CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, the James Beard Foundation announced its 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists.
Cordelia Chef Vinnie Cimino was named a semifinalist for the "Best Chef: Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio)" category.
Cordelia is located on East 4th Street in Cleveland and features "heritage-rich recipes and cocktails inspired by the farmer’s bounty and generations past, reimagined and showcased in new ways."
The mission of the James Beard Awards is to "recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive," according to organizers.
Last year, Brandon Chrostowski of EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute was nominated in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. Additionally, Allie La Valle-Umansky, Jeremy Umansky, and Kenny Scott of Larder Delicatessen & Bakery were semifinalists in the "Best Chef: Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio)" category.
Hospitality is in Cimino's blood. His grandmother taught him everything he knows after she owned and operated Bellies Deli in Kent for years. Cimino pays homage to her with their original restaurant sign that hangs in the kitchen at Cordelia.
"We get inspired by where we come from, who taught us that hospitality and that was our grandmothers," said Cimino previously told 3News' Austin Love.
The winners of the Restaurant and Chef Awards will be announced on June 10.
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