Hugo Ortega, Justin Yu named 2015 James Beard Best Chef Southwest finalists

Chef Hugo Ortega in his namesake restaurant. Chef Hugo Ortega in his namesake restaurant. Photo: Chronicle Files Photo: Chronicle Files Image 1 of / 71 Caption Close Hugo Ortega, Justin Yu named 2015 James Beard Best Chef Southwest finalists 1 / 71 Back to Gallery

Houston's Hugo Ortega of Hugo's and Justin Yu of Oxheart have been named finalists for Best Chef Southwest by the James Beard Foundation.

Two Austin chefs also are among the finalists for Best Chef Southwest. They are Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Bryce Gilmore of Barley Swine. The other finalists are Kevin Binkley of Binkley's (Cave Creek, Ariz.) and Martin Rios of Restaurant Martin in Santa Fe.

Last year, a Houston chef took the Best Chef Southwest title. The win by Chris Shepherd of Underbelly broke a more than 20 year drought for the Bayou City. Both Ortega and Yu were finalists in 2014.

This marks the fourth straight year that Ortega, who also leads the kitchens at Backstreet Cafe and Caracol, has been a finalist for the Best Chef Southwest title.

The finalists in 59 categories, including restaurant design and journalism, were announced March 24 in New York. Find the full list of finalists here. Winners will be announced at the James Beard Awards Gala May 4 in Chicago.

Last month, Terrence Gallivan and Seth Siegel-Gardner of the Pass & Provisions were named semifinalists for the Best Chef Southwest award. Also earning semifinalist nominations were Anvil Bar & Refuge for outstanding bar program and Hugo's for outstanding wine service.

The awards, which were established in 1990 and named for culinary historian and cookbook author James Beard, celebrate America's diverse cuisines.