Culinary conquerors

If it's Oscar time, it's also James Beard time.

Known as the “Oscars of food,” the James Beard Foundation Awards recognize the best of the best in the U.S. restaurant industry, from chefs and bakers to writers, educators and businesspeople. The 2018 edition of the James Beard Awards features a pair of prominent area restaurant personalities. The nominees are:

• Lauren Macellaro of the Reading Room in St. Petersburg, nominated in the Best Chef, South category. Macellaro hails from New York, where she attended the Institute of Culinary Education before she relocated to the Sunshine City. Prior to becoming chef at the Reading Room, she thrilled the taste buds of diners at Locale Market in St. Petersburg; and