13 WA Restaurants, Chefs & Bars Named James Beard Award Semifinalists

SEATTLE — Restaurants and chefs in Washington are well represented in the list of semifinalists announced Wednesday for the prestigious 2023 James Beard Awards, sometimes referred to as the Oscars of the culinary arts industry.

Named for the late chef, cookbook author and food presenter James Beard, the awards “recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” the James Beard Foundation said Wednesday in a news release.

The semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including a new award for outstanding bakery.

The Seattle contingent has some familiar names this year, including three-time Best Chef Northwest winner Renee Erickson, nominated this year in the national
"outstanding chef" category. Also returning to the list of nominees is Melissa Miranda, of Musang, a semifinalist last year and named one of the 11 best chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine. Mutsuko Soma, chef and owner of Fremont's intimate Kamonegi soba spot, is also a semifinalist for the second year running.

Representing the Emerald City in the "outstanding restauranteur" category are sisters Yenvy and Quynh Pham. Generational trailblazers in the city's pho scene, the Phams were profiled last year in The Seattle Times.

Here are the 2023 James Beard Award semifinalists from Washington:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Yenvy and Quynh Pham, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, The Boat (Seattle)

Outstanding Chef

• Renee Erickson, The Walrus and the Carpenter (Seattle)

Outstanding Restaurant

• Copine (Seattle)

Emerging Chef

• Kevin Smith, Beast & Cleaver (Seattle)

Outstanding Hospitality

• The Black Cypress (Pullman)
• Lark (Seattle)

Outstanding Bar

• Rob Roy (Seattle)

Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

• Tony Brown, Ruins (Spokane)
• Dan Koommoo, Crafted (Yakima)
• Melissa Miranda, Musang (Seattle)
• David Nichols, Eight Row (Seattle)
• Mutsuko Soma, Kamonegi (Seattle)
• Aaron Verzosa, Archipelago (Seattle)

Award nominees will be announced March 29, and the winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 5 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.