Introducing the James Beard 2019 D.C. Semi-Finalists

By Natalie Colonna

Calling any and all foodies! The James Beard Foundation released its list of 2019 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for their annual awards on Wednesday, February 27. All official finalists will be announced March 27, and award winners will be revealed in Chicago on May 6.

Back in 1990, the James Beard Foundation established the James Beard Foundation Awards to recognize the talented individuals behind the scenes of the food and beverage industries. Today these prestigious awards, known as the Oscars of the food scene, recognize excellency in the industry across the nation.

This year, many local D.C. area restaurants were called on as contenders. Two D.C. favorites are posted In the Best New Restaurant category. First up is Elle, the Mount Pleasant eatery, and the other is Spoken English, an Adams Morgan hidden treasure housed inside the Line Hotel. Longtime D.C. restaurants Komi and Jaleo are both in contention for Outstanding Restaurant.

Brian Rhude, a junior theology student, visited Jaleo this past summer with friends to celebrate his birthday. Rhude, who also obtained an associate degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University, advises newcomers of traditional spanish-style meals to give Jaleo a shot.

“The restaurant is owned by famous DC restaurateur Chef Jose Andres. It’s a Spanish style tapas restaurant that serves small(er) servings which allows each diner to mix and match various plates to try different things,” Rhude said. “It’s a good experience to order one of their paella’s that they serve in large paella pans.”

Ruth Gresser of Pizzeria Paradiso is up for Outstanding Restaurateur. Then, in the running for an Outstanding Service Award is Peking Gourmet Inn of Falls Church and Marcel’s, a local hub for fine European dining.

Veteran award winners, Vikram Sunderam of Rasika’s and Fabio Trabocchi of Fiola’s are both in the running for Outstanding Chef.

Senior social work student and Instagram foodie, Laura Wister, highly recommends Rasika’s in Penn Quarter after her dining experience with family. “We ordered Chicken Tikka, but the waiter also suggested some things on the menu that we were very hesitant on ordering,” Wister said. “They ended up being some of the favorite dishes we had that meal.”

Several local talents were called upon in The Best Chef Mid-Atlantic category including Sweet Home Cafe’s Jerome Grant, and Sushi Taro’s Nobu Yamazaki. Also in the running for Best Chef are last year nominees Amy Brandwein of Centrolina and Tom Cunanan of Bad Saint. Kith and Kin’s Kwame Onwuachi was named for Rising Star Chef. On the list for Outstanding Pastry Chef is the mastermind behind Brothers and Sisters’ cakes, Pichet Ong.

In the category for Outstanding Bar Program is Columbia Room, a cocktail lounging space in Shaw, and the Outstanding Wine Program contender is the ultra eccentric drink menu from Tail Up Goat in Adams Morgan.

Congratulations to all of our D.C. semifinalists!

Check out the full list of local nominees below:

New Restaurant

Elle (Mount Pleasant)

Spoken English (Adams Morgan)

Outstanding Bar Program

Columbia Room (Shaw)

Clavel Mezcaleria (Baltimore)

Outstanding Chef

Vikram Sunderam, Rasika (West End and Penn Quarter)

Fabio Trabocchi, Fiola (Penn Quarter)

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Pichet Ong, Brothers and Sisters (Adams Morgan)

Outstanding Restaurant

Jaleo (Penn Quarter, Crystal City, Bethesda)

Komi (Dupont Circle)

Outstanding Restaurateur

Ruth Gresser, Pizzeria Paradiso and Birreria Paradiso (Dupont Circle, Spring Valley, Georgetown, Old Town, and Hyattsville)

Outstanding Service

Marcel’s (West End)

Peking Gourmet Inn (Falls Church)

Outstanding Wine Program

Tail Up Goat (Adams Morgan)

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, Beer Producer

RdV Vineyards (Delaplane)

Rising Star Chef

Kwame Onwuachi, Kith and Kin (the Wharf)

Ian Redshaw, Lampo Neapolitan Pizzeria (Charlottesville)

Best Chef—Mid-Atlantic

Amy Brandwein, Centrolina (Downtown DC)

Erik Bruner-Yang, Brothers and Sisters (Adams Morgan)

Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint (Columbia Heights)

Jerome Grant, Sweet Home Cafe (Downtown DC)

Haidar Karoum, Chloe (Navy Yard)

Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat (Adams Morgan)

Kevin Tien, Himitsu (Petworth)

Cindy Wolf, Charleston (Baltimore)

Nobu Yamazaki, Sushi Taro (Dupont Circle)