James Beard Awards: See How Colorado Fared

ACROSS COLORADO --Foodies rejoice: you have some new restaurants to seek out. The semifinalists for this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards — dubbed the Oscars for restaurants — have been released and restaurants and cuisine professionals from Colorado made the list.

The awards across 21 categories for national and regional chef and restaurant awards were released on Thursday. Categories include best new restaurant, best chef, outstanding baker and outstanding service, among others.

Out of more than 20,000 entrants, eight from Colorado made the list, including three in the category "Best Chefs in the Southwest."

They are:

• Best New Restaurant: Annette in Aurora
• Best Baker: Andy Clark of Moxie Bread Co. of Louisville
• Most Outstanding Restaurant: A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard bearer of consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Eligible restaurants must have been in operation 10 or more consecutive years.
• Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder.
• Outstanding Wine Program -Presented by Robert Mondavi Winery A restaurant in operation five or more years that serves as a standard bearer for excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine.
• The Little Nell, Aspen
• Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional: (A beer, wine, or spirits professional who has made a significant national impact on the restaurant industry.)
• Todd Leopold, Leopold Bros.
• Best Chefs of the Southwest:
• Caroline Glover, Annette in Aurora
• Dana Rodriguez Work & Class in Denver
• Alex Seidel Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver

The foundation holds an online open call for entries every year. A committee reviews thousands of entries to come up with a nominating ballot of semifinalists in each category.

An independent volunteer panel of more than 600 judges — comprised of top regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators, and past winners — then votes on specific award categories to determine the final five nominees in each category.

They then vote on these five nominees to select the winners.

The foundation will announce the final nominees on the morning of March 14 at Parc in Philadelphia. The event will be live-streamed.

The winners will be announced at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City on April 27. They’ll receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. There are no cash prizes.

Click here to see the full list of awards.

Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for #Culinary Kickoff