EVERYBODY STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING — the 2016 James Beard semifinalists have been announced and there are some familiar Dallas names. Here's what we've got:
In Best Chef: Southwest, Dallas has four chef nominations out of 20:
Matt McCallister, FT33, Dallas
Teiichi Sakurai, Tei-An, Dallas
David Uygur, Lucia, Dallas
Omar Flores, Casa Rubia, Dallas
In Outstanding Wine Program, one nod:
Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving, TX
And in the Rising Star of the Year, a well-deserved nomination:
Misti Norris, Small Brewpub, Dallas
You'll spot some overlap from last year — Matt McCallister, Omar Flores and David Uygur were all in the running for Best Chef: Southwest, though Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue ultimately won (as if Franklin Barbecue needs more praised heaped upon its praise mountain). James Tidwell at the Las Colinas Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas in Irving was a semi-finalist in the Outstanding Wine, Beer and Spirits Professional category last year, too.
Who we don't see on this year's list: John Tesar and Stephan Pyles, who were both nominated last year, though neither won. Nobody in DFW won last year, actually. Time will tell how Dallas fares this year. Here's the full list of semifinalists, if you're curious.