Chattanooga's Daniel Lindley is included in the list of semi-finalists for the best chef in the Southeast.
The competition is by the James Beard Awards.
The finalists will be named on March 24.
Mr. Lindley sold his majority interest in St. John's and Meeting Place on South Market Street in 2000 and 2004.
He still owns and operates the Italian restaurant Alleia on Main Street.
Here are the semi-finalists:
Best Chef: Southeast
Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA
Jeremiah Bacon, The Macintosh, Charleston, SC
Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC
Kathy Cary, Lilly's, Louisville, KY
John Fleer, Rhubarb, Asheville, NC
Kevin Gillespie, Gunshow, Atlanta
Todd Ginsberg, The General Muir, Atlanta
Damian Heath, Lot 12 Public House, Berkeley Springs, WV
Vivian Howard, Chef & the Farmer, Kinston, NC
Scott Howell, Nana's, Durham, NC
Meherwan Irani, Chai Pani, Asheville, NC
Josh Keeler, Two Boroughs Larder, Charleston, SC
Matthew Kelly, Mateo, Durham, NC
Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, KY
Daniel Lindley, Alleia, Chattanooga, TN
Steven Satterfield, Miller Union, Atlanta
Jason Stanhope, FIG, Charleston, SC
Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis
Aaron Vandemark, Panciuto, Hillsborough, NC
Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville