An Iowa Chef is a Semifinalist for a Prestigious National Award

The semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards have been revealed, and one Iowan has made the cut!

In the culinary world, getting recognized by the James Beard Foundation is a huge honor. Several Iowans have been nominated for awards through the foundation in the past, but there's only ONE in 2024. His name is Chris Hoffmann. Chris one of 20 semifinalists in the 'Best Chef: Midwest' category, which also includes chefs from Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

According to a new article from the Des Moines Register, Chris is both the owner and head chef at Clyde’s Fine Diner in Des Moines. The restaurant opened in late 2019 and offers "upscale American cuisine, reimagined diner classics, [and] craft cocktails." Chris acknowledged his nomination on the Clyde's Fine Diner Facebook page, writing:

"I'm overwhelmed with emotion and incredibly honored. It's odd to be singled out among such a talented team I have working with me. I'm just one of the cooks in this kitchen. Tom, Diego, Jesse, Ben, Jakob: we put in the work for this. We wouldn't be noticed at all if it weren't for our warm, knowledgeable, and kind FOH staff run by Carson. It's a huge honor for this team, thank you so much to all of you. It's great to be noticed in Des Moines among many other talented chefs and great restaurants."

We Are Iowa reports that the finalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards will be announced on April 3rd, with the winners revealed on June 10th. Although several Iowans have been nominated for the Best Chef: Midwest award in the past, none have ever won. You can check out a list of past Iowa nominees HERE.

If you want to check out Clyde's Fine Diner, it's located at 111 E Grand Avenue in Des Moines and is open for lunch Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Happy Hour is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can see the restaurant's menu on the official website HERE.