Area chef nominated for top culinary award

SpringHouse restaurant executive chef Rob McDaniel was recently named one of 20 semifinalists for the James Beard Award for best chef in the South. Photo by David Goodwin

Rob McDaniel recalls childhood memories of watching Justin Wilson wearing slightly faded overalls cooking some of his favorite southern recipes while incorporating some favorite stories with a thick cajun accent.

It wasn’t long before McDaniel would join his grandmothers, mother and father in the kitchen to whip up a meal.