Bobby Boy Bakeshop in Winston-Salem and Blowing Rock's Gideon Ridge Inn restaurant are semifinalists for James Beard Award

A Winston-Salem bakery and a High Country restaurant are semifinalists for a prestigious James Beard Award.

Customers entering Bobby Boy Bakeshop on Reynolda Road are greeted by a feast for the eyes — bread loaves of all shapes, sizes and textures followed by rows and rows of colorful pastries that look like small works of art.

Locals aren’t the only ones who have noticed. The business is a semifinalist in the James Beard Awards’ Outstanding Bakery category.

Lucia Bobby opened Bobby Boy Bakeshop with her husband, John, in October 2019. She says a commitment to high standards and a talented, hardworking team are the keys to their success. 

“Our croissants are a three-day production, most of our entremets are a three-day production so it’s really great food but it takes time and it takes skill to get those products to our guests," she says. "And we’re happy to do it because we know that’s what yields the best product.”

Many of the James Beard Award semifinalists are from big cities or other culinary meccas. A notable exception is The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge Inn, a nominee in the Outstanding Restaurant category.

It may not be able to provide the bright lights of the big city, but diners do get sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hunter Womble is general manager and executive chef. He also credits a dedicated and creative crew for helping to get the restaurant noticed. Womble grew up on a farm near Chapel Hill and wants Gideon Ridge Inn to serve as a voice for local growers and producers.

“When I decided to pursue this as a career, giving back to our local economy and supporting our local farmers — knowing personally just how hard they work to survive and everything — was really, really important," he says. "Sourcing as much stuff to the immediate area and the state when and if at all possible.”

The James Beard Foundation established the award in 1990 to recognize leaders of the culinary arts. Semifinalists will find out on April 3 if they are advancing in the competition.