The James Beard Foundation has announced its semifinalists for the 2015 Restaurant and Chef Award categories. The ultimate win is one of the most prestigious accolades in the industry, but even being ranked among the contenders is considered a big honor. This year, 20 local names are among the semifinalists, including Fiola Mare in the Best New Restaurant category, Cedric Maupillier (Mintwood Place) for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, and Ashok Bajaj for Outstanding Restaurateur.
The final nominees will be announced on March 24, and the winners picked in at a ceremony in New York in May. See the full list below.
Best New Restaurant
Outstanding Baker
Mark Furstenberg, Bread Furst
Outstanding Bar Program
Outstanding Wine Program
Charleston (Baltimore)
Outstanding Chef
Johnny Monis, Komi
Fabio Trabocchi (Fiola, Fiola Mare, Casa Luca)
Outstanding Restaurant
Outstanding Restaurateur
Ashok Bajaj, the Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
Outstanding Service
Outstanding Beverage Professional
Rising Star of the Year
Erik Bruner-Yang, Toki Underground
Marjorie Meek-Bradley, Ripple
Best Chef Mid-Atlantic
Anthony Chittum, Iron Gate
Cedric Maupillier, Mintwood Place
Tarver King, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm (Lovettsville, VA)
Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen (Baltimore)
Cindy Wolf, Charleston (Baltimore)
Best Pastry Chef Mid-Atlantic
Caitlin Dysart, 2941
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
