Chapeau!

Tip o' the hat! What would a traveler do without the Internets and news of Seattle nominees for the James Beard Foundation awards?

Kathy Casey's Northwest Table is one of three contenders for best cookbookbook in the "Food of the Americas" category.

Canlis is one of five nominees in the Best Restaurant Service category.

Rebeka Denn, currently on leave, is one of three nominees for newspaper writing for her restaurant reviews in the Seattle P-I.

James Beard Foundation nominees Kathy Casey, left; Maria Hines

Belltown favorite Leslie Mackie of Macrina is one of five finalists in the Outstanding Pastry Chef category. She's been nominated twice before. Let's hope third time's a charm. Wait, three times before. Now seriously overdue!

Two alumni of the W Hotel's Earth & Ocean are among the nominees for Best Northwest Chef: John Sundstrom, who left to launch Lark, and his successor at E&O, Maria Hines, who founded Tilth just last year. The two other Seattle nominees are Joseba Jimenez de Jimenez of Harvest Vine and Holly Smith of Café Juanita.

In the general-interest Writing on Food category, it's a battle of the heavyweights: Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, Bill Buford's Heat, and David Kamp's The United States of Arugula.

In the food-related websites, Cornichon failed once again to make the short list. Alas, totally outclassed by nominees Dr. Vino, Epicurious and Leite's Culinaria.

Again, congrats to all the nominees. Winners to be announced in early May.