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Indiana chefs make 2023 James Beard Awards semifinalists

A couple local chefs are putting the Indy food scene in the spotlight.

January 25, 2023 • 
Nicole Hernandez
Multiple silver medals sit on boxes on a table covered in a black tablecloth.

The finalists will be announced in early April.

Photo by James A. Vitullo Photography via the James Beard Foundation

Now we’re cooking.

The semifinalists for the 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards were announced yesterday, and two central Indiana chefs made the list.

Bluebeard’s Chef Abbi Merriss and 9th Street Bistro’s Chef Samir Mohammad made the list of Best Chefs in the Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH).

Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5 in Chicago. 🏆

Want to try a dish by a James Beard semfinalist? We suggest the octopus at Bluebeard or the mushroom and saffron risotto at 9th Street Bistro.

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