Three Pittsburgh chefs from two restaurants were named semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards.
Kate Lasky, Tomasz Skowronski and Bootsaba Tongdee got nods in the best chef category for the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Lasky and Skowronski are chefs at Apteka in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. The vegan restaurant serves central and eastern European cuisine, according to its website. Apteka in 2022 landed on a list of the country’s top 50 restaurants from The New York Times.
Tongdee represents Pusadee’s Garden, a Thai restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Upper Lawrenceville neighborhood.
“We are so excited to honor this year’s semifinalists who embody the spirit of excellence that defines the James Beard Awards,” said Dawn Padmore, vice president of the awards. “I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the years to come.”
Apteka posted their appreciation on social media.
“What an honor … Thank you, @beardfoundation,” the post said. “So much love to the Apteka team, what an awesome group of people. So grateful to our wonderfully supportive guests. So happy to rep our hometown of Pittsburgh.
“So cool to share the nod with such a terrific and beautiful restaurant as @pusadeesgarden — and the long list of incredibly talented folks in the region.”
The James Beard Awards are among the most prestigious culinary honors in the nation. In a release, the foundation said the awards “honor those who are creating exceptional food, food media content and better food systems, while demonstrating a commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability and a culture where all can thrive.”
The recognition “has the potential to be truly transformative,” said Clare Reichenback, CEO of the James Beard Foundation.
See the full list of semifinalists at the James Beard website.
Final nominees will be announced April 3, and winners will be revealed June 10 at a Chicago ceremony.
