By Eliesa Johnson, via the James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Award.
In Wednesday’s announcement of the James Beard Foundation’s annual Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists, two Fort Worth-based culinary masters managed to cut the mustard.
Clay Pigeon’s Bria Downey is nominated for Rising Star Chef of the Year. For this category, a chef age 30 or younger must display “exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability.” Downey is among 30 nominees across the nation.
In the Best Chef: Texas category, Molly McCook of Ellerbe Fine Foods made the list as the lone Fort Worth nominee, against chefs based in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and several other cities.
The 2020 James Beard Awards mark the 30th anniversary of the honors for chefs, restaurants, journalists, authors and other leaders in the food and beverage industry. First established in 1990 with the first round of awards distributed in 1991, the foundation hopes to celebrate those making the nation’s food more “delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone.”
The foundation will announce the final nominees for all award categories during a live press conference in Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 25. Be sure to find out who wins in more than 50 categories live on the James Beard Foundation website.
The full list of semifinalists can be viewed here.
