Four upstate chefs nominated by the James Beard Foundation

The semifinalists for the James Beard Awards were announced Jan. 24.

In the Best Chefs in New York State category, four upstate chefs were recognized: Clare de Boer of Stissing House in Pine Plains, Doris Choi of Good Night in Woodstock, Shaina Loew-Banayan of Café Mutton in Hudson and Chris Mauricio of Harana Market in Accord. The final nominees will be announced in April, followed by an awards ceremony with the winners in June, complete with a red carpet, lifetime achievement awards, and lots of chefs wearing aprons.

Also, like the Oscars, the selection process and the judges who decide the winners are not revealed. FAQs on the foundation’s website state, “The Voting Body, including judges chosen for their expertise per program, then reviews and votes on the eligible entries to determine the nominees and winners, as applicable to each program.”

The yearly James Beard Foundation Awards include wide recognition in many categories including best chef, best restaurant, best new restaurant, outstanding bar, outstanding wine programs, pastry chefs, hospitality, and bakery. Last year, Stissing House was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant along with 29 other eateries across the country, and that’s just one category. The Best New Restaurant winner last year was Kann, in the Pacific Northwest, serving Haitian-inspired cuisine.

The New York Times publishes its own list of 50 Best Restaurants and included Stissing House among only five restaurants in New York, including New York City, in its 2023 list.