Pair of Wilmington chefs nominated for James Beard Foundation award

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The chefs at a popular restaurant in downtown Wilmington have been nominated for a very special award.

Sunny Gerhart and Lauren Krall-Ivey are executive chefs at Olivero on South 3rd Street.

The James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports and promotes chefs, restaurants, and the culinary arts, has nominated them as semifinalists for Best Chef in the Southeast.

Gerhart and Ivey have worked together for nearly 16 years and they opened Olivero in September of 2023.

Ivey said it’s special bringing more national attention to Wilmington’s restaurant industry.

“Again, it’s just awesome to put Wilmington on the map in the national food scene more and more. I know Dean was nominated for best outstanding chef last year, which was great. Just kind of bringing more awareness to this community and the culinary things that are happening here, I think that’s a really big part of it.”

The finalists for all 25 categories will be announced on April 2nd, with the winners selected on June 6th.