In the food world, the James Beard awards are like the Super Bowl, a coveted championship where food writers, chefs, bartenders and bakers vie for top honors.
The semifinalists for the restaurant and chef awards were announced last week. The majority of the 10 chefs, bartenders and bakers who made the cut from Maine are based in Portland. With a few exceptions, this year looked like a redux of last year.
While Portland is a cultural hot spot, Maine has excellent chefs and bartenders all over the state.
“Maybe there are other ways of looking these awards,” says Michael S. Sanders, a Brunswick journalist who wrote “Fresh From Maine: Recipes and Stories from the State’s Best Chefs” and was the founding editor of Zest magazine. “Why aren’t people in Maine picking these awards?”
That’s what we thought, so we invited them to help us do just that.
We tapped local food notables — Sanders, travel writer Hilary Nangle, EatDrinkMaine blogger and full-time foodie Bill Minkowitz — to create a list of notable chefs and bartenders throughout Maine.
Best Chef South: South of Portland, York County
Sanders: Gary Kim and Julian Armstrong, Anju Noodle Bar, Kittery. Joshua Mather of Joshua’s in Wells, though I wish someone would nominate Tulsi [a popular Indian restaurant in Kittery].
Minkowitz: Justin Walker, Earth, Kennebunkport, for persistence and beautiful stuff. Jonathan Cartwright, White Barn Inn, [which] never goes out of style, with the best service.
Nangle: Joshua Mather at Joshua’s in Wells. Jonathan Cartwright at White Barn Inn in Kennebunk.
Pierce: Chad Conley at the Palace Diner, Biddeford. The tuna fish sandwich of champions.
Best Chef Portland
Sanders: I’d have to say Masa Miyake, because even though the bill can kill you at Miyake, you can go to Pai Men Miyake and walk out stone satisfied for $12.
Minkowitz: Chris Gould at Central Provisions. Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley at Hugo’s.
Nangle: Masa Miyake at Miyake.
Pierce: Shannon Bard of Zapoteca. She had me at cashew salsa. Her lobster tacos are top-notch, (and she was a) “ Kitchen Inferno” star last year.
Burnham: I adore Lolita and think Guy Hernandez is wildly underappreciated as a chef, in the new restaurant and in the Munjoy Hill classic, Bar Lola. Would that they could be recognized for their understated excellence.
Best Chef Midcoast: Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties
Sanders: Brian Hill and Brian Hill. Seriously, this guy is the most creative and real deal, bleeds authenticity, yet knows enough to stray in only the most interesting ways.
Minkowitz: Melissa Kelly, Primo in Rockland. Chris Long and Shelby Stevens at Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn. Chase’s Daily in Belfast.
Nangle: Ravin Nakjaroen of Long Grain in Camden and Erin French of Lost Kitchen in Freedom.
Pierce: Kerry Altiero at Cafe Miranda. This guy is all heart and makes comfort food exciting again.
Burnham: Chase’s Daily deserves more love than they are given — though I recognize vegetarian restaurants are often overlooked. The fact that The Lost Kitchen is not on any of these lists is a crime. Erin French is an artist. Cara Stadler at Tao Yuan and Ravin at Long Grain, though of course they both already are semifinalists.
Best Chef North: Penobscot, Piscataquis and Aroostook counties
Burnham: Mel Chaiken at the Fiddlehead Restaurant in Bangor makes some of the most creative and purely enjoyable food north of Portland, and Massimo Ranni at Massimo’s [Cucina Italiana] in Bangor does Italian right, whether it’s the more straightforward pasta dishes or his beautiful, house-made bread.
Minkowitz: Whoever is at the helm of The Long Lake Sporting Club in Sinclair, where I had the best fried chicken of my life.
Sanders: Melissa Chaiken at The Fiddlehead Restaurant in Bangor, definitely. I haven’t tried some of the newer, more drink-and-small-plate places downtown in what is a burgeoning scene.
Best Chef Downeast/Acadia: Hancock and Washington counties
Burnham: Devin Finigan at Aragosta in Stonington is in her second year of cooking luscious, locally sourced treats in a beautiful location. And I still love Mache Bistro, now a mainstay of fine dining on MDI.
Sanders: In the Bar Harbor region, it’s a tossup between Kyle Yarborough at Mache Bistro and [James and Elizabeth Lindquist at] Red Sky. So many others are so seasonal it’s almost not fair.
Nangle: Devin Finigan of Aragosta in Stonington. James Lindquist of Red Sky in Southwest Harbor and Kyle Yarborough of Mache Bistro in Bar Harbor.
Best Chef West: Androscoggin, Kennbec, Oxford, Franklin and Somerset counties
Sanders: Jonathan Spak at the Oxford House Inn, Fryeburg.
Nangle: Tony Rossi of Coplin Dinner House in Stratton. Dan Davis of One Stanley Avenue in Kingfield. Brian Anderson of Bald Mountain Camps in Oquossoc.
Burnham: Chef Jeremy Donovan at 75 Pleasant St. in Norway. Hidden gem. Simple, understated, lovely.
Beer, wine, spirits
Sanders: I’m not a big cocktail guy, but if I had to nominate a lifetime achievement award, it would be to Bob and Kathe Bartlett of Bartlett in Gouldsboro.
Minkowitz: Luke Davidson at Maine Craft Distilling, Ned Wight at New England Distilling.
Pierce: Banded Horn in Biddeford and Barreled Souls Brewing Co. in Saco.
Burnham: A trip to Oxbow Brewing in Newcastle is always a treat, and Marshall Wharf Brewing in Belfast continues to excel.
Pastries/Bread:
Sanders: Standard Baking Co. for the baguette, Slab for the luna.
Minkowitz: Pamela Fitzpatrick Plunkett and James Murray Plunkett at Little Bigs, South Portland. Josh and Katie Potocki at Southside Bakery — their brioche buns and bagels are the best in the world.
Nangle: Alison Pray at Standard Baking Co. in Portland
Pierce: Ilma Lopez at Piccolo in Portland. Wonderful, artistic attention to detail. Her creations really deliver on the plate and palate.
Burnham: Down a winding back road on the Blue Hill Peninsula lies Tinder Hearth Bread in Brooksville, purveyors of wood-fired, crispy loaves, great pizza on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the best croissants in Maine.
