Baltimore's 2017 James Beard Award Semifinalists: Full List

BALTIMORE, MD — Two Baltimore restaurants were named semifinalists in the annual James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards for 2017.

The James Beard Foundation awards restaurants, chefs, bakers and sommeliers around the country each year for culinary achievements.

The Charleston and Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore were selected out of 24,000 submissions as semifinalists in a total of three categories:

Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic: Cindy Wolf, Charleston

Outstanding Wine Program: Charleston

Outstanding Service: Woodberry Kitchen

There are 20 semifinalists in each category. A panel of more than 600 judges — mainly restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators and past James Beard award winners — will pare down the list from 20 to five nominees. The James Beard Foundation will announce the finalists on March 15. The same judges will then whittle down their lists to determine the winners for announcement on May 1.

The Charleston is in the hunt for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic and Outstanding Wine Program.

Executive Chef Cindy Wolf is a five-time finalist for the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic. Chefs are nominated if they have set "new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions," according to the James Beard Foundation, which states they must have been in the field as a chef for at least five years, including three regionally. See the full list of semifinalists at the bottom of the article or on the James Beard Award site.

The Charleston was also nominated for its wine program. To qualify, the establishment must be a "standard bearer for excellence in wine service," have been open for at least five years, present its wine list in a palatable manner, employ staff knowledgeable about wine and try to educate patrons about wine. The award is presented by Robert Mondavi Winery.

Outstanding Wine Program

• Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits, New Orleans
• Benu, San Francisco
• Canlis, Seattle
• Charleston, Baltimore
• Corkbuzz, NYC
• Emeril’s New Orleans
• Empire State South, Atlanta
• FIG, Charleston, SC
• FnB, Scottsdale, AZ
• Jory at the Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, OR
• Komi, Washington, D.C.
• Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas
• Miller Union, Atlanta
• O Ya, Boston
• Press, St. Helena, CA
• Rouge Tomate, NYC
• Sepia, Chicago
• Studio at Montage, Laguna Beach, CA
• Vino, Honolulu
• Wild Ginger, Seattle

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

• Brittanny Anderson, Metzger Bar and Butchery, Richmond, VA
• Scott Anderson, Elements, Princeton, NJ
• Joey Baldino, Zeppoli, Collingswood, NJ
• Ian Boden, The Shack, Staunton, VA
• Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.
• Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint, Washington, D.C.
• Nicholas Elmi, Laurel, Philadelphia
• Mike Friedman, All-Purpose Pizzeria, Washington, D.C.
• Dwain Kalup, Domaine Hudson, Wilmington, DE
• Tarver King, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Lovettsville, VA
• Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia
• Seng Luangrath, Thip Khao, Washington, D.C.
• Cristina Martinez and Benjamin Miller, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia
• Cedric Maupillier, Convivial, Washington, D.C.
• Dan Richer, Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City, N.J.
• Justin Severino, Cure, Pittsburgh
• Greg Vernick, Vernick Food & Drink, Philadelphia
• Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore
• Nobu Yamazaki, Sushi Taro, Washington, D.C.
• Wei Zhu, Chengdu Gourmet, Pittsburgh

Woodberry Kitchen — whose Chef Spike Gjerde won the 2015 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic in 2015 — is a semifinalist in the Outstanding Service category. To qualify for this, a restaurant must demonstrate high standards of hospitality and service and be in operation for at least five years.

Here are the nominees for Outstanding Service:

• Aria, Atlanta
• Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY
• Boka, Chicago
• Brigtsen’s, New Orleans
• Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Boston
• Fiola, Washington, D.C.
• Galatoire’s Restaurant, New Orleans
• Hugo’s, Houston
• Marcel’s by Robert Wiedmaier, Washington, D.C.
• Marché Moderne, Costa Mesa, CA
• Marea, NYC
• Mélisse, Santa Monica, CA
• North Pond, Chicago
• The Painted Lady Restaurant, Newberg, OR
• Providence, Los Angeles
• Saison, San Francisco
• Spago, Beverly Hills, CA
• Terra, St. Helena, CA
  
• Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore
• Zahav, Philadelphia

Photo by Heather Katsoulis via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons 2.0.