Restaurants & Bars
James Beard Finalists For Restaurant, Chef Awards Include D.C. Nominees
The James Beard Foundation's awards, considered the Oscars of food, named finalists for its restaurant and chef awards.
WASHINGTON, DC — The culinary scene in Washington, DC is well-represented in the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees announced Wednesday by the James Beard Foundation.
2025 is an important milestone for the James Beard Foundation: It’s the 35th anniversary of the awards, considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors. Awards will be presented in 25 categories this year with an expanded focus on cocktail and beverage service.
D.C. nominees include:
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Outstanding Restaurateur: Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C.
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
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Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA): Henji Cheung, Queen's English, Washington, D.C.
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA): Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, Washington, D.C.
Drewno and Lee, the Outstanding Restaurateur nominee, founded The Fried Rice Collective and opened the first CHIKO location in 2017 in D.C.'s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Today, there are other locations in Dupont Circle in D.C., Bethesda in Maryland, Sterling and Shirlington in Virginia and Encitas in California. The chefs previously drew a James Beard Foundation nomination for Best New Restaurant.
Moon Rabbit is a Vietnamese restaurant by Chef Kevin Tien that has earned critical acclaim. Tien was a semifinalist for the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA) award in 2025. The restaurant earned The Michelin Guide Washington, D.C. Exceptional Cocktails Award in 2024.
The other nominees are Henji Cheung for Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand-rated Queen's English and Carlos Delgado for the James Beard award-winning & Michelin-starred restaurant Causa | Amazonia.
The James Beard Awards, first presented in 1991, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries and are often regarded as the “Oscars of culinary arts.” They recognize a range of experiences, from fine-dining restaurants to casual gems, in 22 categories.
Winners will be announced Monday, June 16, in a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
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