The James Beard Foundation has announced its finalists for the 2018 James Beard Awards—one of the most coveted recognitions for chefs, restaurateurs, and other industry professionals.
Per usual, the lengthy list of semifinalists was whittled down to a talented few. While over 20 DC-area names were recognized in nearly every category in this year’s first round, only a handful remain contenders. Locally, the most competitive category is Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, where Centrolina’s Amy Brandwein, Bad Saint‘s Tom Cunanan, and The Dabney’s Jeremiah Langhorne are all vying for the title—alongside Baltimore’s Cindy Wolf = and Richard Landau of Vedge in Philadelphia (and soon, Fancy Radish in DC).
Meanwhile, Himitsu chef Kevin Tien made the shortlist for Rising Star Chef of the Year. Virginia’s Foggy Ridge Cider is in the running for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional.
In addition to the restaurant industry nominees, the James Beard also recognized local media. DC-area finalists include, among others, Michael W. Twitty for his book, The Cooking Gene; Pati Jinich, an Outstanding Personality Host finalist for Pati’s Mexican Table on WETA; and the Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema (Feature Reporting, “Dishwashers”), Maura Judkis (Humor, “The Pumpkin Spice of Life“), and Tim Carman, Fritz Hahn, and Shelly Tan (Innovative Storytelling, “America’s Most Authentic Dive Bars”).
And of course, José Andrés was this year’s recipient of this year’s Humanitarian of the Year award.
Media winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in New York City on April 27, and the restaurant winners will be announced in Chicago on May 7. Take a look at the full list of finalists here.
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.
