It was easy to understand why The Grey’s Mashama Bailey was exhibiting a little controlled excitement when she was selected as a semi-finalist for a James Beard last month. There were a lot of names on the list. It was certainly an honor to be there, but there was a long road to travel before any real excitement kicked in. “If I win, you will hear me screaming from the next block over.” she said at the time.
Now she is one step closer.
Chef Mashama was named a finalist for the culinary world’s top American honor on Thursday for “Best Chef: Southeast.”
The honor is magnified quite a bit by the fact that James Beard Award rules require a chef work at a restaurant for a minimum of 3 years before they an be considered for the award. The Grey opened in December of 2014. Making this the first year Chef Mashama would be allowed to be part of the conversation.
Winners will be announced at a gala in Chicago, the night of May 7, 2018.
Other nominees for Best Chef: Southeast are:
Katie Button (Nightbell, Asheville NC)
Cassidee Dabney (The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland TN)
Rodney Scott (Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Charleston SC)
Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman (Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis)
To see a full list of nominees nationwide click here.
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