As I always say (even in non-applicable situations!), let the AJC Food & More blog do the culling of Atlanta area chefs and restuaranteurs and then just pick out the ones with a Decatur relationship!  Here they are for 2013…

Outstanding restaurateur:

• Ford Fry
• Mike Klank and Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol

Best Chef Southeast:

• Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale

The James Beard Award nominations were just announced last night and both Cakes and Ale’s Billy Allin and Cynthia Wong were nominated for awards. Allin was nominated for Best Chef: Southeast and Wong was nominated for Oustanding Pastry Chef.  (Allin is also up for a “People’s Best New Chef: Southeast Award by Food & Wine.  You can vote for him online HERE)

Additionally, the local chain Taqueria del Sol was nominated in the “Outstanding Restaurateur” category.

From Creative Loafing’s Omnivore…

To celebrate the [10 year] anniversary, the owners plan to open a different TDS for a few hours each Sunday in April. Diners will get a chance to order some more complicated dishes. “We hate that we can’t do certain dishes now,” Trusler said, “but they take too long with the high-speed pace of the taquerias.”

Get on the TDS mailing list to be sure you’re notified about the anniversary celebration.

Look familiar?  Well, it ain’t Decatur…its Athens.

h/t: Omnivore

Photo courtesy of Athens Banner Herald