Semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards include three skilled chefs from Pittsburgh, representing two distinguished restaurants.
In the Mid-Atlantic region, encompassing areas like Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, Kate Lasky, Tomasz Skowronski, and Bootsaba Tongdee earned nods in the prestigious Best Chef category.
Apteka, situated in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, boasts chefs Lasky and Skowronski. This vegan establishment specializes in central and eastern European cuisine and gained recognition in 2022 by securing a spot on The New York Times’ list of the country’s top 50 restaurants.
Bootsaba Tongdee proudly represents Pusadee’s Garden, a Thai restaurant located in Pittsburgh’s Upper Lawrenceville neighborhood.
Expressing excitement about the semifinalists, Dawn Padmore, vice president of the James Beard Awards, stated, “We are so excited to honor this year’s semifinalists who embody the spirit of excellence that defines the James Beard Awards. I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the years to come.”
