Two Georgia chefs tied for the title of Best Chefs in America, Southeast region, in the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards. Hugh Acheson of Five and Ten in Athens and Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta were recognized during the recent awards ceremony held in New York City. (Click for more on Linton Hopkins.)
The Best Chefs in America designation honors chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. The Southeast Region is composed of Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Hugh Acheson also won in the Book Awards/American Cooking category for his cookbook: A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen.
Several Georgia chefs, restaurateurs and restaurants were semifinalists in this year’s award program (listed below).
Outstanding Bar Program
• Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta (also owned by Linton Hopkins)
• The Porter Beer Bar (See RestaurantInformer’s recent Q&A with Molly Gunn)
Outstanding Pastry Chef
• Aaron Russell, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
• Cynthia Wong, Empire State South, Atlanta
Outstanding Restaurateur
• Mike Klank and Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta
Outstanding Wine Program
• Five and Ten, Athens, GA
Rising Star Chef of the Year
• Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta
Best Chef: Southeast
• Hugh Acheson, Five and Ten, Athens, GA
• Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA
• Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
To see the full list of winners, visit 2012 JBF Awards.
For the complete list of semifinalists by category, log on to 2012 Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists.
