Charlotte nominee misses out on James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast
Sam Hart, the chef and owner of Counter-, was a finalist for James Beard Award Best Chef: Southeast for his work at the Charlotte restaurant but didn’t bring home the award Monday night.
“Most important, [we’re] just thankful that this recognition is being showcased — especially here in Charlotte,” Hart told CharlotteFive earlier. “We are very aware that we are only the fifth restaurant ever to receive even a semifinalist for this and the second one ever to be a finalist.”
It has been a notable year for Hart, who moved Counter- to a new location and opened Biblio in an adjacent space right at the end of 2022. At Counter-, 10- and 14-course tasting menus are paired with a theme that incorporates music and art, along with the taste and textures of the food, to create a sensory experience and storyline. Wine bar Biblio also takes an innovative take on pairing wine and food — it starts with the wine and matches the flavors of the food to it, rather than the other way around.
Terry Koval of The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, GA, won. Joining him and the Charlotte chef as contenders in the Best Chef: Southeast category, which covers Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, were:
• Sam Fore, Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites, Lexington, KY
• Josh Habiger, Bastion, Nashville, TN
• Paul Smith, 1010 Bridge, Charleston, WV.
Other North Carolina winners previously announced included:
Savonala “Savi” Horne, Land Loss Prevention Project, for the James Beard Leadership Award. Horne is the executive director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers, Land Loss Prevention Project, which provides legal expertise, community education, and advocacy skills to help farms and rural landowners facing legal, economic and environmental challenges. She currently serves on the boards of the National Family Farm Coalition and the Rural Coalition and is a member of the United States Department of Agriculture, Equity Commission/Agriculture Subcommittee and the National Black Environmental Justice Network. She is a recipient of the 2020 American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Award for Excellence in Environmental, Energy, and Resources Stewardship
Psyche A. Williams-Forson (University of North Carolina Press) for “Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America” in the Media Awards in the Food Issues and Advocacy category.
Other 2023 semifinalists from Charlotte who did not move onto the finals included:
Chef Greg Collier, who owns Leah & Louise with his wife, Subrina, for Outstanding Chef. Collier has also previously been named a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast three times, and once made it to the finals. Last year, he moved on to the finalist round in the Best Chef Southeast category. He is the first finalist ever from Charlotte.
Salud Cerveceria, owned by Jason and Dairelyn Glunt, was recognized with a nomination for Outstanding Bar.
In addition to Collier, previous nominees from Charlotte include:
Joe Kindred was semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast each year from 2016-2020.
Bruce Moffett was a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast in 2009.
Paul Verica was semi-finalist for Best Chef: Southeast in 2016 and Best New Restaurant in 2019.
Alex Cason contributed to this article.
Biblio
Location: 2001 W. Morehead St., suite B, Charlotte, NC 28208
Cuisine: Wine and wine-tailored dishes
Instagram: @bibliocharlotte
Counter-
Location: 2001 W Morehead St., Suite D, Charlotte, NC 28208
Cuisine: Sensory-themed tasting dishes
Instagram: @counterclt
Editor’s note: Chef Greg Collier has been nominated three times as a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast and a fourth time as Outstanding Chef. A previous version of this story was incorrect about the number of semifinal nominations he’s received.
