Doug Hewitt of Howell is a semifinalist for a James Beard award. Considered the culinary Oscar, the award celebrates excellence in restauranting.
Hewitt, executive chef of both Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails and Freya, in Detroit, is up for Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, Ohio) for Freya. He is one of five chefs nominated from Michigan.
The Howell High School grad said being nominated “feels great.”
“We as chefs like to sometimes pretend that accolades aren’t the most important things,” Hewitt said. “And they’re not. But this one feels good. It really does.”
Hewitt said he’s been overwhelmed by the number of friends, family members and chefs who have taken the time to reach out to him today after the nominations were announced.
“To be honest,” Hewitt said, “it filled my heart.”
Hewitt runs two restaurants: Freya, for which he received his James Beard nomination, and Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails. His chef at Chartreuse is fellow Howell resident and Howell High School grad Brian Christie, with whom he has worked for 20 years.
“He’s a pretty amazing chef,” Hewitt said.
Hewitt’s career in restaurants began at age 15 when he got a job as a dishwasher at Marion Oaks Golf Club in Howell. He worked there under Chef Mike Viviano all through high school and beyond as he moved up from washing dishes to working the food line. He became the restaurant’s sous chef at age 18, and he graduated from Schoolcraft College’s culinary arts program in 2002.
Next Hewitt worked at the Water Lily restaurant at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, followed by stints at The Franklin Grill in Franklin, Five Lakes Grill in Milford, and as executive chef at Terry B’s Restaurant in Dexter, and then at Chartreuse and Freya.
The James Beard award recognizes those who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions, while contributing positively to their broader community.
Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The James Beard Awards, established in 1990, were first awarded in 1991. According to its website, The James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards are one of five separate recognition programs of the James Beard Awards. The awards recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.
