No Hawaii chefs survived the cut from semifinalist to finalist for the 2016 James Beard Foundation Awards.
Honolulu chefs Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Ed Kenney were named semifinalists in February, Kenney for Best Chef in the Western region, Karr-Ueoka in a national category, Best Pastry Chef. Finalists were named Tuesday.
The last Hawaii chef to win a Beard award was George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro in 2003, for best chef. At that time Hawaii chefs and restaurants competed in the Pacific Northwest category, but the islands are now part of the Western region, with California and Nevada.
Chef and restaurant winners will be announced May 2.
Dinner helps students make the grade
Chef Ron de Guzman of Stage Restaurant is working with students at Leeward Community College on a five-course dinner that is part of the students’ coursework.
Needed: diners to attend the April 8 event at the college’s Pearl restaurant. The meal is presented by the special-events class, providing experience not just in preparing an upscale meal, but also in planning, publicity and all aspects of running both the front and back of the house for such an event.
Cost is $70, $85 with wine pairings. Call 455-0298.
What Do You Crave?
Everybody eats. Everbody has an opinion. We invite you to share yours in our new food section, launching April 6.
Crave, a weekly Wednesday magazine, is meant to be a conversation.
>> Are you in a restaurant, eating something great, right now? Take a photo, write a few lines about it and email us. Become a citizen critic. We’ll publish these shared insights in print and online.
>> Is there a great dish in your repertoire, one that should be shared with the world? Send it here to be part of a new feature that spotlights those family treasures.
It’s a few weeks until launch day, but we’re fielding comments and suggestions now: Email crave@staradvertiser.com or write Honolulu Star-Advertiser food section, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813.
