2025 James Beard Award semifinalists include 16 WA restaurants
Sisters Quynh-Vy, right, and Yenvy Pham are perennial James Beard Award contenders. (Daniel Kim/Seattle Times)
The James Beard Awards announced its 2025 semifinalists Wednesday morning, with the Seattle area getting 16 spots for candidates in the Oscars of the restaurant world.
Finalists will be announced April 2. The question on local minds: whether any medals will come home after the June 16 awards ceremony in Chicago – as the state of Washington has been shut out at the Beards for the past three years. This time around, local candidates are missing from three major categories in the long list: Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant and Emerging Chef.
With congrats to all represented – and to their teams – here’s the full list of local semifinalists:
Outstanding Restaurateur
Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham of Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time and the Boat in Seattle
Best New Restaurant
Atoma in Seattle
FamilyFriend in Seattle
Outstanding Bakery
Saint Bread in Seattle
Outstanding Hospitality
Archipelago in Seattle
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Ltd Edition Sushi in Seattle
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific
Janet Becerra of Pancita in Seattle
Jay Blackinton of Houlme on Orcas Island
Logan Cox of Homer in Seattle
Aisha Ibrahim of Canlis in Seattle
Ajay Panicker of Kathakali in Kirkland
Jun Takai of Takai by Kashiba in Bellevue
Outstanding Bar
Roquette in Seattle
Best New Bar
Sophon in Seattle
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
Linda Milagros Violago of Canlis in Seattle
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
Anu Apte of Rob Roy in Seattle