Here are the 2025 James Beard Award finalists for D.C.
Why it matters: The Beards are like the Oscars of the bar and restaurant world, and even if you don't win, making the final cut is a big achievement.
The big picture: D.C. chefs and restaurants were strongly featured among the semifinalists with nearly 20 nominees across ten categories. Only five are finalists in four categories (compared to seven finalists last year).
Mita
Outstanding Restaurateur
Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You)
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Henji Cheung, Queen's English
Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit
Between the lines: Mita, a Latin "vegetable experience" in Shaw, also recently earned its first Michelin star, joining Peruvian tasting room Causa.
What's new: Three new categories center around cocktails and other beverages: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
Two locals made the semifinals, but didn't join the finalists: Adams Morgan caipirinha spot Bar Cana (Best New Bar), and Andra "AJ" Johnson of Serenata (cocktail pro).
Zoom out: In the greater region, Baltimore's Charleston is a finalist for Outstanding Wine.
Meanwhile, the Beard Foundation also bestows several achievement awards. New this year are Impact Awards, which "recognize changemakers actively working to push for standards that create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system for producers, workers, and consumers alike."
Seanicaa Edwards Herron, founder and executive director of the D.C.-area based Freedmen Heirs Foundation is one of the honorees. The nonprofit aims to transform U.S. agriculture by promoting and supporting Black-owned farms and Black farmers, and connecting them with consumers.
What's next: The winners will be celebrated at a ceremony in Chicago on June 16.
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