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Matti Gellman
One Baltimore restaurant advanced Wednesday to the finals of the James Beard Foundation’s national competition honoring excellence in the culinary industry.
Cindy Wolf’s Charleston in Harbor East was named a finalist in the category of Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, which honors restaurants that excel in beverage pairings. The winners will be announced June 16 following a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
This year, five Maryland semifinalists were named by the foundation. Dre Levon of Remington’s Clavel Mezcaleria was recognized in the new category of Outstanding Cocktail Service Professional, while three chefs — Jasmine Norton of Hampden’s Urban Oyster, Michael Correll of Ruse in St. Michaels and Fernando Gonzalez of 2FiftyBarbeque in Riverdale — were nominated for the title of Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. None of them moved into the finalist round Wednesday.
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At that time, the foundation named two Maryland chefs and one restaurant finalists for the awards. Remington’s Clavel Mezcaleria lost out to Jewel of the South in New Orleans for Outstanding Bar, and Tony Conte of Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana in Darnestown lost the foundation’s title of Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic to Harley Peet of Bas Rouge in Easton.
Wolf has previously been a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2006, 2008 and every year from 2014 to 2019.
Her most recent nod for the 28-year-old restaurant’s wine program acknowledges the work of sommelier Lindsay Willey, who worked together with Tony Foreman, Wolf’s former husband and longtime business partner.
In January, the duo announced that they were no longer using the “Foreman Wolf” designation to refer to their businesses. Foreman shifted his attention to the duo’s other properties, including Petit Louis Bistro, Cinghiale, The Milton Inn and Johnny’s, under the name Foreman+Co, while Wolf promised to focus exclusively on Charleston.
Neither Wolf nor her restaurant could be immediately reached for comment.
To be recognized at any level of the foundation’s competition is good for business. Two-thirds of semifinalists for James Beard Awards reported a significant increase in patronage, according to a January press release. This comes “at a time when independent restaurants continue to operate on razor-thin margins,” the release said.
Matti Gellman
matti.gellman@thebaltimorebanner.com
Matti Gellman is a Food Reporter for The Baltimore Banner.
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