Chef Kelly English Named Semifinalist for James Beard Foundation Award
- At February 18, 2010
- By admin
- In Uncategorized
0
Chef Kelly English, owner and chef of Restaurant Iris, has been recognized as a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef of the Southeast. The foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Committee selected English as a nominee out of over 21,000 online entries.
Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards honors the finest chefs and restaurants in the country and are often referred to as “The Oscars of Food.” These awards carry on the legacy of James Beard, whom many consider to be the father of American-style gourmet cooking. Those nominated as finalists will be announced on March 22, and winners will be announced at the foundations annual gala on Monday, May 3, 2010 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York, NY.
This is not the first time Restaurant Iris and Chef English have been recognized for excellence in the culinary world. In 2009, English was voted ‘Best New Chef’ by Food and Wine Magazine. Recently, English was voted ‘Best Chef’ by Memphis Magazine’s Readers Poll, along with several other awards for Restaurant Iris.
Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Chef English draws from his first-hand knowledge of Cajun and Creole cuisine to create a menu that has made Restaurant Iris a premiere destination in Memphis. After graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and training under famed Chef John Besh, English opened Restaurant Iris in April of 2008.
