James Beard Restaurant Awards: Here's the 18 DC Nominees

The James Beard Foundation has released its 2016 list of semifinalists for all categories for the annual Restaurant and Chef Awards, and Washington, D.C. is well-represented.

The final Restaurant and Chef Award nominees are to be announced on March 15 in San Francisco. After that, the 2016 James Beard Awards Gala will take place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on May 2.

The only categories in which the Washington, D.C. area failed to get a nomination were “Outstanding Chef” and “Rising Star of the Year.” There was also no D.C. nomination for “Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional,” although Rutger de Vink, RdV, in Delaplane, Va. received a nomination.

The list of D.C.-area nominees is below:

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Kinship, Washington, D.C.
The Dabney, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING BAKER

Mark Furstenberg, Bread Furst, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING BAR PROGRAM

Barmini, Washington, D.C.
Mockingbird Hill, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF

Aggie Chin, The Grill Room, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT

Jaleo, Washington, D.C.
Rasika, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANTEUR

Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C. (The Bombay Club, The Oval Room, Rasika, and others)

OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Komi, Washington, D.C.
Marcel’s by Robert Wiedmaier, Washington, D.C.

OUTSTANDING WINE PROGRAM

The Red Hen, Washington, D.C.

BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC

Victor Albisu, Del Campo, Washington, D.C.
Erik Bruner-Yang, Maketto, Washington, D.C.
Peter Chang, Peter Chang, Arlington, VA
Tarver King, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Lovettsville, VA
Cedric Maupillier, Convivial, Washington, D.C.
Aaron Silverman, Rose’s Luxury, Washington, D.C.

Click here for a full list of nominees.