Three restaurants and chefs advanced as finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious Restaurant and Chef Awards, the organization announced Wednesday.
That stands in contrast to last year, when only one Colorado nominee (chef Michael Diaz de Leon formerly with BRUTØ) made it through to the finals.
Two of the finalists were nominated in the 2024 Best Chef in the Mountain Region category — which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming — Chef Penelope Wong, co-owner of Yuan Wonton in Park Hill, and chef Matt Vawter, owner of Rootstalk in Breckenridge.
Owner Kelly Whitaker is pictured at The Wolf’s Tailor on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)
In the Outstanding Restaurateur category, Kelly Whitaker and Erika Whitaker, co-founders of Id Est Hospitality Group in Boulder, were also among five finalists. Id Est boasts award-winning restaurants like Michelin-starred The Wolf’s Tailor and BRUTØ in Denver and Basta in Boulder.
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When the James Beard Foundation announced semifinalists in January, Colorado claimed 13 nominations, as it has for the last two years, including a few in nationally competitive categories such as outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef and best new restaurant.
The winners will be announced on June 10 during an in-person awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. See the full list of nominees here.