Sofra Cafe's Maura Kilpatrick Named 2019 James Beard Finalist

CAMBRIDGE, MA — If you've ever been to Sofra Cafe, you know the Middle Eastern-inspired pastries there. It's hard to miss them. And the folks behind the annual prestigious food awards apparently think so too. Once again, the co-owner and executive pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick is being eyed as a top baker in the country.

Often referred to as the Oscar of the food world, the James Beard Foundation released its list of finalists today for national and regional chef and restaurant awards and the Cambridge baker made the list.

This year Cambridge racked up four semifinalists in national restaurant categories outstanding baker, outstanding chef and best chef in the northeast. The semifinalists were judged by a panel of 600 judges — made up mainly of restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators and past James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award winners — and each category whittled down from 20 to five nominees.

Sofra Bakery's Kilpatrick was the only Cambridge name to stay on the list. She faces off against four other bakers - in NYC, Detroit, Los Gatos, CA and Chicago for category of Outstanding Baker, which will be announced in May.

According to the blog: "The outstanding baker must be: A pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a retail bakery. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years."

Sofra Bakery and Cafés' Executive Pastry Chef and owner Kilpatrick was a James Beard finalist last year and a nominee for the 2015, 2016, 2017 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. And that's not all. She was voted Best Pastry Chef by Boston magazine in 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Kilpatrick opened Sofra with Ana Sortun in 2008 and now oversees the development of the entire pastry team at Sofra, Oleana and Sarma restaurants.

RELATED: James Beard Awards 2019: List Of Cambridge Semifinalists