The James Beard Foundation has announced its list of the 2023 semifinalists for best restaurant and chef, including quite a few familiar names from metro Atlanta.

Finalists will be announced on March 29 and winners during the annual award ceremony on June 5 in Chicago.

Best Chef – Southeast

  • Ronald Hsu, Lazy Betty in Candler Park
  • Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove in Decatur
  • Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor, Heirloom Market BBQ in Smyrna
  • Sahar Siddiqi, Chai Pani in Decatur
  • Deborah VanTrece, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours in Westside

Outstanding Bakery

  • Buena Gente Cuban Bakery, Decatur

Outstanding Hospitality

  • Ticonderoga Club, Inman Park

Outstanding Wine Program

  • Lyla Lila, Midtown

Outstanding Restaurateur

  • Clinton Gray, Derrick Moore, and Emanuel Reed –  Slim and Husky’s Pizza Beeria, which has locations on Howell Mill Road and Metropolitan Parkway.

Collin Kelley is the executive editor of Atlanta Intown, Georgia Voice, and the Rough Draft® newsletter. He has been a journalist for nearly four decades and is also an award-winning poet and novelist.