Photo illustration by Lille Allen Local names that made the preliminary cut include Bar Cana, the Dabney, and Mita The James Beard Foundation today announced its semifinalist nominees for 2025, officially kicking off restaurant awards season across the country. Widely known as the “Oscars” of the food world, the annual honors continue to address the findings of an extensive 2021 audit to confront the longstanding biases baked into the awards process. A newer Emerging Chef category doesn’t have an age cutoff. Locally, that goes to Hiraya’s Filipino chef Paolo Dungca. JBF adds three brand-new categories in the beverage segment for 2025. That includes Best New Bar, which locally goes to Adams Morgan’s lively Brazilian bar Cana (and Eater DC’s 2024 Award winner of Best Night Out); Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The semifinalist list for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic shows love for representatives from lots of Eater 38 spots like Causa/Amazonia, Casa Teresa, Pascual, 2Fifty Texas, and the Urban Oyster. Meanwhile, Centrolina chef Amy Brandwein is the sole local contender for Outstanding Chef — a huge nationwide accolade that went to D.C. chefs for the past two years (Albi’s Michael Rafidi and Oyster Oyster’s Rob Rubba). The finalists will be announced on Wednesday, April 2, and winners will be unveiled during a glitzy gala in Chicago on Monday, June 16. Here’s the full list of locals looking to win big: Outstanding Restaurateur Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C. Outstanding Chef Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C Outstanding Restaurant The Dabney, Washington, D.C Emerging Chef Paolo Dungca, Hiraya, Washington, D.C. Best New Restaurant Maude & the Bear, Staunton, Virginia Mita, Washington, D.C. Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, D.C. Outstanding Hospitality Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program Charleston, Baltimore, Maryland Best New Bar Bar Cana, Washington, D.C. Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service Andra “AJ” Johnson, Serenata, Washington, D.C. Dre Levon, Clavel, Baltimore, Maryland Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA) Matt Adler, Cucina Morini, Washington, D.C. Henji Cheung, Queen’s English, Washington, D.C. Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss, Pascual, Washington, D.C. Michael Correll, Ruse, St. Michaels, Maryland Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, Washington, D.C. Ruben Garcia, Casa Teresa, Washington, D.C. Fernando Gonzalez, 2Fifty Barbeque, Riverdale, Maryland and Washington, D.C. • Jasmine Norton, The Urban Oyster, Baltimore, Maryland Cagla Onal Urel, Green Almond Pantry, Washington, D.C. Jarad Slipp, Tremolo, Middleburg, Virginia Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.