Here Are The 2016 James Beard Awards Semifinalists

This morning, the James Beard Foundation announced the chef and restaurant semifinalists for its annual awards program, which will be presented at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 2. The Beard Awards have long been considered the most prestigious culinary awards presented in America, due both to their legacy (they've been given out since 1990) and to the fact that the judging panel is made up of industry experts and peers as opposed to, say, journalists or anonymous inspectors.

The finalists will be announced on Tuesday, March 15, in San Francisco. We'll have much more about the James Beard Awards in the coming weeks.

Here are this year's semifinalist nominations.

Best New Restaurant

Alter, Miami

Bardot Brasserie, Las Vegas

The Blanchard, Chicago

Bracero Cocina de Raíz, San Diego

Cala, San Francisco

Cassia, Santa Monica, CA

Coquine, Portland, OR

The Dabney, Washington, D.C.

Death & Taxes, Raleigh, NC

Eloisa, Santa Fe

Girin Steakhouse & Ssam Bar, Seattle

Helen Greek Food and Wine, Houston

The Honey Paw, Portland, ME

Intro, Chicago

Kinship, Washington, D.C.

Launderette, Austin

Liholiho Yacht Club, San Francisco

Mabel Gray, Hazel Park, MI

Morcilla, Pittsburgh

Público, University City, MO

Shaya, New Orleans

Shepard, Cambridge, MA

Staplehouse, Atlanta

Superiority Burger, NYC

Wildair, NYC

Outstanding Baker

Robert Alexander, The General Muir, Atlanta

Evan Andres, Columbia City Bakery, Seattle

Kim Boyce, Bakeshop, Portland, OR

Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Café, Boston

Andre Chin and Amanda Eap, Artisan Boulanger Patissier, Philadelphia

Rick Easton, Bread and Salt, Pittsburgh

Mark Furstenberg, Bread Furst, Washington, D.C.

Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart, Minneapolis

Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, Brooklyn, NY

Marie Jackson, The Flaky Tart, Atlantic Highlands, NJ

John Kraus, Patisserie 46, Minneapolis

Phoebe Lawless, Scratch Bakery, Durham, NC

Belinda Leong and Michel Suas, B. Patisserie, San Francisco

Cheryl Maffei and Jonathan Stevens, Hungry Ghost Bread, Northampton, MA

Dave and Megan Miller, Baker Miller Bakery & Millhouse, Chicago

Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas, Janjou Pâtisserie, Boise, ID

Sarah O'Brien, The Little Tart, Atlanta

Lionel Vatinet, La Farm Bakery, Cary, NC

Melissa Weller, Sadelle's, NYC

William Werner, Craftsman and Wolves, San Francisco

Outstanding Bar Program

Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston

Arnaud's French 75 Bar, New Orleans

Bar Agricole, San Francisco

Barmini, Washington, D.C.

Café ArtScience, Cambridge, MA

Canon, Seattle

Clyde Common, Portland, OR

Cure, New Orleans

Kimball House, Decatur, GA

Lost Lake, Chicago

Maison Premiere, Brooklyn, NY

Mockingbird Hill, Washington, D.C.

The Patterson House, Nashville

Polite Provisions, San Diego

The Olde Bar, Philadelphia

Row 34, Boston

The Side Project Cellar, Maplewood, MO

Tired Hands Fermentaria, Ardmore, PA

Trick Dog, San Francisco

The Varnish, Los Angeles

Outstanding Chef

Sean Brock, Husk, Nashville

Andrew Carmellini, Locanda Verde, NYC

Ashley Christensen, Poole's Downtown Diner, Raleigh, NC

Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin

Matt Dillon, Bar Sajor, Seattle

Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles

Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja, Denver

David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA

Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA

Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia, Chicago

Tory Miller, L'Etoile, Madison, WI

Carrie Nahabedian, Naha, Chicago

Nancy Oakes, Boulevard, San Francisco

Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR

Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia

Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA

Jerry Traunfeld, Poppy, Seattle

Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco

Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Antonio Bachour, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, Bal Harbour, FL

Aggie Chin, The Grill Room, Washington, D.C.

Melissa Chou, Mourad, San Francisco

Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco

Kelly Fields, Willa Jean, New Orleans

Meg Galus, Boka, Chicago

Kate Jacoby, Vedge, Philadelphia

Michelle Karr-Ueoka, MW Restaurant, Honolulu

Maura Kilpatrick, Oleana, Cambridge, MA

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles

Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL

Junko Mine, Café Juanita, Kirkland, WA

Kristen Murray, Maurice, Portland, OR

Kimiko Nishimura, Tomo, Atlanta

Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles

Ghaya Oliveira, Daniel, NYC

Laura Sawicki, Launderette, Austin

Cynthia Wong, Rhubarb, Asheville, NC

Diane Yang, Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis

Jennifer Yee, Lafayette, NYC

Outstanding Restaurant

A.O.C., Los Angeles

Acquerello, San Francisco

Alinea, Chicago

Bluestem, Kansas City, MO

Craft, NYC

Five & Ten, Athens, GA

Fore Street, Portland, ME

Foreign Cinema, San Francisco

Fork, Philadelphia

Frankies 457, Brooklyn, NY

Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, CO

Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL

Jaleo, Washington, D.C.

Lark, Seattle

Momofuku Noodle Bar, NYC

Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Providence, Los Angeles

Rasika, Washington, D.C.

Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco

The Spotted Pig, NYC

Outstanding Restaurateur

Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C. (The Bombay Club, The Oval Room, Rasika, and others)

Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla, Blau and Associates, Las Vegas (Honey Salt, Made LV, Andiron, and others)

Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, Boka Restaurant Group, Chicago (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro, Swift & Sons, and others)

Frank Bonanno, Bonanno Concepts, Denver (Mizuna, Luca, Osteria Marco, and others)

Roy Choi, Los Angeles (Chego, Sunny Spot, A-Frame, Pot, LocoL)

JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline, New Orleans

Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Phoenix (The Arrogant Butcher, Culinary Dropout, Olive & Ivy, and others)

Ken Friedman, NYC (The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, Tosca Café)

Ford Fry, Atlanta (The Optimist, St. Cecilia, State of Grace, and others)

Benjamin and Max Goldberg, Strategic Hospitality, Nashville (The Catbird Seat, Pinewood Social, The Patterson House, and others)

Garrett Harker, Boston (Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34, The Hawthorne, Branch Line)

Martha Hoover, Patachou Inc., Indianapolis (Café Patachou, Petite Chou Bistro, Napolese, and others)

Ouita Michel, Lexington, KY (Holly Hill Inn, Windy Corner, Wallace Station Deli, Smithtown Seafood, and others)

Michael Mina, Mina Restaurants, San Francisco (Michael Mina, Bourbon Steak, RN74, and others)

Cindy Pawlcyn, Napa, CA (Mustards Grill, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, Cindy's Waterfront at the Monterey Bay Aquarium)

Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants, Philadelphia (Serpico, The Dandelion, Talula's Garden, and others)

Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Seattle (Staple & Fancy, How to Cook a Wolf, Anchovies & Olives, and others)

Andrew Tarlow, Brooklyn, NY (Diner, Marlow & Sons, Reynard, and others)

Nate Tilden, Portland, OR (Clyde Common, Olympia Provisions, Spirit of 77, The Richmond)

Tracy Vaught, Houston (Hugo's, Caracol, Backstreet Café)

Outstanding Service

Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

Bacchanalia, Atlanta

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY

Brigtsen's, New Orleans

Café Juanita, Kirkland, WA

Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC

Eleven Madison Park, NYC

Komi, Washington, D.C.

L'Espalier, Boston

Marcel's by Robert Wiedmaier, Washington, D.C.

North Pond, Chicago

The Pass, Houston

Quince, San Francisco

Restaurant August, New Orleans

Saam at the Bazaar by José Andrés, Beverly Hills, CA

Saison, San Francisco

Stone Soup Cottage, Cottleville, MO

Strip-T's, Watertown, MA

Topolobampo, Chicago

Zahav, Philadelphia

Outstanding Wine Program

Addison at the Grand Del Mar, San Diego

Benu, San Francisco

Bern's Steakhouse, Tampa, FL

Canlis, Seattle

Charleston, Baltimore

Commander's Palace, New Orleans

Element 47, The Little Nell, Aspen, CO

Empire State South, Atlanta

FIG, Charleston, SC

Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving, TX

Jory Restaurant at the Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, OR

Miller Union, Atlanta

Momofuku Ko, NYC

Nopa, San Francisco

Press, St. Helena, CA

The Red Hen, Washington, D.C.

Sepia, Chicago

Spago, Beverly Hills, CA

Studio at the Montage, Laguna Beach, CA

Wild Ginger, Seattle

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional

Mannie Berk, Rare Wine Co., Brisbane, CA

Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley Malting, Burlington, WA

Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA

Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM

Rutger de Vink, RdV, Delaplane, VA

Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cider, Dugspur, VA

Miljenko Grgich, Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford, CA

Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Evil Twin Brewing, Brooklyn, NY

Charles Joly, Crafthouse, Chicago

Jim Koch, The Boston Beer Company, Boston

Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non, Oak View, CA

Drew Kulsveen, Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY

Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, CA

Steve Matthiasson, Matthiasson Wines, Napa, CA

Steve McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR

Aldo Sohm, Zalto Glass, NYC

Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, ME

Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY

Lance Winters, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Doug Adams, Imperial, Portland, OR

Tanya Baker, Boarding House, Chicago

Jay Blackinton, Hogstone Wood Oven, Orcas Island, WA

Alex Bois, High Street on Market, Philadelphia

Joseph Cuccia, 17 Summer, Lodi, NJ

Angela Dimayuga, Mission Chinese Food, NYC

Ryan Fox and Ali Matteis, Nomad, Portland, OR

Sara Hauman, Huxley, San Francisco

Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer, Madcapra at Grand Central Market, Los Angeles

Bradley Kilgore, Alter, Miami

Elise Kornack, Take Root, Brooklyn, NY

Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston

Garrett Lipar, Marais, Grosse Pointe, MI

Grae Nonas, Olamaie, Austin

Misti Norris, Small Brewpub, Dallas

Maximillian Petty, Eden Hill, Seattle

Ryan Pollnow, Aatxe, San Francisco

José Ramírez-Ruiz, Semilla, Brooklyn, NY

Matt Rudofker, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, NYC

Beau Schooler, The Rookery, Juneau, AK

Marc Sheehan, Loyal Nine, Cambridge, MA

Daniela Soto-Innes, Cosme, NYC

Cara Stadler, Tao Yuan, Brunswick, ME

Alan Sternberg, Cerulean, Indianapolis

Jarrett Stieber, Eat Me Speak Me, Atlanta

Edward Sura, Perennial Virant, Chicago

Jenner Tomaska, Next, Chicago