Four St. Louis chefs and one restaurant have been named as James Beard Award semifinalists.
In case you're not familiar with the awards, they are described as "the highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America" on their website - or, as Time magazine put it, "the Oscars of the food world."
So, who are the noted locals? Here's the list, in alphabetical order:
Under the category of "Best Chef: Midwest"
- Gerard Craft, Niche
- Josh Galliano, Monarch
- Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Café
- Kevin Willmann, Farmhaus Restaurant
Under the category of "Best New Restaurant"
Craft, Nashan and Willmann were also selected as semifinalists last year. Here's the full list of 2012 semifinalists in all categories.