This year’s James Beard Award semifinalists were announced this morning and three Arizonans are up for Best Chef Southwest: Charleen Badman (pictured on left) from FnB in Scottsdale, Silvana Salcido Esparza (center) from Barrio Urbano in Phoenix, and Jeff Smedstad (right) from Elote Cafe in Sedona.
The field of 20 semifinalists in each category of the Beard Awards, known as the Oscars of food, will be narrowed to five finalists on March 15. Winners will be announced May 1.
Badman has made it into the semis several times, including last year, but has never made the finals. Esparza last made the semis in 2014.
Conspicuously missing from this year’s list: Kevin Binkley, who closed his Cave Creek flagship restaurant last summer and retooled his Phoenix restaurant into a smaller concept, Binkley’s Restaurant. Binkley had advanced to the finals in four of the past five years.
Arizona has had more Best Chef Southwest winners (nine) than any other state, but has been shut out in the category since Nobuo Fukuda won in 2007. The region consists of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.
In nationwide categories, FnB is a semifinalist for Best Wine Wine Program, Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix for Outstanding Restaurant, and Sam Fox of Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts for Outstanding Restaurateur.
