The James Beard Foundation released its list of semifinalists for 2020, and Charlotte found its way on the list once again.

Chef Greg Collier of Uptown Yolk and Chef Joe Kindred of Kindred and Hello, Sailor are nominated for Best Chef: Southeast. Both chefs were nominated in this category in 2019.

Chef Collier, originally from Memphis, began his culinary career at the Scottsdale Community College Culinary Program in Phoenix, AZ before moving to the Charlotte area. He and his wife Subrina operated The Yolk in Rock Hill, SC before moving their breakfast joint to 7th Street Public Market. They’re currently in the process of opening a new restaurant, Leah & Louise, at Camp North End.  Chef Collier is also a co-founder of Soul Food Sessions.

Chef Joe Kindred and his wife Katy opened Kindred in Davidson, NC in 2015. Three years later, they opened Hello, Sailor on Lake Norman and have received national recognition for both restaurants. Since October, the couple has hosted a Guest Chef Series at Hello, Sailor featuring top chefs from around the country. Chef Collier was the first to be featured, and the series wrapped up this week.

On March 25, the foundation will release its list of finalists (five per category.) Winners will be released on May 4. Get the full list of nominees here.

Will our Charlotte chefs make the finals or, better yet, will one win the crown? We’ll find out soon enough.