Wilmington's Bardea and Heirloom chef in Lewes named James Beard semifinalists

Bardea Food & Drink, the new Italian eatery in downtown Wilmington, and Matthew Kern, chef of Lewes' highly rated Heirloom restaurant, Wednesday morning were named semi-finalists for James Beard Foundation Awards.

The awards are considered the nation's most prestigious culinary honors.

The names of the Wilmington restaurant and Lewes chef were on the "long list" of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists announced in advance of the 29th annual James Beard Awards.

The list of semifinalists will later be voted on by more than 600 judges from across the country to determine the final nominees in each category. The Beard Awards take place in Chicago on May 5.

Bardea Food & Drink at the corner of Seventh and Market streets in Wilmington was named as one of the country's best new restaurants of 2018.

The snazzy, 120-seat Italian-themed restaurant, owned by Scott Stein and Antimo DiMeo, opened in September 2018 and has quickly become a popular gathering place.

According to the James Beard Foundation, eateries selected in the category of best new restaurant "already demonstrate excellence in cuisine and hospitality" and are "likely to make a significant impact in years to come."

Matthew Kern of Heirloom on Savannah Road in Lewes is among the semifinalists for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. That category, one of the most competitive in the James Beard Awards, is represented by chefs from Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

"It was definitely an amazing surprise," Bardea executive chef/co-owner Antimo DiMeo said Wednesday morning. "We are ecstatic right now. It's an amazing feeling."

DiMeo said co-owner Scott Stein called him this morning soon after he got the news.

"He was crying hysterically on the phone and I thought something happened. And he said, 'No, look at your phone.'" Stein then forwarded him an announcement of the nomination.

DiMeo joked he and the Bardea kitchen staff "are currently talking about how we're going celebrate. We all put in a lot of hard work."

Stein said he found out about the nomination while driving to the Wilmington restaurant from Philadelphia.

"I pulled over onto I-95. I almost got into an accident. This is the greatest achievement in my culinary career. I'm so proud we're a part of the Wilmington community and representing Delaware."

Last year, The Blue Hen, a Rehoboth Beach restaurant that celebrates American cuisine, was a semifinalist for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. 

Kern of Heirloom in Sussex County joins the growing names of Delaware chefs who have previously been included on the James Beard semifinalist list for Best Mid-Atlantic chef. Other Delaware chef nominees over the years have included Patrick D'Amico, Jay Caputo, Michael DiBianca, JD Morton, Hari Cameron and Dwain Kalup.

"I’m honored and humbled," Kern said about the nomination on Wednesday.

Heirloom, located in a renovated Victorian home at 212 Savannah Road, is owned by Meghan Lee. The upscale Lewes restaurant opened in December 2015 and has been critically acclaimed ever since.

Lee works alongside chef Matthew Kern and the staff to turn a lovely evening into a memorable one. Lee is fiercely protective of her restaurant and is well-known for biting back at Yelp reviewers who she believes unfairly malign her restaurant.

In a Facebook post, Lee wrote: "I couldn’t be more proud of Matthew Kern to be at the helm of Heirloom. Congrats to you on the James Beard Nomination for Best [Mid-Atlantic] Chef. You freaking rock."

"Along with the kick ass front of house staff I have, the back of house kitchen is so dedicated, hardworking and loyal to our message — serving ridiculously amazing food by showcasing our local farmer and fisherman’s bounty."

Lee added: "God, I love what I do."

In 2017, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery co-founder Sam Calagione received a James Beard Award as the country's most Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional after being nominated for seven consecutive years.

The late Matt Haley, who ran the SoDel Concepts Restaurant Group in Sussex County, received the Beard organization's Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2014 for his philanthropy both in Delaware and Nepal. 

Haley died in a motorcycle accident a few months after receiving the award.

The only other Delaware residents who have won Beard Awards are Hockessin residents Kathy Brennan, a food writer and cookbook author, and her husband Michael Steinberger, a wine writer. Both were honored in journalism categories.

The James Beard Foundation on March 27 will announce the final nominees for all Award categories during a press conference in Houston. The event will take place at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live online and the nominees will be live tweeted via the James Beard Foundation Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/beardfoundation.

Here's a partial list of 2019 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists:

Best New Restaurant

Adda Indian Canteen, NYC

Andiario, West Chester, PA

Angler, San Francisco

Atomix, NYC

Bardea Food & Drink, Wilmington, DE

Bavel, Los Angeles

Bywater American Bistro, New Orleans

Canard, Portland, OR

Celeste, Somerville, MA

Chickadee, Boston

Ellē, Washington, D.C.

The Elysian Bar, New Orleans

Folk, Nashville

Frenchette, NYC

Kyoten, Chicago

Larder Delicatessen and Bakery, Cleveland

Lineage, Wailea, HI

Majordomo, Los Angeles

Marrow, Detroit

Nyum Bai, Oakland, CA

Passerotto, Chicago

Petra and the Beast, Dallas

Popol Vuh, Minneapolis

Q House, Denver

Sawyer, Seattle

Spoken English, Washington, D.C.

The Stanley, Charlotte, NC

Suerte, Austin

The Surf Club Restaurant, Surfside, FL

Vianda, San Juan, PR

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Joey Baldino, Zeppoli, Collingswood, NJ

Sandeep “Sunny” Baweja, Lehja, Richmond, VA

Jamilka Borges, The Independent Brewing Company, Pittsburgh

Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.

Erik Bruner-Yang, Brothers and Sisters, Washington, D.C.

Kristin Butterworth, Lautrec, Farmington, PA

Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint, Washington, D.C.

Nicholas Elmi, Laurel, Philadelphia

Randy Forrester, Osteria Radici, Allentown, NJ

Jerome Grant, Sweet Home Café, Washington, D.C.

Haidar Karoum, Chloë, Washington, D.C.

Matthew Kern, Heirloom, Lewes, DE

Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia

Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia

Dan Richer, Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City, NJ

Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C.

Kevin Tien, Himitsu, Washington, D.C.

Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore

Nobu Yamazaki, Sushi Taro, Washington, D.C.

Wei Zhu, Chengdu Gourmet, Pittsburgh

The full list of 2019 semifinalists can be found at the James Beard Foundation website. 

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico