Four Pittsburgh Chefs Honored on James Beard Long List

The four are semifinalists for James Beard Foundation Awards, considered the most prestigious of the nation's culinary honors.

photos by Laura Petrilla
 

The long list for the 2017 James Beard Foundation chef awards was announced Wednesday morning, and Pittsburgh is represented in three categories. Wei Zhu, executive chef and owner of Chengdu Gourmet in Squirrel Hill, is a semi-finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. This is his first time on the list.
 

Justin Severino, executive chef and owner of Cure and Morcilla, once again also is a semi-finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. This is the fourth year running that he’s made the long list.
 

Becca Hegarty, chef de cuisine of Café Carnegie in Oakland, is on the long-list for Rising Star Chef of the Year. 
 

Casey Renee, pastry chef at Whitfield in East Liberty, hits the mark in the Outstanding Pastry Chef category.

Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, March 15 and winners at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 1.