Fill up the gas tank, grab your foodie pals and pack your appetite for an epic culinary road trip.

The James Beard Awards 2024 semifinalist list was released last week. If you take a glance at the list, you will notice there are a multitude of semifinalists within a day's drive of Baldwin County.

Gulf Coast Media has put together a list of semifinalists within a six-hour (give or take) drive from Foley (which we gauged as the center of the county). There are 14 restaurants and chefs close enough for a day trip.

The nominees will be announced Wednesday, April 3, giving you ample time to explore as many on the list as possible. If you are looking to explore as many as possible in one city, head to New Orleans for a long weekend — The city boasts nine semifinalists.

But before you hit the road for a long-haul trip, check out the closest semifinalists: The Hope Farm in Fairhope, Arwen Rice of Red or White in Mobile and Vestige in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Let us know the establishments you check out, your favorite culinary delights and who you feel should make the final round of the James Beard Awards. Email Melanie LeCroy at melanie@gulfcoastmedia.com.

One hour or less

• The Hope Farm, Fairhope: Outstanding Wine and Other Beverage Program
• Arwen Rice, Red or White, Mobile: Best Chef: South

One-two hours

• Vestige, Ocean Springs, Mississippi: Outstanding Restaurants

Three-four hours

• Melissa Araujo, Alma Café, New Orleans, Louisiana: Best Chef: South
• Kelsey Bernard Clark, KBC, Dothan: Best Chef: South
• Robert LeBlanc, LeBlanc + Smith (Sylvain, The Chloe, The Will & The Way and others) – New Orleans, Louisiana: Outstanding Restaurateur
• Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, Louisiana: Best New Restaurants
• Arnaud's, New Orleans, Louisiana: Outstanding Hospitality
• Jewel of the South, New Orleans, Louisiana: Outstanding Bar
• Hunter Evans, Elvie's, Jackson, Mississippi: Best Chef: South
• Amarys Herndon and Jordan Herndon, Palm & Pine, New Orleans, Louisiana: Best Chef: South
• Sophina Uong, Mister Mao, New Orleans, Louisiana: Best Chef: South
• Arvinder Vilkhu, Saffron, New Orleans, Louisiana: Best Chef: South
• Marlon "Chicken" Williams, Chicken's Kitchen, Gretna, Louisiana: Best Chef: South

Four-five hours

• Chanah Willis, Last Call Baking, Birmingham: Emerging Chef
• Rob McDaniel, Helen, Birmingham: Best Chef: South

Six hours

• Atsushi Hayakawa, Hayakawa – Atlanta, Georgia: Outstanding Chef
• Cooks & Soldiers, Atlanta, Georgia: Outstanding Hospitality
• Arnaldo Castillo, Tio Lucho's, Atlanta, Georgia: Best Chef: Southeast
• Erika Council, Bomb Biscuits, Atlanta, Georgia: Best Chef: Southeast
• Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang, Talat Market, Atlanta, Georgia: Best Chef: Southeast
• Duane Nutter, Southern National, Atlanta, Georgia: Best Chef: Southeast