A bombshell year for Cincinnati restaurants in James Beard Awards semifinals

Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer
·1 min read

While most Cincinnatians are focusing on the Bengals AFC championship game this weekend, Cincinnati restaurants and chefs scored big in the semifinalist round of the 2023 James Beard Awards, widely considered the Oscars of the restaurant world. It's no doubt a welcome change for a city that is often overlooked and underrepresented.

Jose Salazar's Downtown restaurant Mita's was nominated for Best Restaurant in the United States and Nolia Kitchen, a Southern-themed restaurant from New Orleans transplant Jeffery Harris, was nominated for Best New Restaurant in the United States.

Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, of Cafe Mochiko, in East Walnut Hills, was nominated for Outstanding Chef or Baker in the U.S.

Two local chefs are among those who will compete for the title of Best Chef, Great Lakes, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Both Francisco Alfaro, the chef de cuisine at Mid-City Restaurant, Downtown, and Hideki and Yuko Harada, the chef/owners of Kiki in College Hill, were nominated.

Elaine Uykimpang Bentz (right) and Erik Bentz. Elaine was nominated as a semifinalist in the Outstanding Chef or Baker category for the 2023 James Beard Awards.
Elaine Uykimpang Bentz (right) and Erik Bentz. Elaine was nominated as a semifinalist in the Outstanding Chef or Baker category for the 2023 James Beard Awards.

Finalists for the award will be announced on Wednesday, March 29, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

At the Table:Sign up for Keith's weekly newsletter to keep up on local food news

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati's James Beard Awards semifinalists: Mita's, Nolia, more