Three Queens Restaurants Named James Beard Award Semifinalists

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS - Three Queens restaurants are semifinalists for the 2019 James Beard Awards, one of the culinary world's highest honors.

Adda Indian Canteen in Long Island City is a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. Two Queens chefs were named semifinalists for Best Chef in New York City: Helen You of Flushing's Dumpling Galaxy and Cosme Aguilar of Long Island City's Casa Enrique.

Adda, which opened in September 2018 at 31-31 Thomson Ave., received glowing reviews in The New York Times and The New Yorker. In November, The Times named the restaurant one of the 10 best new New York City restaurants.

This isn't Dumpling Galaxy's first shot at a James Beard Award. You, who also owns the popular dumpling house, was a semifinalist for the 2018 award for Best NYC Chef. Located in Flushing's Arcadia Mall at 42-35 Main St., Dumpling Galaxy earned rave reviews from Times food critic Pete Wells.

Casa Enrique, located at 5-48 49th Ave., earned its first Michelin Star in 2014. Thrillist named the eatery one of the best Mexican restaurants in the country.

The final winners will be announced during a press conference in Houston on Wednesday, March 27. It will be hosted by James Beard Award–winning chef Hugo Ortega at his namesake Mexican restaurant, Hugo’s.

The James Beard Foundation solicits entries for the awards in mid-October of each year. They are reviewed by the Restaurant and Chef Committee to determine eligibility and regional representation. More than 600 judges from across the country determine the final nominees, then select the winners. The judges include leading regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators and past James Beard Award winners.

Click here for the complete list of semifinalists.