Food

Louisville chef Noam Bilitzer is a James Beard Award semifinalist

The Meesh Meesh chef has been named one of the best in the southeast.

January 22, 2025 • 
Jeff Milby
A man wears a plaid shirt and an apron.

Noam Bilitzer opened MeeshMeesh in September 2023.

Photo courtesy MeeshMeesh

Yes, Chef.

The James Beard Foundation has named Louisville’s Noam Bilitzer of MeeshMeesh as a semifinalist for the 2025 James Beard Awards.

Founded in 1990, the annual awards are among the most prestigious in the culinary industry, recognizing leadership and excellence in the field. Bilitzer was recognized in the Best Chef: Southeast category alongside 19 other chefs from Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Bilitzer opened MeeshMeesh in NuLu in September 2023, and Yelp recognized the Levantine-style Mediterranean spot as the No. 3 Best New Restaurant in America last year.

Will the former “Chopped” winner make the cut? Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, April 2 ahead of the ceremony on Monday, June 16 in Chicago.

Bonus: In 2024, two Louisville chefs were named semifinalists — Lawrence Weeks of North of Bourbon and Dallas McGarity of The Fat Lamb.

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