Photos by Justin Fox Burks
Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, center, with the staff at their new restaurant and butcher shop called Porcellino’s. Small plates from Porcellino’s are pictured below.
Memphis Chefs Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer are in the running for the prestigious 2015 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast. The James Beard Foundation announced a list of semi-finalists Wednesday in more than 20 different categories.
The announcement came as “a total shock,” Hudman said. “It’s an honor to be on this list and feels amazing to do what we do here in our hometown. We love Memphis and all the support from the community. We are humbled to be part of this scene.”
The chefs, who opened their third restaurant Porcellino’s in December, have been honored previously by the James Beard Foundation, placing as semi-finalists for Best Chef in the Southeast in 2012 and 2013.
This year, the foundation also nominated several other chefs in Tennessee for the Best Chef category, including Daniel Lindley of Alleia in Chattanooga and Tandy Wilson of City House in Nashville. The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland was nominated for outstanding service.
Finalists for the Southeast region, which along with Tennessee includes Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia, will be announced March 24.
