Goosefoot Earns Nod from ‘Oscars’ of Food Awards

Chris Nugent is on fire. In the last 6 months, his restaurant, Goosefoot at 2656 W. Lawrence Ave., has earned a Michelin star, Best New Restaurant from Chicago Magazine and Chef of the Year from the Chicago Tribune.

On Tuesday, Nugent made the semifinalist list of the Best Chef in the Great Lakes region for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards. The awards have often been called the Oscars of the food industry, celebrating the best chefs, restaurateurs and beverage professionals throughout North America.   

For his category, Nugent has no easy mission ahead. He faces 19 other chefs, including Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard of the Girl & Goat, Paul Virant of Perennial Virant and Dave Beran of Next.

The foundation released the award semifinalists on Tuesday and on March 18, the finalists will be announced. A 600-person independent volunteer panel determines those finalists, the Huffington Post reports. They’ll narrow down the list to five nominees in each category, with the winners named May 6.

Nugent joins several other North Side nominees:

• Balena, Lincoln Park: Best New Restaurant
• The Violet Hour, Wicker Park: Outstanding Bar Program
• Chef Matthew Kirkley of L20, Lincoln Park: Rising Star Chef of the Year
• Chef Michael Carlson of Schwa, Wicker Park: Best Chef: Great Lakes

See the full list of semifinalists here.