2014 James Beard Semifinalists: The NYC Restaurants Worth Checking Out

Annisa

Nominated for: Best Chef NYC Anita Lo We all know Anita Lo from her various cooking show appearances ranging from Iron Chef to Top Chef masters, but it's her West Village restaurant Annisa that's earned her a nomination for Best Chef NYC. While first opened nearly 14 years ago, the place burned down in an electrical fire last July and just recently reopened with a brand new sparkling kitchen two months ago. And Annisa 2.0 is already proving that sometimes a rebirth is necessary, having a dining room that is packed nightly and recently earning a rare and coveted three star review in the New York Times. Lo's cooking style is hard to sum up in a few words, and while her cuisine is mainly Asian inspired, the flavors in her dishes take diners across borders, from Southeast Asia, to China, to Japan. Annisa, 13 Barrow St, New York, NY 10014 [Photo via]