Sea urchin at Nightshade Noodle Bar.
The world of fine dining is shining a spotlight on two New England cities that usually sit in shadows of their bigger neighbors.
The finalists for the James Beard awards were announced Wednesday and a chef from Lynn, Massachusetts, and a restaurant in West Hartford, Connecticut, are on the short lists for best in the country.
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Rachel Miller, of Lynn French-Vietnamese seafood restaurant Nightshade Noodle Bar, was nominated for the Outstanding Chef Award, while West Hartford Peruvian place Coracora was nominated for the Outstanding Restaurant Award. The Quarry, a fine dining restaurant in Monson, north of Bangor in Maine's highlands, was nominated for Outstanding Hospitality.
Five New England chefs will duke it out to be named best in the Northeast:
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- Valentine Howell of Krasi, Boston
- Christian Hunter of Community Table, New Preston, Connecticut
- Sherry Pocknett of Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, Rhode Island
- Yisha Siu of Yunnan Kitchen, Boston
- Renee Touponce of The Port of Call, Mystic, Connecticut
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in Chicago on June 5.
