Burlington eating places, Montpelier bar named James Beard Award semifinalists for 2024

Two Burlington eating places and a Montpelier bar have made the listing of semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Award, the nation’s prime prize within the culinary world.

Vermont often locations a number of contenders on the listing, and a few years in the past scored a giant win. Nisachon “Rung” Morgan, chef on the Randolph-based Thai restaurant Saap, was named prime chef within the Northeast for the 2022 James Beard Awards.

This yr’s Vermont semifinalists, introduced Jan. 24 by the James Beard Foundation, embody a previous nominee from one Burlington restaurant and the chef at a brand new restaurant within the metropolis. Finalists might be introduced April 3. Winners might be honored June 10.

Vermont semifinalists are:

Honey Road, Burlington

The Church Street restaurant’s government chef and co-owner, Cara Chigazola Tobin, has once more been named a semifinalist within the class of Best Chef: Northeast, which incorporates the six New England states. Honey Road makes a speciality of Eastern Mediterranean delicacies, and in December had considered one of its dishes, halibut chraimeh, chosen by The New York Times as considered one of its 23 prime American dishes of 2023. Tobin has been a semifinalist in the very best chef class twice earlier than, in 2018 and 2019. The restaurant’s pastry chef, Amanda Wildermuth, was a semifinalist in her self-discipline final yr.

Paradiso Hi-Fi Lounge, Burlington

This restaurant and nightspot opened on Pine Street on the finish of 2022 and has already earned a James Beard nod. Executive chef Micah Tavelli joins Tobin of Honey Road within the Best Chef: Northeast class, which incorporates 18 different cooks from New England. Paradiso’s menu ranges from beef tartare to kale salad, coal-fired acorn squash, striped bass and ribeye steak. Known for its sound system that performs vinyl records, Paradiso is subsequent to Dedalus Wine, whose founder, Jason Zuliani, co-founded Paradiso.

Barr Hill cocktail bar, Montpelier

The distillery that grew out of Caledonia Spirits opened its personal cocktail bar in Montpelier in 2019. Barr Hill has constructed its fame partially on concocting spirits infused with honey. Unlike the James Beard nominations for Honey Road and Paradiso, this one could have Barr Hill competing towards nationwide contenders. The distillery’s 19 fellow nominees embody bars in New York, Alaska, North Carolina, New Mexico, Maryland, Rhode Island, Kansas, South Carolina, California, Montana and Washington, D.C.

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at [email protected].

This article initially appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington eating places, Montpelier bar named James Beard semifinalists