2024 James Beard Award semifinalists announced with 4 from WNC

Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·2 min read
The Market Place at restaurant owned by Chef William Dissen in downtown Asheville.
The Market Place at restaurant owned by Chef William Dissen in downtown Asheville.

ASHEVILLE - The first-round candidates for an esteemed national culinary arts awards program have been announced, with four representing Western North Carolina.

On Jan. 24, the James Beard Foundation released the list of semifinalists for its 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The Market Place in Asheville and The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge Inn in Blowing Rock were named semifinalists for Outstanding Restaurant.

“It’s probably one of the most exciting days I’ve had; to have the honor to be recognized for the work we’re doing and the work we do with the community feels good," said William Dissen, chef and owner of The Market Place.

Jason Sellers, chef and owner of Plant in Asheville and Kanlaya “Gun” Supachana, of Dalaya Thai Cuisine in Sylva, are semifinalists in the category of Best Chef: Southeast.

Chef Jason Sellers, chef and owner of Plant restaurant in Asheville
Chef Jason Sellers, chef and owner of Plant restaurant in Asheville

The Southeast region includes Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Sellers began working in the food and beverage industry in 1987, but it wasn’t until 2004 that he became dedicated to culinary arts full-time, he said. For more than 20 years, he’s continued to hone his skills cooking vegetarian and vegan cuisine.

In 2011, Sellers opened Plant, a plant-based restaurant.

Sellers said he felt “giddy” after learning about the James Beard Award consideration.

“I’m honored, but honestly, I’m honored kind of as an outsider because I don’t, in my day-to-day operations, think of pursuing or applying for or being considered for that kind of thing," Sellers said. "It’s so far from the realm of my everyday focus."

The Market Place, an American farm-to-table restaurant, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.

Dissen said the James Beard Award consideration is a huge honor that reflects the decades of work the staff has put into the restaurant to help build it into what it is today.

“I’m humbled that our restaurant has been recognized as a national outstanding restaurant and we’re proud of the work that we do and couldn’t be more proud of the team we have,” Dissen said.

The James Beard Awards, established in 1990 and first awarded in 1991, celebrates “exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.”

Finalists will be announced on April 3.

The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony will be on June 10, hosted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

View the full list of semifinalists at jamesbeard.org.

Chef William Dissen, owner of The Market Place at 20 Wall St. in downtown Asheville.
Chef William Dissen, owner of The Market Place at 20 Wall St. in downtown Asheville.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 2024 James Beard Award semifinalists include Asheville, Blowing Rock