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Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Ed Kenney. Pastry chef Karr-Ueoka says the accolade is “a sweet surprise.” Restaurateur Kenney has been nominated each year since 2013.
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Honolulu chefs Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Ed Kenney are among semifinalists for the 2016 James Beard Foundation Awards.
Karr-Ueoka, partner in MW Restaurant, is among 20 semifinalists for Outstanding Pastry Chef, while Kenney, nominated for Town restaurant, is among 20 semifinalists for Best Chef in the Western region.
“It was definitely a nice way to wake up this morning and such a sweet surprise,” Karr-Ueoka said. “One of my dreams has always been to win the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef.”
This is Karr-Ueoka’s third consecutive year of being nominated in the pastry chef category. MW, which she founded with her husband, Wade Ueoka, also was nominated as a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2014.
Ed Kenney has been nominated in the Best Chef: West category each year since 2013. He could not be reached for comment.
Although no Hawaii chef has made it to the final nominee list for many years, “I just feel blessed to be up there,” Karr-Ueoka said.
The last Hawaii chef and restaurateur to win a Beard Award for best chef was George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro in 2003. At that time Hawaii chefs and restaurants competed in the foundation’s Pacific Northwest category, but the islands are now included in the Western region, with California and Nevada.
Final nominees in 21 categories will be announced March 15; the awards gala is May 2 in Chicago.
