Tara Monsod of Animae among James Beard nominees for top chef in California

A San Diego chef was among the culinary pros nominated Wednesday for a coveted James Beard Award.

Tara Monsod of Animae, 969 Pacific Highway, is one of five people nominated for the title of Best Chef: California.

Also nominated were:

• Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano
• Jon Yao of Kato, Los Angeles
• Richard Lee of Saison, San Francisco
• Kosuke Tada of Mijoté, San Francisco.

Other Southern California nominees include Gusto Bread in Long Beach, for outstanding bakery, Strong Water in Anaheim, for outstanding wine and other beverages, and and Tobin Shea of Redbird in Los Angeles for outstanding cocktail service, a new category this year.

Winners of the honors, considered the tops in culinary achievement, will be announced June 16 at a gala in Chicago.

See the complete list of nominees on the foundation’s website.

The event also will feature special Achievement Awards. Impact Awards will go to:

• U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (MN-2), Minority Leader, House Committee on Agriculture
• Brandon Edwin Chrostowski, CEO, EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute
• Anthony Edwards Jr., CEO and Co-Founder, EatOkra
• Seanicaa Edwards Herron, founder and executive director, Freedmen Heirs Foundation
• Dune Lankard, President and Founder, Native Conservancy

Two other awards, Humanitarian of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement, will honor Chad Houser, founder and CEO of Café Momentum, a Dallas-based nonprofit restaurant, and author, culinary journalist and activist Toni Tipton-Martin respectively.

City News Service contributed to this report.