4 Cincinnati chefs named semifinalists for coveted James Beard Award

Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer

Four Cincinnati chefs were named as semifinalists for the coveted 2024 James Beard Awards, which were announced by the James Beard Foundation Wednesday morning. All were nominated in the same category, Best Chef/Great Lakes, which includes the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.

Nominees include Jeffery Harris, chef and owner of Nolia Kitchen in Over the Rhine; Erik Bentz and Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, of Cafe Mochiko in Walnut Hills, and Jose Salazar, for his Downtown restaurant Mita's. There are 20 semifinalists in total in the Best Chef/Great Lakes category.

Chef Jeff Harris hard at work at Nolia, in Over-the-Rhine.
Chef Jeff Harris hard at work at Nolia, in Over-the-Rhine.

Harris, whose restaurant was named a semifinalist and then a finalist for the national Best New Restaurant category in 2023, just happened to be recording the latest edition of The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast when he found out. "I'm still trying to take this all in," an emotional Harris told hosts Beryl Love and Sherry Coolidge. "I tell my staff, 'This is why we work hard.'"

You can listen to the podcast later today on the "That's So Cincinnati" podcast page.

Mita's owners Jose Salazar and his wife, Ann Salazar, attend the 2023 James Beard Awards in Chicago with members of the Mita's team. Salazar was nominated again this year, as a semifinalist for Best Chef Great Lakes.
Mita's owners Jose Salazar and his wife, Ann Salazar, attend the 2023 James Beard Awards in Chicago with members of the Mita's team. Salazar was nominated again this year, as a semifinalist for Best Chef Great Lakes.

Aside from the four Cincinnati nominations, three other Ohio chefs were named as semifinalists, including B.J. Lieberman of Chapman's Eat Market in Columbus, Vinnie Cimino, of Cordelia in Cleveland, and Avishar Barua, of Joya’s restaurant in Worthington. All three will compete in the Great Lakes category as well.

Cafe Mochiko owners Erik Bentz and Elaine Townsend.
Cafe Mochiko owners Erik Bentz and Elaine Townsend.

The finalists for the award will be announced on Wednesday, April 3, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 4 Cincinnati chefs are 2024 James Beard Awards semifinalists

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