James Beard Award 2019 Semifinalists Announced: Best Chefs, Restaurants

There are a lot of food awards begging for your attention and desiring to be the “Oscars of food”–like last week’s first ever World Restaurant Awards–but in America, that distinction largely falls on the James Beard Awards. And as the actual Oscars awards season has wound down, it’s time to kick food one into high gear. Today, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2019 awards.

This will be the first awards since the foundation revamped its voting body to encourage a more diverse pool of nominees. Historically, the people who voted for James Beard Awards were predominantly male and white. And not coincidentally, so were many of the winners over the years. The foundation is remedying this by mandating the judging panel’s makeup would reflect the country’s diversity, using the U.S. Census as a guide.

Even before the changes to the judging went into effect, it seemed the Beard Awards were already undergoing a pretty major shift. The #metoo movement had brought forward allegations of misconduct from famed chefs and restaurateurs like John Besh, Mario Batali, and Ken Friedman. In it’s wake, the industry seemed to take a long look in the mirror about what it valued and appeared ready for new leadership. Subsequently, last year’s awards had more female winners than men for the first time and had the highest number of people of color take home medals. The change in rules will only further cement that the people who receive awards will reflect the diversity of the restaurant industry.

On March 27, the James Beard Foundation will broadcast live from Hugo’s restaurant in Houston to reveal the five finalists in each category.

WATCH

Best New Restaurant

Adda Indian Canteen, NYC
Andiario, West Chester, PA
Angler, San Francisco
Atomix, NYC
Bardea Food & Drink, Wilmington, DE
Bavel, Los Angeles
Bywater American Bistro, New Orleans
Canard, Portland, OR
Celeste, Somerville, MA
Chickadee, Boston
Ellē, Washington, D.C.
The Elysian Bar, New Orleans
Folk, Nashville
Frenchette, NYC
Kyoten, Chicago
Larder Delicatessen and Bakery, Cleveland
Lineage, Wailea, HI
Majordomo, Los Angeles
Marrow, Detroit
Nyum Bai, Oakland, CA
Passerotto, Chicago
Petra and the Beast, Dallas
Popol Vuh, Minneapolis
Q House, Denver
Sawyer, Seattle
Spoken English, Washington, D.C.
The Stanley, Charlotte, NC
Suerte, Austin
The Surf Club Restaurant, Surfside, FL
Vianda, San Juan, PR

Outstanding Baker

Umber Ahmad, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery, NYC
Kim Boyce, Bakeshop, Portland, OR
Andy Clark, Moxie Bread Co., Louisville, CO
Evrim Dogu and Evin Dogu, Sub Rosa Bakery, Richmond, VA
Tova du Plessis, Essen Bakery, Philadelphia
Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, NYC
Don Guerra, Barrio Bread, Tucson, AZ
Naomi Harris, Madruga Bakery, Coral Gables, FL
Stephanie Hart, Brown Sugar Bakery, Chicago
Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery and Café, Cambridge, MA
Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie, Detroit
Greg Mindel, Neighbor Bakehouse, San Francisco
Taylor Petrehn, 1900 Barker, Lawrence, KS
Alison Pray, Standard Baking Co., Portland, ME
Nathaniel Reid, Nathaniel Reid Bakery, Kirkwood, MO
Avery Ruzicka, Manresa Bread, Los Gatos, CA
Kit Schumann and Jesse Schumann, Sea Wolf Bakers, Seattle
Debbie Swenerton, Black Bear Bread Co., Grayton Beach, FL
Greg Wade, Publican Quality Bread, Chicago
Chris Wilkins, Root Baking Co., Atlanta

Outstanding Bar Program

Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston
The Atomic Lounge, Birmingham, AL
The Baldwin Bar, Woburn, MA
Bar Agricole, San Francisco
Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge, Milwaukee
Clavel Mezcaleria, Baltimore
Columbia Room, Washington, D.C.
Dead Rabbit, NYC
Expatriate, Portland, OR
Kimball House, Decatur, GA
La Factoría, San Juan, PR
Leyenda, Brooklyn, NY
Lost Lake, Chicago
The Monarch Bar, Kansas City, MO
Monk’s Café, Philadelphia
No Anchor, Seattle
Old Lightning, Marina Del Rey, CA
Planter’s House, St. Louis
Saint Leo, Oxford, MS
Ticonderoga Club, Atlanta

Outstanding Chef

Ashley Christensen, Poole’s Diner, Raleigh, NC
Renee Erickson, Bateau, Seattle
Colby Garrelts, Bluestem, Kansas City, MO
Sarah Grueneberg, Monteverde, Chicago
Shiro Kashiba, Sushi Kashiba, Seattle
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans
Margot McCormack, Margot Café & Bar, Nashville
Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, WI
Maricel Presilla, Cucharamama, Hoboken, NJ
Missy Robbins, Lilia, Brooklyn, NY
Chrysa Robertson, Rancho Pinot, Scottsdale, AZ
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
Chris Shepherd, Georgia James, Houston
Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.
Fabio Trabocchi, Fiola, Washington, D.C.
Marc Vetri, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Jeb Breakell, The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver
Ashley Capps, Buxton Hall, Asheville, NC
Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Kelly Fields, Willa Jean, New Orleans
Meg Galus, Boka, Chicago
Megan Garrelts, Rye, Leawood, KS
Zoe Kanan, Simon & the Whale, NYC
Michelle Karr-Ueoka, MW Restaurant, Honolulu
Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles
James Matty, Suraya, Philadelphia
Junko Mine, Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA
Diane Moua, Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis
Pichet Ong, Brothers and Sisters, Washington, D.C.
Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar, NYC
Michelle Polzine, 20th Century Café, San Francisco
Rabii Saber, Four Seasons Resort, Orlando, FL
Ricardo “Ricchi” Sanchez, Bullion, Dallas
Laura Sawicki, Launderette, Austin
Whang Suh, Hen & Heifer, Guilford, CT
Cynthia Wong, Life Raft Treats, Charleston, SC

Outstanding Restaurant

Balthazar, NYC
Bolete, Bethlehem, PA
Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA
El Charro Café, Tucson, AZ
FIG, Charleston, SC
Fore Street, Portland, ME
Jaleo, Washington, D.C.
Komi, Washington, D.C.
Marché, Eugene, OR
Nopa, San Francisco
Norman’s, Orlando, FL
North Pond, Chicago
O Ya, Boston
The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, Houston
Park’s BBQ, Los Angeles
Quince, San Francisco
Restaurant Alma, Minneapolis
Sagami, Collingswood, NJ
SriPraPhai, NYC
Zahav, Philadelphia

Outstanding Restaurateur

Hugh Acheson, Atlanta (Empire State South, Five & Ten, The National, and others)
Paul Bartolotta and Joe Bartolotta, The Bartolotta Restaurants, Milwaukee (Ristorante Bartolotta, Harbor House, Lake Park Bistro, and others)
JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline, New Orleans
Richard DeShantz and Tolga Sevdik, Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group, Pittsburgh (Poulet Bleu, Fish nor Fowl, Butcher and the Rye, and others)
Benjamin Goldberg and Max Goldberg, Strategic Hospitality, Nashville (The Catbird Seat, The Patterson House, Henrietta Red, and others)
Ruth Gresser, Pizzeria Paradiso, Washington, D.C. (Pizzeria Paradiso, Birreria Paradiso)
Martha Hoover, Patachou Inc., Indianapolis (Café Patachou, Petite Chou, Public Greens, and others)
Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm, Boka Restaurant Group, Chicago (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro, and others)
Ed Kenney, Honolulu (Town, Mud Hen Water, Mahina & Sun’s, and others)
Brenda Langton and Timothy Kane, Spoonriver, Minneapolis
Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz, San Francisco (Mission Chinese Food, The Perennial, Commonwealth)
Akkapong (Earl) Ninsom, Portland, OR (Langbaan, Hat Yai, PaaDee, and others)
Ken Oringer, Boston (Little Donkey, Toro, Uni, and others)
Steve Palmer, The Indigo Road, Charleston, SC (The Macintosh, Oak Steakhouse, Indaco, and others)
Julie Petrakis and James Petrakis, Swine Family Restaurant Group, Orlando, FL (The Ravenous Pig, Cask & Larder, The Polite Pig, and others)
Alex Raij and Eder Montero, NYC (La Vara, Txikito, Saint Julivert Fisherie, and others)
Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Seattle (Ballard Pizza Co., Bramling Cross, Cortina, and others)
Tracy Vaught, H Town Restaurant Group, Houston (Hugo’s, Caracol, Xochi, and others)
Jason Wang, Xi’an Famous Foods, NYC
Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group, Philadelphia (Fork, High Street on Market, High Street on Hudson)