Wilmington chef gets an ‘Outstanding’ nod in 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards
On Wednesday, the James Beard Foundation announced their list of semifinalists for the 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards – which are often called the Oscars of the culinary world. And one Wilmington chef is up for a big one.
Dean Neff, chef/owner at Seabird in downtown Wilmington, is on the list of 20 semifinalists for Outstanding Chef, where he is joined by culinary professionals from around the country including those in New York City, San Francisco and Puerto Rico.
In 2023, Neff was up for another award from the Foundation as a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, along with Keith Rhodes of Catch in Wilmington. (Terry Koval of The Deer and the Dove in Decatur, Georgia, won the award.)
"What this says to me is that this community, and all of the wonderful things that are happening here, are being recognized," Neff said. "This is a wonderful place and produces wonderful seafood. This is a nod to all of that."
Locals will find out if Neff makes it to the nominee round when they are announced on April 3. The awards are to be given out at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 10 in Chicago. The 2024 Restaurant and Chef semifinalists are recognized across 22 categories. No other Wilmington chefs or restaurants are among the 2024 semifinalists but there are others from North Carolina.
The Market Place in Asheville and The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge Inn in Blowing Rock are on the list for Outstanding Restaurant. Ajja in Raleigh is on the list for Best New Restaurant. Bobby Boy Bakeshop in Winston-Salem could be named Outstanding Bakery and Bittersweet in Raleigh is up for Outstanding Bar. When it comes to Outstanding Hospitality, Crawford and Son in Raleigh made the list.
In the 2024 list of candidates for Best Chef: Southeast, which pulls from the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennesse and West Virginia, only five of the 20 chefs represent North Carolina. They include Daryl Cooper and Oscar Johnson, of Jimmy Pearls in Charlotte, Jamie Davis of The Hackney in Washington, Jason Sellers of Plant in Asheville, Kanlaya “Gun” Supachana of Dalaya Thai Cuisine in Sylva, and Preeti Waas of Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in Raleigh.
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Chef Dean Neff of Seabird restaurant up for 2024 James Beard Award
