The nominations for the so-called Oscars of food were announced this morning, and there are 12 Houston area restaurants and chefs on their list.
Five of those nominations are for Best Chef Southwest, a category won by Houston's Hugo Ortega in 2017.
The winners will be announced at the 2018 James Beard Awards on May 7 in Chicago.
Click here for a full list of the 2018 James Beard Award Semifinalists
2018 Houston James Beard Awards Semifinalists
- Xochi, Best New Restaurant
- Anvil Bar & Refuge, Outstanding Bar Program
- Jillian Bartolome, Aqui, Outstanding Pastry Chef
- Tracy Vaught, H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo's, Caracol, Xochi, and others), Outstanding Restaurateur
- Hugo's, Outstanding Service
- Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Outstanding Wine Program
- Martha De Leon, Pax Americana, Rising Star Chef of the Year
- Ross Coleman and James Haywood, Kitchen 713, Best Chef: Southwest
- Anita Jaisinghani, Pondicheri, Best Chef: Southwest
- Ronnie Killen, Killen's Steakhouse, Best Chef: Southwest
- Trong Nguyen, Crawfish & Noodles, Best Chef: Southwest
- Ryan Pera, Coltivare, Best Chef: Southwest
Houston chef Hugo Ortega honored with James Beard Award
Houston chef Houston Ortega honored with James Beard Award
LET'S EAT: Recipes from Hugo's
Chilaquiles
Creamy Flan de Maiz
Garnachas de calabacitas