2 Pittsburgh chefs advance as finalists in 2023 James Beard awards

PITTSBURGH — Two Pittsburgh-area chefs have been named as finalists in the 2023 James Beard awards, advancing from the semifinals.

The James Beard awards, organized by the James Beard Foundation, are considered to be highly prestigious in the culinary and food media industries.

The two local chefs who are moving on as finalists in the competition are Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski, co-owners and co-chefs of Apteka, the vegan restaurant located in Bloomfield that first opened in 2016. The restaurant serves central and eastern European fare and is located at 4606 Penn Ave. Lasky and Skowronski will compete in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic division, which accounts for chefs in Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.