CONNECTICUT, USA — Multiple Connecticut restaurants and chefs were recognized as semifinalists in the 2024 James Beard Awards, announced in a release Wednesday.
The awards are "among the nation's most prestigious culinary honors," according to the release.
Restaurants and chefs from Connecticut that made the list, along with their respective awards and definitions, include:
- CoraCora in West Hartford for Outstanding Restaurant: "A restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations while contributing positively to its broader community."
- Renee Toupounce from The Port of Call restaurant in Mystic for Outstanding Chef: "A chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals while contributing positively to their broader community."
- David Standridge from The Shipwright's Daughter for Best Chef in the Northeast (including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont): "Chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions, while contributing positively to their broader community."
Peruvian restaurant CoraCora was previously a finalist for the Outstanding Restaurant award in 2023. The restaurant's chef Macarena Ludena was also named a semifinalist in 2022.
Toupounce was also nominated in 2023 for the Best Chef Award.
The list of semifinalists features 22 different categories and includes restaurants from across the country. A full list can be found here.
Nominees for the awards will be announced on April 3, followed by an announcement of the winners at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
CoraCora posted on their Facebook page that it was "an honor to be nominated for the third year in a row for the most important awards in the culinary industry in the United States."
The Restaurant and Chef Awards are one of five programs of the James Beard Awards. The goal of each program is "recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive," according to their website.
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