
After getting fully shut out of the James Beard Awards the final two years, now we have excessive hopes that Seattle may reclaim its repute as a metropolis whose restaurant scene punches above its weight. The annual restaurant awards simply introduced this 12 months’s slate of semifinalists, the lengthy listing that may get whittled down right into a slate of nominees in April, forward of the June ceremony.
Sadly, that comeback received’t be taking place in three of the most important nationwide classes, as Seattle bought shut out of Excellent Chef, Excellent Restaurant, and Rising Chef.
Town did pop up in different nationwide classes, beginning with Seattle’s personal Susan Lucci: For the third straight 12 months, Quynh Pham and Yenvy Pham of Phở Bắc Súp Store, Phởcific Normal Time, and our 2023 Restaurant of the Yr, the Boat, made the listing for Excellent Restaurateur. This class takes into consideration how the sisters construct neighborhood, use creativity of their companies, and show integrity—issues the Phams have been wowing us with since they took over their dad and mom’ authentic Phở enterprise.
Considerably predictably, two native spots which have made a number of waves with nationwide media made it to the Greatest New Restaurant listing, Beacon Hill’s FamilyFriend and our 2024 Restaurant of the Yr, Atoma. Two different nationwide media darlings snagged equally fittings nods: Saint Bread for Excellent Bakery, and Sophon for Greatest New Bar (a brand new class).
Archipelago, beforehand a semifinalist for regional Greatest Chef and a nominee for Excellent Chef, confirmed its vary by getting listed for Excellent Hospitality. Anu Apte of Rob Roy additionally jumped classes after final 12 months’s nomination for Excellent Bar program, qualifying this 12 months as Excellent Skilled in Cocktail Service, one other new class this 12 months.
Canlis has earned a ton of nominations throughout a wide range of classes courting again to 2003, and this 12 months it bought two. One got here within the new Excellent Skilled in Beverage Service class for sommelier Linda Milagros Violago, who turned the primary girl to run the 75-year-old restaurant’s vaunted wine program.
Two shocking new native entries to the nationwide classes got here from the Excellent Wine and Different Drinks program, the place Ltd Version Sushi made the listing, and Roquette, which popped up for Excellent Bar.
The regional Greatest Chef class for the realm covers Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, and this 12 months, and traditionally concerned a grudge match between Seattle and Portland to see who may get extra semifinalists on the listing, sprinkled with of us from elsewhere, however this 12 months Seattle’s three—Janet Becerra of Pancita, Logan Cox of our 2019 restaurant of the 12 months, Homer, and Aisha Ibrahim of Canlis—have been joined by two Eastside eating places, Ajay Panicker of Kathakali, an Indian Eatery in Kirkland, and Jun Takai of Takai by Kashiba in Bellevue. Jay Blackinton of Houlme on Orcas Island rounded out the Washington contingency. Discover the complete listing right here.
Whereas now we have a couple of extra months till the semifinalists get whittled all the way down to nominees, subsequent month the group will announce the America’s Classics awards, which go to longtime native, impartial eating places that mirror the tradition and character of the neighborhood.