Three restaurants and chefs advanced as finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious Restaurant and Chef Awards, the organization announced Wednesday. That stands in contrast to last year, when only one Colorado nominee (chef Michael Diaz de Leon formerly with BRUTØ) made it through to the finals. Two of the finalists were nominated in the 2024 Best Chef in the Mountain Region category — which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming — Chef Penelope Wong, co-owner of Yuan Wonton in Park Hill, and chef Matt Vawter, owner of Rootstalk in Breckenridge. Owner Kelly Whitaker is pictured at The Wolf’s Tailor on Thursday, Sept.