James Beard nominees, Himalayan cuisine and upcoming events

The James Beard Awards are kind of like the NBA season: They crown the champs, and it seems like training camps start two days later.

Making the cyclical process all the more tolerable is how well Milwaukee does — a trend that continued when the James Beard Foundation named its semifinalists earlier this week. Since we’re in the back-patting business, that’s where we start this episode of the podcast.The nominees fell into two camps, the first of which is the expected announcements. The “Best Chef: Midwest” category is a prime example, with plenty of familiar names on the list:

• Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of EsterEv
• Kyle Knall of Birch
• Ross Bachhuber and Sam Ek of Odd Duck
• Jamie Brown-Soukaseume and Chuckie Brown-Soukaseume of Ahan in Madison

The other individual from our area to earn a nomination is Gregory León of Amilinda, who landed in the category “Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton.” But Milwaukee didn’t stop there. We also scored a couple non-restaurant nods, as Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge is up for “Outstanding Bar” and the forward-thinking hybrid cocktail lounge Agency (in the Dubbel Dutch Hotel) is in the category “Best New Bar.”

We’ll wait patiently for the finalists to be announced April 2, and then again for the winners at the annual awards ceremony June 16. In the meantime, here’s what else you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Now that the Cheel is no more, you might be looking for other places to get Himalayan cuisine in Milwaukee. Ann’s got you covered.
• Maider Kitchen Restaurant will bring a Hmong-focused menu to Phongsavan Asian Market on North 76th Street.
• If you’re in the mood for a traditional five-course Lao dinner, book a spot at Lucky Ginger’s event Feb. 20.
• The Pfister will throw a 90th birthday gala for legendary chef and author Jacques Pépin, featuring more than 20 chefs from throughout Wisconsin.