The James Beard Awards are something like the Oscars of dining — And of course, D.C.'s Michelin star-worthy dining scene is heavily represented on this year's list of semi-finalists.
Nineteen D.C.-area restaurants or chefs were named semi-finalists for this year's awards in categories honoring top bar programs, new restaurants and overall outstanding restaurant.
The newly opened LINE Hotel in Adams Morgan came out a winner, with Spoken English making the cut alongside Brothers and Sisters and its head chef Erik Bruner-Yang.
Here's are the semi-finalists, broken down by category.
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Kwame Onwuachi, Kith and Kin (The Wharf)
Best New Restaurant
Ellē (Mount Pleasant)
Spoken English (Adams Morgan)
Outstanding Bar Program
Columbia Room (Blagden Alley)
Outstanding Chef
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika (Penn Quarter)
Fabio Trabocchi, Fiola (Penn Quarter)
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Pichet Ong, Brothers and Sisters (Adams Morgan)
Outstanding Restaurant
Jaleo (Multiple Locations)
Komi (Dupont Circle)
Outstanding Restauranteur
Ruth Gresser, Pizzeria Paradiso (Multiple Locations)
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Outstanding Service
Marcel’s by Robert Wiedmaier (West End)
Outstanding Wine Program
Tail Up Goat (Adams Morgan)
And of course, the District cleaned up in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category, representing eight out of 20 semi-finalists:
- Amy Brandwein, Centrolina
- Erik Bruner-Yang, Brothers and Sisters
- Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint
- Jerome Grant, Sweet Home Café
- Haidar Karoum, Chloë
- Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat
- Kevin Tien, Himitsu
- Nobu Yamazaki, Sushi Taro
