The Cooks' House chefs and co-owners Jen Blakeslee and Eric Patterson have been named semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards, one of the top culinary awards in the country.

The duo, who run the fine dining restaurant on Wellington Street in Traverse City, were announced in the "Best Chef" category in the Great Lakes region, which covers Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Other Michigan chefs to make the cut this year include Javier Bardauil of Barda in Detroit, Missy Corey of Pennyroyal Cafe and Provisions in Saugatuck, Ji Hye Kim of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, and John Yelinek of Ladder 4 Wine Bar in Detroit.

Finalists are planned to be announced April 2, with the winners unveiled June 16 at The Lyric Opera in Chicago. This is not the first time Traverse City has been on the James Beard Awards radar: Trattoria Stella executive chef and partner Myles Anton was previously a five-time nominee in the Great Lakes category. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards.

Photo credit: The Cooks' House