The James Beard Foundation announced the James Beard Awards semifinalists for restaurants and chefs today. Like the Academy Awards, there are always some nominees that make me go, Hmmmm. For the Best New Restaurant category, as lovely as it is, Frances seems incredibly new. Acquerello for wine service (and Outstanding Service service) but not RN74? Then there's the sad fact of Ubuntu.

All I know is that Chris Kostow is having a very, very good day. The Meadowood chef just received the rare four stars from Bauer today and is now up for Best Chef: Pacific. That category, which includes 20 restaurants from all the way up and down the coast including Hawaii, is made up of nine Bay Area chefs, all talents in their own right. Kostow is very deserved, but David Kinch? That man can cook like no other. Last year he lost to Cyrus's Douglas Keane. It would be a shame if they let another year go by without giving it to him.

Outstanding Restaurateur
Michael Dellar, Lark Creek Restaurant Group, San Francisco
Pat Kuleto, Pat Kuleto Restaurant Development & Management Co., San Francisco
Tim Stannard, Bacchus Management Group, San Francisco
Doug Washington, Anchor & Hope, Salt House, and Town Hall, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef
Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco
Michael Mina, Michael Mina, San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurant
Bouchon, Yountville, CA
Boulevard, San Francisco
Delfina, San Francisco

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Perry Hoffman, Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA
Timothy Hollingsworth, The French Laundry, Yountville, CA

Best New Restaurant
Adesso, Oakland, CA
Flour + Water, San Francisco
Frances, San Francisco
RN74, San Francisco

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Deanie Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Michelle Polzine, Range, San Francisco

Outstanding Wine Service
A16, San Francisco
Acquerello, San Francisco
La Toque, Napa, CA

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines, Sebastopol, CA
Jörg Rupf, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, CA

Outstanding Service
Acquerello, San Francisco

Best Chef: Pacific
Jeremy Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Laurence Jossel, Nopa, San Francisco
Loretta Keller, Coco500, San Francisco
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA 
Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco
Richard Reddington, Redd, Yountville, CA
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA