It’s a good day for the Las Vegas dining scene. Four chefs—three off Strip and one on the Strip—were named semifinalists for the coveted James Beard Best Chef Southwest award. Nicole Brisson, Dan Krohmer, James Trees and Alan Ji will compete for the title, along with 16 regional chefs from Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
Brisson, who was previously at Eataly and Carnevino, ventured out on her own with Italian restaurant Locale in Mountain’s Edge less than a year ago. Dan Krohmer opened Other Mama in the southwest in 2015, and last year expanded Downtown with two concepts, Hatsumi and La Monja, both at Fergusons Motel. James Trees invigorated Downtown’s dining scene when Esther’s Kitchen opened two years ago, and last year, sister restaurant Ada’s opened at Tivoli Village. Alan Ji has been on the Strip scene for a number of years, including a stint at Wing Lei. He presided over Mott 32’s debut at the end of 2018.
The 2020 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards will mark the 30th anniversary of the country’s most prestigious honors for leaders in the food and beverage industry. The finalists for Restaurant and Chef nominees will be announced on March 25, with the awards gala ceremony taking place on May 4 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.
