Feb. 23, 2022

A Sioux Falls chef who opened his downtown restaurant a decade ago is in the running for a James Beard Award for top chef in the Midwest.

Michael Haskett of M.B. Haskett Delicatessen is among 20 semifinalists for the Midwest, which includes South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas and Missouri.

The winners will be announced in June.

The culinary school graduate cooked in restaurants for a decade before working from 2008 to 2010 for Lucia Watson when she owned Lucia’s Restaurant in Minneapolis. Watson herself has been nominated for the same award three times, winning it in 2006.

Haskett opened his restaurant at 324 S. Phillips Ave in 2012, touting “Lucia Watson-inspired cuisine.” He focuses on using quality local ingredients and offers an “ever-changing menu.” Signature items include savory and sweet crepes.

Over the years, M.B. Haskett has been open from breakfast to dinner, but after reopening since the early months of the pandemic, it has focused on breakfast and lunch.

Another semifinalist for the award has ties to South Dakota. Sean Sherman, an Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Reservation, opened Owamni in Minneapolis last year, focusing on “the true flavors of North America.”

Sherman was one of nine presenters at TEDxSiouxFalls in 2020, speaking about the revitalization of indigenous foods.