For the ninth straight year Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham has been named a finalist for the coveted Outstanding Restaurant award by the James Beard Foundation. Also making it to the finalist round is Highlands’ pastry chef Dolester Miles, for the second straight year, the foundation announced this morning in Los Angeles.

Highlands is joined by Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado; Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City; Quince Restaurant in San Francisco; the Spotted Pig in New York City; and Topolobampo in Chicago as Outstanding Restaurant finalists.

Highlands Bar and Grill owner Frank Stitt with Dolester Miles, the Birmingham restaurant’s pastry chef. Both the restaurant and Miles won prestigious James Beard Awards in 2018. (Karim Shamsi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)

The desserts Dolester Miles creates for Highlands, Chez Fonfon and Bottega often combine tradition with imagination. (Karim Shamsi-Basha / Alabama NewsCenter)

Dolester Miles’ attention-getting desserts are often the result of an elaborate creative process. (Karim Shamsi-Basha / Alabama NewsCenter)

Dolester Miles, head pastry chef for three of Frank Stitt’s Birmingham restaurants, with some of the creations that earned her accolades. (Karim Shamsi-Basha / Alabama NewsCenter)

Other Pastry Chef finalists are Kelly Fields of Willa Jean in New Orleans, Margarita Manzke of Republicque in Los Angeles and Ghaya Oliveira of Daniel in New York City.

Four Alabama chefs – David Bancroft of Acre in Auburn, Bill Briand of Fisher’s Upstairs at Orange Beach Marina, Timothy Hontzas of Johnny’s Restaurant in Homewood and Rob McDaniel of SpringHouse in Alexander City – were named semifinalists in February for Best Chef: South. None of them­ made the cut for finalist.

David Bancroft of Acre restaurant in Auburn made the semifinals for Best Chef in the South. (Brittany Faush-Johnson / Alabama NewsCenter)

Bill Briand of Fisher’s in Orange Beach is a five-time semifinalist for Best Chef in the South. (Mike Kittrell / Alabama NewsCenter)

Timothy Hontzas is a six-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South. (Brittany Faush / Alabama News Center)

SpringHouse Executive Chef Rob McDaniel is nominated for the James Beard Foundation “Best Chef: South” award for the fifth straight year. (Billy Brown / Alabama NewsCenter)

Birmingham-based Cooking Light had three finalists in the Media Awards: Robin Bashinsky for Home Cooking, Peggy Knickerbocker for Food and Health, and Francis Lam for Humor.

Media Award winners will be named April 25 in New York City. Restaurant and chef winners will be announced at the 2017 James Beard Awards Gala at the Lyric Opera in Chicago on May 1.