Today, the James Beard Foundation announced nominees for its 2025 James Beard Awards, the so-called Oscars of the restaurant industry. Several local talents earned nods:
Outstanding Restaurateur: Fried Rice Collective—Danny Lee and Scott Drewno of Anju (Dupont), Chiko (Dupont, Capitol Hill, Shirlington, Sterling), and I Egg You (Capitol Hill)
Best New Restaurant: Mita (Shaw)
Outstanding Pastry Chef: Susan Bae of Moon Rabbit (Penn Quarter)
Best Chef Mid-Atlantic: Henji Cheung of Queen’s English (Columbia Heights) and Carlos Delgado of Causa and Amazonia (Shaw)
Last year was DC’s best Beard showing in years, with Albi’s Michael Rafidi and Perry’s chef Masako Morishita nabbing two top national awards. Despite a long-list of semi-finalists announced in January—including the Dabney for Outstanding Restaurant, Bar Cana for Best New Bar, and several Mid-Atlantic chef candidates—this year’s showing was a bit quieter.
Susan Bae, known for innovative savory/sweet desserts at Moon Rabbit, gets her second pastry chef nomination in a row. Carlos Delgado’s restaurant Causa was up for Best New Restaurant in 2023.
In DC-adjacent news, Bresca/Jont chef Ryan Ratino’s Winter Park, Florida restaurant Omo by Jont is up against DC plant-based tasting room Mita for Best New Restaurant. And Baltimore restaurant Charleston is a contender for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.
Check out the full list of nominees here. Winners will be announced at a June 16 ceremony held at Chicago’s Lyric Opera.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
