Chef Zak Baker of East Tosa's Ca'Lucchenzo is in elite company: He has made it to the final round of this year's James Beard Awards.
Baker, 45, who owns and operates Ca'Lucchenzo at 6030 W. North Ave. with his wife, Sarah Baker, is one of just five chefs chosen as James Beard Award finalists in the category of top chef from the seven-state Midwest region. (For these awards, Midwest is defined as Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.)
"We are very humbled and honored with the recognition and support we have received throughout the nomination process from everyone," the Bakers said in a written statement to Tosa Forward News. "We just try to be the very best we can be every single service and we are so happy that it resonates with people on the level that it has."