WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Downtown cocktail spot Wolf Tree has been named a James Beard Award finalist in the Outstanding Bar category.
Of the 20 semifinalists announced in January, it is one of five establishments to advance to the next round. The competing bars are dotted across the country in Chicago; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia and Salt Lake City.
Thetford resident Max Overstrom-Coleman, 45, opened Wolf Tree in a converted storefront on White River Junction’s Currier Street in 2019. Since then, the bar, which celebrates cocktail culture, has become an Upper Valley favorite.
Founded in 1990, the James Beard Awards are among the most prestigious culinary awards in the country. Nominees are selected by a committee of food critics, academics and business people within the restaurant industry.
The other Vermont finalists are Avery Buck of Burlington restaurant May Day, who was nominated for Best Chef in the Northeast, and Allison Gibson and Cara Tobin of joint restaurants Honey Road and Grey Jay, also in Burlington, who were nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur.
The sole New Hampshire finalist is Super Secret Ice Cream in Bethlehem in the Best Bakery category, which is open to desserts shops as well as bakeries.
The winners will be announced on Monday, June 16 in a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.