Lampreia owner wins Beard honor

Scott Carsberg, chef/owner of Seattle restaurant Lampreia, took home top regional honors this week from the New York-based James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to further the practice and appreciation of culinary arts.

The foundation named Carsberg best chef in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii out of a field of nominees that included fellow Seattle chefs Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez of The Harvest Vine; John Sundstrom of Lark; and Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland.

Seattle's Dahlia Lounge, owned by Tom Douglas, was among five restaurants nominated as most outstanding in the country. This year's award went to French Laundry, in Yountville, Calif.

Another national nomination went to Leslie Mackie, owner of Belltown's Macrina Bakery & Cafe, for outstanding pastry chef. It was Mackie's third consecutive nomination.

Visit www.jamesbeard.org for a complete list of winners.