Hawaii chefs and restaurants are named James Beard semifinalists

When it comes to the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, Hawaii usually has a name or two on the list of semifinalists. This year seven from Hawaii — two chefs, a baker, a bar and three restaurants — made the list announced Thursday.

They range from chef Ed Kenney of Town, Mud Hen Water, Kaimuki Superette and Mahina & Sun’s, who estimates this is his fifth time in the running, to George Kanemitsu of Kanemitsu’s Bakery & Coffee Shop in Kaunakakai, Molokai, which has operated far from the foodie mainstream for more than 80 years. A manager there said she was unfamiliar with the Beard awards.

Kenney and Chris Kajioka of Senia were cited in the category of best chef in the West, a region that also includes California and Nevada. Kajioka was nominated without his business partner, chef Anthony Rush, who is equally responsible for the menu at Senia, because the James Beard rules require that a chef work in a region for at least three years to be nominated.

Named semifinalists on a nationwide basis were Kanemitsu as outstanding baker, Mama’s Fish House on Maui as outstanding restaurant and, from Honolulu, Maru Sushi as best new restaurant, Bar Leather Apron for outstanding bar program and Vino Italian Tapas & Wine Bar for outstanding wine program.

The semifinalists were chosen from among more than 20,000 entries. Finalists will be announced March 14, with the awards ceremony on May 7. It has been more than a decade since anyone from Hawaii has made the finalists cut. The last to go all the way was George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro in 2003, named best chef in the Northwest (Hawaii’s then-classification).

Those on the 2018 list, however, acknowledged the honor of making it this far.

“This is a testament to the whole Town tribe, those who work with us and those who eat with us,” said Kenney. “You know how Hillary Clinton said it takes a village? We say it takes a Town.”

At Bar Leather Apron, which marked two years at the Topa Financial Center in downtown Honolulu last month, co-owner Tom Park said, “To be honored in this realm, at this level, words can’t express how humbled we are. We’re even more motivated to keep going and doing better things.”

At Mama’s Fish House, a 45-year-old Maui restaurant featuring fresh fish caught by small-boat fishermen, General Manager Tami Joslin only learned the news when reporters began calling. “We’re very, very flattered,” she said. “The owners (Floyd and Doris Christenson) put their hearts into this business, which started with just six tables in what was really just a screened-in porch area. They stuck to their vision and never took their eyes off the business.”

Chuck Furuya, a partner at Vino, expressed thanks for the recognition, given Vino’s focus on value and customer service over high-end exclusivity. “We want Vino to be a neighborhood restaurant where a customer can be comfortable, whether the person is from Waianae or New York City. It’s amazing someone noticed.”

The competition is stiff. Sharing Kajioka and Kenney’s category are Niki Nakayama of n/naka and Michael Cimarusti of Providence, both in Los Angeles, as well as Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco.

“I don’t get my hopes up, ever,” Kenney said. “We’re grouped in with California, and have you had a look at that list? But it’s great to be recognized.”

For a full list of nominees, go to jamesbeard.org/awards.

Star-Advertiser reporters Joleen Oshiro and Jason Genegabus contributed to this story.