Alaska chefs Beau Schooler and Kevin Lane named James Beard Award semifinalists

A pair of Alaska chefs have been named semifinalists for the 35th annual James Beard Awards.

The organization released its list of semifinalists in both chef and restaurant categories on Wednesday and both Beau Schooler and Kevin Lane were semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific category.

Lane is the executive chef and co-owner of The Cookery in Seward. He and his wife Stacey Lane opened the restaurant in 2015.

Lane was surprised on Wednesday morning to see a congratulations from Anchorage restauranteur and previous James Beard honoree Laile Fairbairn on his Facebook page.

“I didn’t know anything about that until I saw it,” he said with a laugh. “Alaska is kind of a small town, especially in the culinary world.”

Stacey Lane is from Seward and Kevin Lane worked for a decade as an instructor at the Alaska Culinary Academy in Seward before they launched the restaurant.

Kevin Lane said that local connection has helped The Cookery thrive.

“I think that that was a big part of our success is that we were the small-town people,” he said. “We were locals, and locals definitely have shown up for us, which is always appreciated. ... I think locals have been a little bit more accepting of us trying new and interesting dishes or ideas and dinners and things like that. We’ve just always had our eyes on being part of the community, which is kind of easy, because we’ve always been part of the community.”

The Cookery emphasizes Alaska ingredients, from the local catch, to produce from area farmers and Alaska-foraged mushrooms.

The Lanes opened taqueria The Lone Chicharron in Seward in 2019.

“It’s an honor to be recognized and but at the same time, it’s not a one-person job,” Lane said. “It’s more of a nod to The Cookery and a lot of our staff has or does currently work at both (restaurants). So I think it’s really a big nod to our crew and kind of the family environment that they that they kind of foster with each other.

“We try to put together a pretty positive workplace, and I think that shows in from the front of the house to the back of the house and everywhere in between. Hopefully that gets to the customers.”

Schooler, chef and owner of In Bocca Al Lupo in Juneau, has earned multiple recognitions from the James Beard Foundation. In 2024, he was a semifinalist in the same category and it 2023, he was a nominee (finalist) in the category.

He also received semifinal nods in the Best Chef category in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Schooler opened In Bocca Al Lupo in early 2016, emphasizing Italian cuisine and techniques with Alaska ingredients.

The James Beard Awards were established in 1990 and first awarded the next year.

According to its website, its mission “is to recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.”

The nominees (finalists) will be announced April 2 and the winners ceremony is scheduled for June 16 in Chicago.