by Kristen Wile

The Carolinas took three of the five slots on the James Beard Foundation’s list of 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees, though the chefs behind Jimmy Pearls — Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper — did not advance.

In a list that has often heavily featured Atlanta and Nashville restaurants, only one Atlanta chef made the list in the Best Chefs: Southeast category: Talat Market’s Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang. From North Carolina, chef Jamie David of The Hackney in Washington was honored. In South Carolina, Charleston’s James London of Chubby Fish and West Columbia’s Robbie Robinson of City Limits Barbeque advanced. The remaining nominee is Charleston, West Virginia’s Paul Smith.

Johnson and Cooper were the only Charlotte semifinalists this year, and were surprised by the recognition.

“This is just unexpected,” Johnson told us when he learned of the honor. “We just work hard, we just try to put out our best food and our story with integrity behind the food. We don’t look for accolades, but when they come we definitely celebrate.”

Jimmy Pearls recently ended its residency at The Market at 7th Street, which was extended following the James Beard Awards announcement. They will do community events and pop-ups as they look to move into a new brick-and-mortar space in the future. Read more about their plans in our earlier coverage.

North Carolina’s Crawford and Son, from chef Scott Crawford, was nominated in the category for Outstanding Hospitality, and Wilmington’s Dean Neff of Seabird advanced in the Outstanding Chef category.

See the full list of James Beard Award finalists here.