Chattanooga chef ranked as one of the Top 20 in the Southeast

Daniel Lindley

Daniel Lindley, chef and owner at Alleia in Chattanooga, has been named a semifinalist in the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards.

Nominated in the Best Chef: Southeast category, he is one of two chefs from Tennessee in the category, which has 20 nominees. He has been nominated for the award five times in the past: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014, but never won.

Lindely, who also owns the 5th & Taylor restaurant in Nashville, is the former owner of St. John's Restaurant and Meeting Place in Chattanooga.

The Barn at Blackberry Farm, located in Walland, Tenn., is a semifinalist in the Outstanding Service category. The farm, a resort near Knoxville, received national attention recently as the spot where the cover for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue was photographed.

The James Beard Awards cover a total of 21 categories, including Outstanding Restaurant, Chef, Service, Wine Program and Best New Restaurant.

Finalists in the Restaurant and Chef Award categories will be announced March 24 with winners named on April 24.

In Georgia, the nominees are from Atlanta, Savannah and Decatur; in Alabama, there are five nominees, four from Birmingham.

Here are the other nominess from Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama:

Best Chef: Southeast

Daniel Lindley, Alleia, Chattanooga

Kevin Gillespie, Gunshow, Atlanta

Steven Satterfield, Miller Union, Atlanta

Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville

Todd Ginsberg, The General Muir, Atlanta

Best Chef South

Rob McDaniel, SpringHouse, Alexander City, Ala.

Chris Newsome, Ollie Irene, Birmingham

Outstanding Restaurant

Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham

Bacchanalia, Atlanta

Best New Restaurant

Lusca, Atlanta

Outstanding Restaurateur

Benjamin Goldberg and Max Goldberg, Strategic Hospitality, Nashville (The Catbird Seat, Pinewood Social, Merchants, Patterson House, and others)

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis

Ford Fry, Atlanta (The Optimist, King + Duke, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, and others), Atlanta

Nick Pihakis, owner of Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, Birmingham^

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Pamela Moxley, Miller Union, Atlanta

Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham

Outstanding Service

One Flew South, Atlanta

Outstanding Wine Service

Miller Union, Atlanta

Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional

Steven Grubbs, Empire State South, Atlanta

Rising Star

Landon Thompson, Cooks and Soldiers, Atlanta

Outstanding Bar Program

The Patterson House, Nashville