Standridge's Journey to James Beard Finals

0:00It's April 27th. From your city to your ears, this is Hartford News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. David Stanridge, executive chef and partner at Shipwright's daughter and Mr. Connecticut, just made the finals for the James Beard Foundations, Outstanding Chef Award. That's the top honor in the game. He already won Best Chef in the Northeast back in 2024, so he's no stranger to the spotlight. Many finalists dropped in January with a few Connecticut names on the list, including three chefs and two restaurants. By March 31st, in narrow to finalists like Stanridge, David D. Stasi from Materia Ristorante in Bantam for Best Chef Northeast and Mystics, Port of Call for Outstanding Wine Program. Winners get revealed June 15th. Stanridge says he was shocked and honored, never expecting to hit the final five from that long initial list. He kicked off in a ski resort cafeteria flipping burgers after school, tried 21 jobs from trucking to editing before culinary school, grew up fishing, berry picking, with Italian

1:05family meals fueling his fire. His biggest drive now, his kids and building a tight network of local fishers and farmers to shake up the food system, guilty pleasures hit hot dogs and cream cheese sandwiches, favorite light reds from France's juror region, dreams of kicking back at his mystic fish camp with a beer and fried fish. As this talented chef keeps grinding daily in that labor of love, his story spotlights how community and roots power real change in kitchens. Everywhere we'll see if he grabs that next beard on June 15th.