3 Cincinnati restaurants named James Beard Award finalists

Three Cincinnati restaurants are among the finalists for the James Beard Foundation's 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The local nominees are among an elite grouping of the country's best chefs and restaurants. They include two restaurants and a pastry chef. They are:

Mita's, nominated for Outstanding Restaurant
Nolia, nominated for Best New Restaurant
Elaine Uykimpang Bentz of Café Mochiko, nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
"The James Beard Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and exceptional culinary talent, as well as all those doing incredible work on behalf of our communities and wider food system," said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation in a release. "This year's nominees, winners and honorees are inspiring exemplars of that. We congratulate all those recognized today and look forward to celebrating them at another exciting Awards Weekend in Chicago this June."
Winners will be announced June 5.