This morning, the James Beard Foundation announced the final nominees for its 2019 awards live from Houston.
For the first time in a number of years, no semi-finalists from Milwaukee or Wisconsin advanced to the short list of finalists who will be honored at the annual James Beard Awards ceremony and gala Monday, May 6.
In the category of Best Chef Midwest, the nominees were:
- Michael Corvino of Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Michael Gallina of Vicia (St. Louis)
- Ann Kim of Young Joni (Minneapolis)
- Jamie Malone of Grand Café (Minneapolis)
- Christina Nguyen of Hai Hai (Minneapolis)
The full list of nominees in all categories can be viewed online.
Semi-finalists from Milwaukee for the 2019 awards included Bryant's Cocktail Lounge for Outstanding Bar Program; Paul and Joe Bartolotta of The Bartolotta Restaurants for Outstanding Restaurateur; and Best Chef Midwest semifinalists Dane Baldwin of The Diplomat, Karen Bell of Bavette La Boucherie and Daniel Jacobs and Dan Van Rite for their work at EsterEv.
Get ready for the awards
Winners of the 2019 James Beard Media Awards will be announced on Friday, April 26 at an exclusive event honoring the nation's top cookbook authors, culinary broadcast producers and hosts, and food journalists at Pier 60 in New York City.
The highly anticipated James Beard Awards ceremony and gala, at which chef and restaurant winners are announced, will follow on Monday, May 6, at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
