Houston chefs, bars, and restaurants nab 11 James Beard semifinalist nominations in 2019

HOUSTON, Texas -- The James Beard Foundation is in Houston to announce the finalists for its annual awards, which are considered the Oscars of the culinary world; they recognize achievements by chefs, bartenders, restaurant owners, media members, and more. When it does, several of the city's chefs will be eagerly awaiting the news.

The foundation announced the semifinalists for its chef awards, and once again, Houston is well-represented in the category of Best Chef: Southwest. This year's local nominees are: Ronnie Killen (Killen's Steakhouse), Trong Nguyen of Crawfish & Noodles - both of whom were nominated last year - and, for the first time, Kaiser Lashkari of Himalaya.

Other intriguing Texas nominees include: Austin chefs Kevin Fink (Emmer & Rye), Bryce Gilmore (Barley Swine), and Michael Fojtasek (Olamaie); Dallas chefs Bruno Davaillon (Bullion) and David Uygur (Lucia); perennial nominee Steve McHugh (Cured in San Antonio), and others.

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