EDIBLE: Sifting through the 15 most meaningful food stories of 2015 to date.

It might not have made much noise outside of the restaurant industry, but something historic for Monterey County restaurants happened earlier this month, when no fewer than six local flavor makers were finalists for James Beard awards, the Oscars of the food universe.

I called chef Wendy Brodie because I figured, given her long-held status as the First Lady of Monterey County Food, she would be as well equipped as anyone to put that in perspective.

“My goodness, that’s wonderful,” she said. Then she gamely admitted, “I didn’t know.”

She has valid alibis, including the fact that she does so much entertaining that she doesn’t get out nearly as much as she’d like, and when she does, it’s dictated by the legion organizations she assists.

So her awareness of the accomplishments of Jeffrey Weiss from jeninni kitchen + wine bar (who contended for Best Single Subject Cookbook), Casanova(Outstanding Wine Program) and ever-impressive Aubergine (Outstanding Service, Outstanding Pastry Chef and Outstanding Chef, West) was relatively excusable. Monterey County did score a victory for Best Documentary – and oppressed farmworkers – with Food Chains, the Forest Whitaker-narrated look at how simple awareness and improvements can revolutionize the lives of field workers. That film was co-produced by the Monterey Peninsula resident sage Eric Schlosser.

Still, Brodie’s oblivion inspired me to counter the constant buffet of foodie news and media in general with a quick review of 2015’s biggest local news items.

Here they are, 15 from ’15. Get links to the longer stories on the blog, www.mcweekly.com/edible.

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15. Chef Todd Fisher appeared on NBC’s “Today Show.” Not only did he wow the multitude of anchors with super foods and plug Seafood Watch’s sustainable fish guidelines, he successfully hid a knife injury from the camera.

14. El Palomar has crossed to The Other Side. The huge place near The Great Wall and The Wild Plum in downtown Monterey did decent Mexican and Latin dance nights, but not much else. Now, after weeks of kitchen rehab and fresh paint, the spacious spot has new owners from Marie’s Garden in Carmel and new ambitions for fresh food and live bands.

13. Local Catch Monterey Bay changes name to Real Good Fish, ups game, throws birthday party. The pioneering CSA-of-the-Sea expanded its heady way of connecting conscious seafood lovers with local fishermen while giving mongers some security to go after seasonal and sustainable species.

12. Carmel Valley Ranch embarks on an ambitious remodel of its still-underappreciated Lodge restaurant with design by Rodrigo Vargas Design, SB Architects and The Paul Davis Partnership. They also are introducing estate wines done by Peter Figge of Figge Wines.

11. Carmel Valley finally gets the farmers market it so eagerly awaited. Just farm-fresh, glorious, wholesome news in the sunny, farm-friendly valley.

10. DeMarco’s New York-Style Pizzeria opens in Seaside. I did not predict readers would jump on this so passionately, making it one of our most read stories online in a couple of months.

9. New family-run Zab Zab Thai has already earned a loyal following. Heartfelt and robustly healthy, crunchy and tasty, ZZ is an early candidate for Best New Restaurant of the year.

8. The next piece of huge 201 Main complex, Ticino Deli, opens. Giorgio’s does admirable Italian next door, with a wine bar coming above soon.

7. Gusto Italian opens in old Lucky’s Roadside with superb pizza and pasta. After the Lucky’s wreck, Seaside got the right price-point and flavor place for its population.

6. John Cox devises ways restaurants can save water, in monster amounts. Cox is using air in a way that could conceivably save the state’s restaurants billions of gallons of water with a simple trick and some training.

5. Marina to get a wave of new “fast casual” restaurants in The Dunes development. Word that Central Valley-based spots like Teriyaki Madness and Blaze Pizza are coming went locally viral.

4. Bernardus intros its new Lucia Restaurant & Bar. Bernardus somehow outdid the hype and anticipation with a beautiful new fluid bar-restaurant and an inspired menu from Cal Stamenov.

3. (Tie) David Bernahl and Rob Weakley divorce goes graphic. This one fascinated rabid fans and crazy haters alike, as they swapped lawsuits and Bernahl won control of Coastal Luxury Management’s Faith & Flower restaurant in L.A. Meanwhile, CLM’s 1833 enjoyed a triumphant relaunch in March with Jason Franey running the kitchen and Weakley introduced an insanely ambitious medicinal marijuana edibles business.

2. Latinos get little leadership in Monterey County restaurants. Despite making up around 70 percent of the hospitality workforce, I count only four exec chefs of Latin American descent. WTF.

1. Female chefs remain just as ridiculously underrepresented. Even if the aforementioned Brodie still had a restaurant, that would only allow for a handful of women running kitchens countywide.

Quickbites

• Ginger Thai (422-THAI) opens in the former Bahama Grille on South Main in Salinas Monday, May 25. That means whole fried soft shell crab fried rice ($13.95), coconut soup ($4.95), basil fried rice lunch special ($8.95), pineapple curry ($8.95), papaya salad ($8.95), pad mama ($8.95), tamarind fish ($14.95) and sour pork ribs ($12.95) from the same family that built a dynasty at D’Anna Thai in Marina. Tons of options, with a lot of it under $10 and more under $15.

• Meanwhile, Bahama Grille owner Michael Lipe declines to return calls to help illuminate why several employees were surprised to show up and find the restaurant closed without warning, final paychecks or, in one case, chef’s knives.

• Patria in Oldtown Salinas (424-555) rolls out a complimentary spread of smoked meat, pickled vegetables, potato salad, roasted beets and more 3pm-close daily. Worth checking out.

• The reportedly Japanese restaurant taking over for 22-year local fave Thai Bistro II on Central Avenue in Pacific Grove is scheduled to open by the end of this month.

• The Cheese Shop (625-2272) and Bistro Beaujolais (624-5600) in Carmel Plaza are still reeling from a Mother’s Day flood that fouled thousands in inventory. “The store is currently in the rip-out-and-rebuild process,” Cheese Shop icon Kent Torrey writes on the website. “Unfortunately, we will not be open to celebrate our 40th anniversary in the Carmel location on Memorial Day. But we will keep you updated as our progress in the store continues!”

• Lucia Restaurant pours Vino for Veterans for an all-day fundraiser Sunday, May 24 and Monday, May 25. On Sunday, guests can enjoy live music noon-2pm and a la carte barbecue. $10 from each wine bottle purchase goes to nonprofit Monterey Bay Veterans.

• Pèppoli at Pebble Beach celebrates 15 years with four-course prix-fixe dinner created by Chef Angela Tamura paired with Antinori wines. Happens 7pm Wednesday, June 10 ($150, 647-7490).

• American author Rebecca Walker: “When it comes down to it, that’s what life is all about: showing up for the people you love, again and again, until you can’t show up anymore.”