Two San Diego County chefs and a Convoy Street cocktail bar are among the coveted James Beard Foundation Award semifinalists announced Wednesday, marking another strong showing for the region on the national culinary stage.
Tara Monsod of Animae in downtown San Diego and Eric Bost, executive chef of Michelin-starred Lilo in Carlsbad, were named semifinalists for the title of Best Chef: California.
Realm of the 52 Remedies, an Asian-influenced speakeasy on Convoy Street, earned a semifinalist nod in the national Outstanding Bar category.
Monsod, executive chef of Puffer Malarkey Collective’s Asian-inspired fine-dining restaurant Animae at 969 Pacific Highway, has become a familiar name in the Beard Awards conversation. For the past two years, she advanced to the final round — an unprecedented achievement for San Diego County. She remains the only local chef to have reached the finals in the competition’s history. Monsod also oversees Animae’s sister restaurant, Le Coq, a French-Asian concept in La Jolla.
Bost was recognized for his work at Lilo, the 22-seat fine-dining restaurant in Carlsbad that earned a Michelin star just two months after opening last spring. Since mid-2020, Bost has worked alongside restaurateur John Resnick to grow a now four-restaurant group that also includes Jeune et Jolie, Campfire and Wildland.
Monsod and Bost are among 20 California chefs to advance to the semifinal round this year.
Finalists will be announced later this spring, with winners revealed at the James Beard Awards ceremony in Chicago.
See the complete list of semifinalists on the foundation’s website.
