Raleigh chef Cheetie Kumar is a James Beard finalist
The James Beard Foundation announced its awards shortlist May 4, celebrating the country’s top chefs and restaurant leaders during one of the industry’s most challenging moments.
Raleigh chef Cheetie Kumar of Garland was named a finalist for the regional James Beard chef award, Best Chef: Southeast.
The award is given annually to the top chef in North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky, one of
“I’m blown away and grateful,” Kumar said in a phone interview. “This gives me fuel to come back and be stronger and be the best version of whatever iteration we are.”
Kumar owns Garland in downtown Raleigh with her husband, Paul Siler.
Her menu is a distinct take on Asian fusion, built largely around Indian dishes and other cuisines of Southeast Asia, but loyal to the North Carolina seasons and ingredients.
While she has been nominated as a semifinalist three times — in 2017, 2018 and 2019 — this is her first time advancing to the finalist stage of the James Beard Foundation awards, considered the Oscars of the culinary world.
Asheville chef Katie Button of the Spanish restaurant Curate is also a Best Chef: Southeast finalist.
The North Carolina pair are joined by Tennessee chefs Cassidee Dabney of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland; Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen in Memphis; and Julia Sullivan of Henrietta Red in Nashville.
Kumar was raised in Chandigrah, India, grew up in the Bronx and has been in Raleigh for three decades. She has cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York and has hosted the Brown in the South dinner series in Raleigh. Brown in the South, featuring acclaimed chefs in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi, showcases what it means to be a Southern chef of Indian descent.
Kumar and Siler also co-own the adjacent music venues King’s and Neptune’s and play in the band, Birds of Avalon.
Currently, most restaurants in America are closed or focusing on takeout as the industry works to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Kumar has kept Garland on West Martin Street in downtown Raleigh closed since the beginning of the shutdown, nearly two months ago.
“I’m happy to have this little boost in our arm for whenever we do come back,” Kumar said.
Other North Carolina nominees include Asheville’s Ashleigh Shanti of Benne on Eagle, who is up for Rising Star Chef of the Year, a national award given to the best chef under 30 years old.
Kaitlyn Goalen, executive director of Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants, is up for American cookbook of the year for “Cook Like a Local: Flavors That Can Change How You Cook and See the World,” which she co-authored with Houston chef Chris Shepherd.
Last year, Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen joined the ranks of restaurant legends, winning the award for Outstanding Chef in the country, the top James Beard Award.
Kumar said she had forgotten about the nominations until Monday morning, noticing memories popping up on Facebook from last year when Christensen won during the Chicago gala.
“One year ago tonight we were celebrating and would have been at the awards,” Kumar said. “I wasn’t thinking about it. It’s really surreal to connect to to that part of everything now.”
The winners will be announced Sept. 25.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 7:23 PM.
