Semifinalist Laurent Zirotti isn’t advancing to next round in James Beard Awards

Laurent Zirotti, chef and owner of Fleur de Sel in Post Falls, didn’t advance to the final round of the 2017 James Beard Awards.

Finalists were announced Wednesday.

Zirotti was the only chef from this region in the running. Semifinalists – selected from more than 24,000 entries in 21 categories – were announced Feb. 15.

Zirotti was a semifinalist in the Best Chef Northwest category, dominated by chefs in Seattle and Portland. The area is made up of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

Chefs who are advancing to the final round are:

Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, Ox, Portland; Edouardo Jordan, Salare, Seattle; Katy Millard, Coquine, Portland; Justin Woodward, Castagna, Portland; and Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle.

Winners will be announced May 1.

Zirotti and wife Patricia have owned Fleur de Sel since 2008. Their bistro specialize in classic French cuisine with northern Italian influences. The couple also own Fleur de Sel Artisan Creperie on Spokane’s Lower South Hill.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards honor culinary professionals for excellence and achievement. The James Beard Foundation, which gives the awards, was founded in 1986 in honor of the cookbook author and teacher by the same name. For more information, visit www.jamesbeard.org.

Fleur de Sel is at 4365 E. Inverness Drive in Post Falls. Call (208) 777-7600. On the web: fleur-de-sel.weebly.com.