Last week, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalist nominees for their annual awards ceremony (“the Oscars of the food world”). We are excited to announce that Algonquin author (and owner of the Chapel Hill landmark restaurant Crook’s Corner)  Bill Smith was nominated in two categories!

Bill Smith was nominated for the Best Chef: Southeast award. Crook’s Corner was named as a semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category, alongside big name restaurants like Mario Batali’s Babbo and Daniel Boulud’s Daniel in New York City, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Yountville, CA, and Frank Stitt’s Highland’s Bar and Grill in Birmingham, AL. Bill was also nominated for the Best Chef: Southeast award. Another Chapel Hill restaurant, Lantern (just down the street from Crook’s), was also on this list.

Check out the whole list at the James Beard Foundation’s website, and find some good restaurants in your neck of the woods, here.

Bill Smith’s cookbook Seasoned in the South has 100 recipes created by Bill Smith, from his years growing up in Eastern Carolina and working at Crook’s Corner. He also kindly shares cooking tips and recipes with the Algonquin Books Blog, you can see all of his posts here.