Chef of Lantern up for prestigious award

Andrea Reusing became a chef almost by accident.

When she enrolled in New York University to study film, cooking school had never crossed her mind. And although she worked as a line cook through college, she drifted away from the kitchen after graduation to work for a public policy consultant.

But she never quite got over the cooking bug.

“I did a couple of different things but just kept coming back to cooking,” said Reusing, who owns Lantern, the traditional Asian restaurant on West Franklin Street.

Reusing is one of six finalists for the Best Chef of the Southeast award by the James Beard Foundation.

She will also appear on the Today Show on Thursday to do a cooking demonstration of a recipe from her new cookbook, “Cooking in the Moment.”

The James Beard awards spotlight the best and brightest talent in the food industry and have been called the “Oscars of the food world,” by Time Magazine.

Reusing said she was both nervous and excited as a finalist for the award last year. She expects to feel the same way when she attends the awards ceremony on May 9 in New York City.

Reusing opened Lantern nine years ago, before which she ran a catering business from her home and cooked at Enoteca Vin Restaurant and Wine Bar in Raleigh.

Reusing said her favorite part about the restaurant is buying local ingredients from people she knows.

“It’s not just about the environment, it’s about the people,” said Jason Wall, general manager of Lantern. “If you don’t support the local farmers, you won’t have them.”

Wall said though the award is an honor for Reusing and great for business, the work that got her noticed is more significant than winning.

“She’s already doing what’s important,” Wall said. “Andrea is wonderful, very grounded and extremely talented. She knows how to treat people well.”

Reusing isn’t alone in being recognized for her culinary talents.

Crook’s Corner is a finalist for the “America’s Classics Award” by the foundation, and local chefs Aaron Vandemark and Chip Smith made it to the Best Chef of the Southeast’s semifinalist round.

Talented restaurants and chefs aren’t just making food for locals — they attract waves of people in pursuit of unique eating and drinking experiences, often called “culinary tourists,” said Patty Griffin, Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitor’s Bureau spokeswoman.

“The high quality of restaurants and chefs in the area is driving tourism,” Griffin said. “We have a reputation of really great, high quality restaurants.”

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