Kudos to Mike Lata, Kiawah Island Club consulting chef, and co-owner of FIG, one of Charleston’s most recognized restaurants, who was named a finalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category in the James Beard Foundation Awards. Mike Lata, who also owns downtown Charleston’s The Ordinary, has very strong ties to Kiawah, serving as the consulting chef for the Kiawah Island Club’s newest restaurant the B-Liner at the Beach Club.

In the food world, the James Beard Foundation Awards are as revered and sought-after as the Oscars – and Chef Lata is no stranger to the food and beverage industry’s Academy Award. While Lata is a James Beard Award winning-chef is in his own right, FIG has twice won the award for Best Chef Southeast, and last year won the award for Outstanding Wine Program. Lata calls the finalist nod for Outstanding Restaurant the “ultimate honor.”

The nomination comes just as Lata puts the finishing touches on the menu at the Kiawah Island Club’s B-Liner restaurant, which will formally open its door at the Beach Club on April 20. The menu celebrates the Lowcountry’s best seafood, produce, grains, and meat. Southern culinary tradition pairs with light, fresh coastal influences in creative yet familiar dishes. Imagined and created by one of the most sought-after chefs in the country, the cuisine will elevate dining at the Kiawah Island Club to unprecedented heights.