Counter intelligence: Two Minnesota chefs named finalists for James Beard award

Two Minnesota chefs are in the running for a 2016 James Beard Foundation award.

Paul Berglund of the Bachelor Farmer (50 N. 2nd Av., Mpls., thebachelorfarmer.com) and Lenny Russo of Heartland Restaurant & Wine Bar (289 E. 5th St., St. Paul, heartlandrestaurant.com) received nominations for Best Chef: Midwest. This is Berglund's third nomination, and Russo's sixth.

The criteria for this Beard award, one of 10 regional chef honors, is for "Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Eligible candidates may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as a chef for at least five years with the three most recent years spent in the region."

The Midwest region includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Other Best Chef: Midwest nominees include Justin Carlisle of Ardent in Milwaukee, Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Cafe in St. Louis and Kevin Willmann at Farmhaus in St. Louis.

The highly coveted awards, the so-called "Oscars of the food world," recognize and celebrate excellence among chefs, restaurants, cookbooks, food media and design.

Winners will be handed the Beard medallion at a gala awards ceremony on May 2 at Chicago's Civic Opera House.

A familiar — and beloved — a.m. presence on St. Paul's University Avenue is about to disappear.

Roell died in 2013. The restaurant is owned by her daughter, Becky Moosbrugger. She said the building's landlord is not renewing the cafe's lease, and is planning to turn over the space to the adjacent Dubliner Pub.

"The loyalty of our customers, and the support and the outrage in the community, is enormously heartening," said Moosbrugger. "My mother meant so much, to so many people. She was my idol."

It's a loss. Compared with the Twin Cities' increasingly slick dining-out scene, no-nonsense Bonnie's is a happy throwback, serving the brand of heaping-helping fare that pretty much defines short-order cooking.

The restaurant opens at 5:30 a.m. weekdays (except Wednesday, when it's closed) and 6:30 a.m. weekends. Drop in and say goodbye.

Lou Nanne's (7651 France Av. S., Edina, lounannes.com) has opened its doors. The steakhouse — run by Manny's Steakhouse veteran chef Josh Hill — is the work of restaurateur Michael McDermott (Rojo Mexican Grill, Ling & Louie's Asian Bar & Grill) and hockey legend Lou Nanne. Lunch and dinner are served daily.

Read full reviews and other restaurant news at startribune.com/dining.