Bluestem, Port Fonda are among 2016’s James Beard Award nominees

Two of Kansas City’s best-known chefs — Jonathan Justus of the Justus Drugstore in Smithville and Patrick Ryan, operator of the Port Fonda locations in Westport and Lawrence — are among the local culinarians nominated as semi-finalists for the 2016 James Beard Award.

Justus and Ryan were both nominated in the Best Chef: Midwest category.

That was the category that local chef and restaurateur (Bluestem, Rye) Colby Garrelts won, after seven nominations, in 2013. This year, the Bluestem restaurant, owned by Colby and Megan Garrelts, has been nominated for a James Beard Award in the Outstanding Restaurant category.

The final list of nominees will be announced on March 15 and the winners will be revealed on May 2 at the annual James Beard Awards gala in Chicago.