RALEIGH (WTVD) -- There are eight semifinalists from North Carolina in the "Best Chef- Southeast" category of the 2016 James Beard Awards, which are widely considered the Oscars of the culinary world.
The James Beard Foundation released its list of semifinalists this week. The Awards recognizes restaurants, chefs, restaurant designers, writers, journalists, and cookbook authors.
The North Carolina semifinalists for "Best Chef- Southeast" are listed below:
Chef: Nate Allen
Restaurant: Knife & Fork
Location: Spruce Pine, NC
Chef: Brian Canipelli
Restaurant: Cucina 24
Location: Asheville, NC
Chef: Scott Crawford
Restaurant: Standard Foods
Location: Raleigh, NC
Chef: Steven Devereaux Greene
Restaurant: Herons in the Umstead Hotel
Location: Cary, NC
Chef: Vivian Howard
Restaurant: Chef & the Farmer
Location: Kinston, NC
Chef: Matthew Kelly
Restaurant: Mateo
Location: Durham, NC
Chef: Joe Kindred
Restaurant: Kindred
Location: Davidson, NC
Chef: Aaron Vandemark
Restaurant: Panciuto
Location: Hillsborough, NC