Beards season has begun. | Illustration by Nat Belkov San Diego-area restaurants received three nods for the vaunted ceremony this year The results are in for San Diego: the Southern California region has received three semifinalist nods for the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards, which are considered one of the most prestigious honors to receive in the restaurant and beverage industry. Among the nominees is sleek Mexican cocktail bar Roma Norte, located in Downtown, which was recognized in the Best New Bar category. Tara Monsod, of the fantastically realized Asian diasporic restaurant Animae, and Roberto Alcocer of Oceanside’s seminal Baja-influenced tasting menu restaurant Valle, both received nods in the Best Chef: California category. Monsod was a finalist in the category in 2024. The James Beard Awards have run since 1991 as a program that recognizes and celebrates exceptional talent within the food and hospitality industry (a separate Media awards ceremony is typically held ahead of the Restaurants and Chefs program). After the cancellation of its 2020 and 2021 ceremonies, which included an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable, the awards returned in 2022. Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, April 2, followed by an awards ceremony to reveal winners on Monday, June 16, 2024. Here are the James Beard Awards 2025 semifinalists for San Diego, California: Best New Bar: • Roma Norte, San Diego, California Best Chef: California: • Roberto Alcocer, Valle, Oceanside, California• Tara Monsod, Animae, San Diego, CaliforniaDisclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.