PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia is well-represented again this year by the James Beard Awards. It released its list of 2024 semifinalists on Wednesday.
Twenty restaurants and chefs are named as semifinalists. That list is then whittled down to five finalists before individual winners are announced in June.
Notable semifinalists in our region include:
Outstanding Chef
— Dionicio Jiménez | Cantina La Martina | Philadelphia
Emerging Chef
— Yun Fuentes | Bolo | Philadelphia
Best New Restaurant
— Lita | Aberdeen Township, New Jersey
— My Loup | Philadelphia
Outstanding Bakery
— Isgro Pastries | Philadelphia
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
— a.kitchen+bar | Philadelphia
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
— Carlos Aparicio | El Chingon | Philadelphia
— Dane DeMarco | Gass & Main | Haddonfield, New Jersey
— Nur-E Gulshan Rahman | Korai Kitchen | Jersey City, New Jersey
— Jesse Ito | Royal Sushi & Izakaya | Philadelphia
— Matt Kern | One Coastal | Fenwick Island, Delaware
— Randy Rucker | River Twice | Philadelphia
— Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate | Honeysuckle Provisions | Philadelphia
Ellen Yin with High Street Hospitality — which includes a.kitchen+bar — said there was a lot of excitement when the list was announced.
“There’s just tons of texts and emails and direct messages,” she said.
With so many local establishments represented, Yin said this national list is a great source of pride for the city, solidifying it as a hospitality destination.
“Everybody … in the restaurant community feels incredible pride and collaboration in that process, not just the people who are named,” she said. “There’s so many components of creating a successful restaurant concept and it’s just so meaningful to be recognized for all the behind-the-scenes work that people put in.”
See the full list of James Beard semifinalists here.