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James Beard Awards Austin Semifinalists 2019: El Naranjo, Yuyo, Suerte

Finalists will be announced in March in Houston, and winners in May in Chicago

Peruvian food from Yuyo
Peruvian food from Yuyo
Courtney Pierce/EATX

The James Beard Awards’s semifinalist list for 2019 is out right now, and eight Austin names make appearances.

The Best Chef: Southwest category long list is interesting: for the first time, both longtime chef Iliana de la Vega of Oaxacan and Mexican restaurant El Naranjo and chef Maribel Rivero of Peruvian restaurant Yuyo nabbed semifinalist nominations.

Then there are returning long list chefs Kevin Fink of Emmer & Rye and Michael Fojtasek of Olamaie (both for the second time), and Bryce Gilmore of Barley Swine for his seventh time.

Over for Best New Restaurant, Mexican-inspired restaurant newcomer Suerte received its first James Beard Award semifinalist nomination. Launderette’s Laura Sawicki received her fifth semifinalist nomination under the Outstanding Pastry Chef category. Jester King Brewery’s Jeffrey Stuffings is nominated as an Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Producer for the second time as a semifinalist.

Gilmore has made it to the finalist selection six times, including last year, and Fojtasek did last year as well, but lost to Denver chef Alex Seidel.

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards. Finalists will be announced on March 27, winners in the book/television/journalism categories will be announced at a dinner in New York on April 26, and the gala acknowledging winners will be held in Chicago on May 6.

Suerte

1800 East 6th Street, , TX 78702 (512) 522-3031 Visit Website

Olamaie

1610 San Antonio Street, , TX 78701 (512) 474-2796 Visit Website

Barley Swine

6555 Burnet Road, , TX 78757 (512) 394-8150 Visit Website

Jester King Brewery

13187 Fitzhugh Road, , TX 78736 Visit Website

Launderette

2115 Holly Street, , TX 78702 (512) 382-1599 Visit Website

El Naranjo

85 Rainey Street, , TX 78701 (512) 474-2776 Visit Website

Emmer & Rye

51 Rainey Street, , TX 78701 (512) 366-5530 Visit Website

Yuyo [Closed]

1900 Manor Road, , TX 78722 (512) 919-4147 Visit Website

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