James Beard names finalists for region's best chefs. How Indy-area chefs fared

Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read

Indianapolis-area chefs are out of the running for the best chef award at the country’s top culinary recognition.

Abbi Merriss, of Bluebeard in Indianapolis, and Samir Mohammad, of 9th Street Bistro in Noblesville, have been recognized as semifinalists for James Beard Foundation awards Best Chef, among 20 contenders in the  Great Lakes region (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio).

They were not among the five finalists announced on Wednesday though.

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James Beard Award finalists are:

  • Omar Anani, Saffron De Twah, Detroit

  • Diana Dávila Boldin, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago

  • Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago

  • Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard, Detroit

  • Sarah Welch, Marrow, Detroit

The James Beard awards are considered the Oscars of the culinary world.

Duck confit panang curry at 9th Street Bistro opening in Noblesville Sept. 9.
Duck confit panang curry at 9th Street Bistro opening in Noblesville Sept. 9.

Merriss, also executive chef at Kan-Kan Cinema & Brasserie in Indianapolis, has been a semifinalist each year from 2016 to 2020.

Mohammad, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu, and cures his own meats and makes his own cheeses, made his list debut this year.

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in Chicago on June 5.

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Wagner's Village Inn among America's Classics

Indiana will still have representation in the house that day as  Wagner’s Village Inn in Oldenburg was named a 2023 America's Classics Award winner by the James Beard Foundation earlier this year.

Wagner’s Village Inn is among six winners, one for each region recognized in 2023.

The award is given to locally-owned eateries “that have timeless appeal and are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of its community,” the foundation said.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter:@cherylvjackson.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: James Beard names finalists for Great Lakes region's best chefs