The James Beard Foundation has released its list of semifinalists for its annual restaurant industry awards, and several D.C. chefs, restaurants, and restaurateurs are among the honorees.

The annual awards are the top restaurant honors in the United States. The foundation will narrow the list to finalists on April 3, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in Chicago on June 10.

Local chef Chef Rob Rubba of Oyster Oyster pulled in one of the biggest awards at last year, Outstanding Chef. His win in 2023 came after a year when no D.C. restaurants or chefs took home awards.

Local diners will likely recognize many of the names on this year’s semifinalist list. Some of them have been included before, such as Ashok Bajaj of Rasika, Bindaas and others in the Outstanding Restaurateur category, and Chef Amy Brandwein of Centrolina in the regional Best Chef Mid-Atlantic category. In general, the D.C. region is heavily represented in the Mid-Atlantic category, with eight local chefs in the group of 20.

Notably, Masako Morishita, executive chef of Perry’s in Adams Morgan, is a semifinalist for Emerging Chef, a national category that honors an early-career chef doing outstanding work in the kitchen. Morishita took over the kitchen at Perry’s in October 2022 and has won resounding accolades since then, including a rave review from Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema, and the Chef of the Year award from Eater DC. She introduced a Japanese breakfast service, one of the few in the city, to the longtime restaurant and bar known for its drag brunch.

Another standout is the nod for Hollis Wells Silverman in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. Silverman is the head of Eastern Point Collective, a relatively new local restaurant group which owns The Duck & the Peach, La Collina, and The Wells in Eastern Market in 2021, and opened Greek cafe Méli in Adams Morgan last year.

Below are all the local semifinalists in this year’s James Beard Awards:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group (Rasika, Annabelle, Sababa, and others), Washington, D.C.
• Hollis Wells Silverman, Eastern Point Collective (The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, The Wells, and others), Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Chef

• Michael Rafidi, Albi, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurant

• 2941, Falls Church, VA
• Pineapple & Pearls, Washington, D.C.

Emerging Chef

• Masako Morishita, Perry’s, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Bakery

• Pluma by Bluebird Bakery, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Hospitality

• Fiola, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Bar

• Service Bar, Washington, DC

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

• Angel Barreto, Anju, Washington, D.C.
• Najmieh Batmanglij and Christopher Morgan, Joon, Vienna, VA
• Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.
• Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD
• Keem Hughley, Bronze, Washington, D.C.
• Esther Lee, Obelisk, Washington, D.C.
• Yuan Tang, Rooster & Owl, Washington, D.C.
• Kevin Tien, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.