It is award season in the culinary industry! Voting on for The People's Best New Chef on Food & Wine's website began on March 5th and The James Beard Foundation's annual award finalists will be named on March 19th. Unfortunately, not all of us have the opportunity to travel the country wining and dining in the top rated restaurants in the country so Joonbug compiled a list of the nation's new and noteworthy chefs that are up for Best New Chef awards this year. Some of this year’s nominees may be cooking in your area!

 

New England:

Benjamin Sukle

The Dorrance

Providence, RI

• Trained at Johnson & Wales University, Benjamin takes his knowledge of Scandinavian cuisine that he acquired while interning at Denmark’s Noma to New England diners. Using those values, he creates Modern American dishes that honor and elevates local New England ingredients.

Live in Providence? Try this: Roasted dry-aged duck breast with kohlrabi and quince puree.

 

NYC-Metropolitan Area:

Emma Hearst

Sorella

New York, NY

• Inspired by Italy’s Piedmont region’s small village café culture and trained at The Culinary Institute of America (New York), Emma creates Piedmont cuisine in small-plate fashion unlike the XL-plating methods used by many Italian restaurants. All of the dishes at Sorella are wine-friendly, so make sure to enjoy all of Emma’s foods with a glass of wine.

Live in NYC? Try this: Pate de Fegato, duck fat English muffin bread with chicken liver mousse, fried egg and sugared bacon.

 

Mid-Atlantic Region:

Kevin Sousa

Salt of the Earth

Pittsburgh, PA

• Kevin takes advantage of local and seasonal products in all of his dishes while remaining ambitiously immersed in molecular gastronomy practices. Using his interest in molecular cooking, New Nordic-Scandinavian cuisine, and methods learned at the Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts Kevin serves diners dishes that pair both new and conventional styles of cuisine.

Live in Pittsburgh? Try this: Roasted rabbit loin with quince essence.

 

Mid-Atlantic:

Katie Button

Cúrate Tapas Bar

Asheville, NC

• Katie uses her incredible background, an internship in Spain and jobs cooking with Jean Georges and José Andrés, to create the most authentic Spanish tapas this side of the Atlantic. Cúrate, in Spanish means “cure yourself” and Katie does just that by creating dishes that instantly transport diners to Spain.

Live in Asheville? Try this: Fried eggplant with honey and rosemary.

 

The Great Lakes:

Jimmy Bannos, Jr.

The Purple Pig

Chicago, IL

• Jimmy is a fourth-generation restaurateur who has created playful and daring Mediterranean cuisine. With cooking is in his blood, he is the son of Jimmy Bannos, Sr., owner of Heaven on Seven in Chicago, Jimmy attended Johnson & Wales University and spent time traveling around Italy to bring patrons meals that feature house-made charcuterie, cheese, and classic Mediterranean dishes.

Live in Chicago? Try this: Sweet-crunchy pig’s ear with pickled cherry peppers.

 

Midwest:

Clayton Chapman

The Grey Plume

Omaha, NE

• Clayton’s restaurant, The Grey Plume, was named the Greenest Restaurant Award by the Green Restaurant Association. Clayton, who studied at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago, is dedicated to showcasing his foods’ source with a no-waste attitude. At only 25, his “vision, sophistication, and spirit” is destined to grow through his innovative use of traditional ingredients in a modern fashion. Oh, and Clayton churns his own butter.

Live on Omaha? Try this: Rabbit with baby spinach, oyster mushrooms, and pickled shallots.

 

Gulf Coast:

Alex Harrell

Sylvain

New Orleans, LA

• Alex combines the traditional French and Southern cuisine of New Orleans in a whimsical fashion. Think hand-cut fries paired with a glass of champagne. Alex’s dishes celebrate the history and legends of New Orleans with a menu that “blends the past and future” while also taking inspiration from the less-suspecting muses such as, fast food chain, Chick-fil-A.

Live in New Orleans? Try this: A Chick-syl-Vain sandwich, a buttermilk-fried chicken sandwich topped with homemade pickles.

 

Northwest & Pacific Coast:

Blaine Wetzel

The Willows Inn

Lummi Island, WA (Seattle Area)

• Blaine combines his Nordic philosophy and skills learned at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute to create dishes using produce and foods found locally in the Northwest & Pacific region. In spring, The Willows Inn uses a 100 percent of their farm’s vegetables in order to serve the most local foods available by utilizing sustainable fishing practices and Eco-friendly farming.

Live in Seattle? Try this: Prawns with leeks, mussels, and toasted bread.

 

California:

Tom McNaughton

Flour + Water

San Francisco, CA

• Tom, who studied at CIA in New York, embraces the regional variety Italy has to offer. He knows his pasta, Tom interned at an Italian pasta factory alongside a group of old Italian women. Using his knowledge of Italian fare and experience in the kitchen, Tom takes traditional dishes, such as pasta and pizza, to new heights by using perfect technique and remarkable ingredients. Not to mention he slaughters his own pigs and goats for the restaurant.

Live in San Francisco? Try this: wood-fired pizza topped with bone marrow, Fontina, broccoli rabe, and fresh horseradish.

 

Southwest:

Andrew Curren

24 Diner

Austin, TX

• Inspired by the atmosphere of ‘50s diners, Andrew serves “chef-inspired” comfort foods. Andrew serves elevated comfort foods that are “chef-inspired.” Andrew’s 24 hour operation isn’t your run-of-the-mill diner by a long shot. They ground their own hamburger meat and hand-whips the cream used in their milkshakes to create a unique and delightful dining experience.

Live in Austin? Try this: Roasted banana and brown sugar milkshake.