, a national award, in 2014.
Ardent, a fine-dining restaurant serving a seasonal tasting menu, is at 1751 N. Farwell Ave.; Bavette, a butcher shop and restaurant, is at 330 E. Menomonee St.
Other finalists in the category of best chef Midwest are Steven Brown of Tilia, Gavin Kaysen of Spoon and Stable and Anna Kim of Young Joni, all in Minneapolis.
The Midwest region includes Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and North and South Dakota.
Other finalists with Wisconsin ties that advanced to the finals are :
Bayside native Anna Posey, nominated with her husband, David Posey, for best chef Great Lakes for their restaurant, Elske, in Chicago; Racine native Alex Seidel, for best chef Southwest for his restaurant Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver; and Diane Yang, who grew up in Junction City in Portage County, of Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis, for outstanding pastry chef.
In nominations for book awards in the beverage category, Robert O. Simonson, a Milwaukee-area native, was nominated for his “3 Ingredient Cocktails.” and Jim Meehan, who began tending bar while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was nominated for “Meehan’s Bartender Manual.” And Portland, Ore., chef Joshua McFadden, who grew up in Waterford and Union Grove, was nominated for his cookbook, “Six Seasons,” in the category of vegetable-focused cooking.
The complete list of finalists for the awards, which will be presented May 7 in Chicago, can be found on the foundation’s website, jamesbeard.org. Media awards will be presented April 27.