James Beard Awards finalists include these 4 South Carolina nominees

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South Carolina could be home three of the most prestigious awards in hospitality after the annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony wraps this summer in Chicago.

Two finalists are in the Columbia area and two are in Charleston. A pair of them are finalists for the same chef award.

Finalists for the James Beard awards include a second nomination for Lula Drake Wine Parlour, this year for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. Other finalists in the category include The Morris in San Francisco; Strong Water Anaheim in Anaheim, Calif.; Tail Up Goat in Washington, D.C.; and Waxlight Bar à Vin, Buffalo, N.Y. Lula Drake Wine Parlour was a finalist in 2023 for Outstanding Hospitality.

Nikko Cagalanan of Charleston’s Kultura is a finalist for the Emerging Chef Award. He is the only chef in the South to be a finalists for the category, along with chefs from Hav & Mar in New York City; Pancita in Seattle; Southern Junction in Buffalo, N.Y.; and Perry’s in Washington, D.C. Cagalanan was a competitor and eventual champion on the Food Network’s “Chopped” television show in 2022.

See related story: Former ‘Chopped’ champion opens Filipino restaurant in Charleston

For Best Chef Southeast, Robbie Robinson of City Limits Barbecue in West Columbia is a finalist along with James London with Chubby Fish in Charleston. They are in a category that includes chefs from Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and the Carolinas. They are up against finalists from The Hackney in Washington, D.C.; Talat Market in Atlanta; and 1010 Bridge in Charleston, W.Va.

The finalists were announced April 3 at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C.

It is the second consecutive year for the Columbia region to produce a pair of James Beard finalists, representing in a surge in the government town’s significance as a hospitality destination, according to Bill Ellen, president and CEO of Experience Columbia SC.

“The Columbia region continues to show that we are a top-notch culinary destination as evidenced by this recognition of two James Beard nominees for the second year in a row,” Ellen said in a news release. “We’re extremely proud that our restaurants and chefs stand out within the state of South Carolina and the broader Southeast region. This achievement is proof of the incredible culinary talent who call the Columbia region home. We wish both of our finalists the best and want them to know how proud we are of them.”

Related story: 2024 South Carolina James Beard Awards semifinalists named

Related story: SC Chef Ambassadors represent eateries in Elgin, Greer, Bluffton

Along with Lula Drake Wine Parlour being a finalist in 2023 for Outstanding Hospitality, Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons and Elie Yigo of CITY GRIT Hospitality were finalists for Outstanding Restaurateur.

The James Beard Awards ceremony is scheduled for June 10 at Lyric Opera in Chicago. The awards will be livestreamed on Eater.com.

The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to “celebrate, support and elevate the people behind America’s food culture, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity and sustainability,” according to the organization’s website.

In February, the organization recognized Wade’s Restaurant in Spartanburg as a Southeast James Beard ‘America’s Classic.’ The family-run restaurant has been in business for 77 years. See related story.