James Beard Awards Names 'Outstanding Chef' Semifinalist From South NJ

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — A South Jersey restaurant owner and chef has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious 2023 James Beard Awards, sometimes referred to as the Oscars of the culinary arts industry.

Chef Shigeru Fukuyoshi of Sagami, in Collingswood, is on the shortlist for Outstanding Chef. He's been there since founding the restaurant with his wife in 1974, and Sagami itself has been on the James Beard semifinalist roster twice.

The Outstanding Chef honor is given to "a chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals, while contributing positively to their broader community."

Fukuyoshi and his wife Chizuko opened Sagami in a wood-paneled building on the Camden border, which was once an ice cream parlor. The cozy spot sits along US-130, and was one of two Japanese restaurants in the area at the time.

Sagami was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation Awards in 2017 and 2019.

Named for the late chef, cookbook author and food presenter James Beard, the awards “recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” the James Beard Foundation said Wednesday in a news release.

The semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including a new award for outstanding bakery.

Award nominees will be announced March 29, and the winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 5 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

Patch's national desk contributed to this report.