Orlando Chefs Crowned 2015 James Beard Award Semifinalists
Five Orlando chefs were named semifinalists in the 2015 James Beard Awards’ “Best Chefs in the South” category—more than any other Florida city.
The accolade underscores Orlando’s growing reputation as a culinary hotspot, rivaling its famed theme parks.
- Kathleen Blake, The Rusty Spoon
- Scott Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- James and Julie Petrakis, The Ravenous Pig
- Hari Pulapaka, Cress Restaurant
With a lineup of both established and upcoming dining venues—including Disney Springs’ Morimoto Asia and STK Orlando, and the new The Whiskey on Restaurant Row—Orlando is set to expand its culinary footprint in 2015.
Below is a snapshot of each semifinalist’s journey and achievements.
- Kathleen Blake began cooking in her grandmother’s Iowa kitchen, honed her skills at the Community College of San Francisco’s Apprenticeship Program, and earned a Women Chef & Restaurateurs Scholarship that took her to Washington, D.C. She served as chef de cuisine at Restaurant Nora, then moved to Orlando to work under Melissa Kelly at Primo at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes. In 2011 she opened The Rusty Spoon, a downtown gastropub.
- Scott Hunnel has led Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for 15 years, earning the AAA Five Diamond Award and numerous other honors. The restaurant offers a six‑course prix‑fixe Modern American menu sourced globally with a focus on Florida’s local markets and seaports.
- James and Julie Petrakis, CIA graduates, launched The Ravenous Pig, an American gastropub, in 2007. The venue’s success spawned Cask & Larder in Winter Park (2009) and the upcoming Swine & Sons Provisions this spring, featuring charcuterie, sandwiches, and pastries.
- Chef Hari Pulapaka balances a career as a mathematics professor at Stetson University with award‑winning cuisine at Cress Restaurant. A Mumbai native, Hari earned a graduate degree in mathematics before completing a culinary degree. His wife, podiatric surgeon Jenneffer, co‑owns the restaurant. Cress was named a Top Restaurant in Central Florida in the 2013 Zagat Orlando Guide.
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