James Beard Awards: the semifinalists
This year the James Beard Foundation is announcing semifinalists for its awards, after the list got leaked last year. The nominees will be announced March 23. There are quite a few locals in the running for a nomination, though the semifinalist list looks nearly identical to last year's. Few of these folks actually made it onto the final list of nominees last year. What do you think of the selections?

Outstanding restaurateur
Roger Berkowitz, Legal Sea Foods
Outstanding chef
Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park
Ana Sortun, Oleana
Outstanding restaurant
Hamersley's Bistro
Best new restaurant
Hungry Mother
Rising star chef of the year
Will Gilson, Garden at the Cellar
Outstanding pastry chef
Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra
Outstanding wine service
Il Capriccio
Meritage
Outstanding wine and spirits professional
Jim Koch, Boston Beer Company
Outstanding service
Pigalle
Best chef Northeast:
Gabriel Bremer, Salts
Andy Husbands, Tremont 647
Steve Johnson, Rendezvous in Central Square
Michael Leviton, Lumiere
Tony Maws, Craigie on Main
Marc Orfaly, Pigalle
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Contributors
Sheryl Julian, the Globe's Food Editor, writes regularly for the Food section.Devra First is the Globe's food reporter and restaurant critic. Her reviews appear weekly in the Food section.
Stephen Meuse writes and blogs about wine. His column, By the Glass, appears on the last Wednesday of the month in the Food section. Plonkapalooza, his review of 50 bottles $12 and under, comes out every fall.






