Two Kansas establishments and chef make the cut as James Beard Awards semifinalists
A restaurant that artfully blends American and European cuisine, a cozy cocktail bar tucked away in outer Kansas City and a pioneering Topeka chef all number among 2023’s semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards.
Considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors, the James Beard Awards recognize the nation’s top fine-dining experiences, casual gems, emerging talents and established masters, according to the foundation’s announcement release.
The 2023 Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including the new award for Outstanding Bakery.
Nominees will be announced March 29, and the winners honored at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony, which will take place June 5 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The following are Kansas’ semifinalists for the 2023 James Beard awards:
Outstanding Bar
Drastic Measures in Shawnee, located in the Kansas City metro area.
No wine. No beer. Just cocktails. That’s the motto of Drastic Measures, an otherwise unassuming establishment from the exterior that masks a cozy bar offering beautifully crafted cocktails.
Drastic Measures is located in outlying Kansas City at 5817 Nieman Road in Shawnee. No reservations, service is first-come, first-served.
Outstanding Hospitality
The Restaurant at 1900 in Mission Woods, located in the Kansas City metro area.
According to its website, The Restaurant at 1900 features modern American cuisine from award-winning chef Linda Duerr, who takes influences from her native New England, along with Italian and French food. The menu changes seasonally.
The Restaurant at 1900 also features an elegant space with modernistic stylings housed within a late 1960s architectural gem.
The address is 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, KS 66205.
Best Chef: Midwest
The Midwest category includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Chef Adam VanDonge at The White Linen in Topeka.
The White Linen is an intimate fine-dining restaurant in one of downtown Topeka’s oldest buildings, the Columbian Building.
In a 2018 profile in a Topeka business magazine, VanDonge said he hoped to one day earn a Michelin Star or James Beard Award, and now it seems that dream may come true.
The White Linen is located at 112 Southwest 6th Ave. in Topeka.
James Beard Awards policies and procedures can be viewed at jamesbeard.org/awards/policies, and an overview of the voting process can be viewed online as well.
This story was originally published January 26, 2023 at 2:22 PM.