Earlier this week, we learned that City House chef-owner Tandy Wilson
has been nominated for a Food & Wine honor— The People's Best New Chef 2011. Now he's among the elite crew of this year's James Beard Award semifinalists for Best Chef in the Southeast.
(This is the second year in a row that Wilson has landed in the Southeast semis. Last year a former Nashville chef, Sean Brock — previously at Capitol Grille and now at McCrady's in S.C. — won the category.)
Wilson is the only Tennessee chef nominated in the Southeast division this year. In the Outstanding Wine Service category, sommelier Andy Chabot of Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tenn., got a nod. Go here to see the full list.
Unless you're one of the 550 judges on the James Beard panel, you don't have any say in how far Tandy Wilson will advance. But you can participate in the The People's Best New Chef in the Southeast honor. Vote here, and vote now. The balloting ends March 1.
At this writing, Wilson is in third place out of 10 competitors, with 12.45 percent of the vote. Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill is first with 27.8 percent of the vote, and Ryan Trimm of Sweet Grass in Memphis is second with 17.31 percent. Get out the vote, Nashvillians!
