More than a dozen Bay Area chefs and restaurants have been nominated for the 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards, the restaurant industry’s highest honors, which were announced on Twitter Monday.
Some of the top honors went to San Francisco restaurateurs Michael and Lindsay Tusk, whose Michelin-starred restaurant Quince was named a finalist for Outstanding Restaurant and whose wine bar Verjus was named a finalist for Best New Restaurant.
Meanwhile, David Kinch (Manresa) and Corey Lee (Benu) were nominated for Outstanding Chef, which is a national honor. In the California regional category, four chefs from San Francisco also picked up Best Chef nominations: Brandon Jew (Mister Jiu’s), Mourad Lahlou (Mourad), Joshua Skenes (Angler) and Pim Techamuanvivit (Kin Khao).
Two distinctly different restaurants in San Francisco were named for their outstanding hospitality, which is another national honor: Swan Oyster Depot and Saison.
Meanwhile, Avery Ruzicka (Manresa Bread) was named Best Baker finalist and Juan Contreras (Atelier Crenn) was named Best Pastry Chef finalist. State Bird Provisions Executive Chef Gaby Maeda was named Rising Star Chef of the Year.
On the drinks side, San Francisco bar Trick Dog received nods for its outstanding bar program, while Cathy Corison of Corison Winery in St. Helena and Lance Winters of St. George Spirits in Alameda both received received nominations in the wine, beer and spirits category. professional category.
Finally, the foundation named a handful of winners in special categories, including Alice Waters, who won the Design Icon award for her work at Chez Panisse; Caleb Zigas, executive director of the nonprofit La Cocina, which won a leadership award; and Zero Foodprint, a climate-focused nonprofit in San Francisco, whose humanitarian award was previously announced in March.
Award nominees are usually announced at a series of celebratory ceremonies, but this year’s editions were postponed to March due to the coronavirus. In the end, the foundation opted to follow up the announcement with a video streamed live on Twitter. Winners will be announced Sept. 25 in Chicago, with more details to come on whether there will still be an in-person ceremony.
Claire Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, acknowledged the strangeness of announcing these awards when so many restaurants are fully closed, simply offering takeout or feeding frontline workers during the coronavirus. But “none of that changes how much our nominees accomplished last year,” she said.
See the full list of nominees below:
2020 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Design Award
75 seats or less
SIMPLICITY for HALL by odo
Heliotrope Architects for Rupee, Seattle
Spoonbill Watering Hole and Restaurant, Flywheel Co. and Vermillion Architects, LLC for Spoonbill Watering Hole and Restaurant, Lafayette, LA
76 seats and more
Hacin + Associates for shore leave, Boston
Ken Fulk Inc. for Swan & Bar Bevy, Miami
Klein Agency and ORA for auburn, Los Angeles
Outstanding design of alternative food and drink venues
Lori Chemla for Carissa’s the Bakery, East Hampton, NY
Stonehill Taylor, MCR/Morse Development and Aaron Sciandra for Connie, Queens, NY
Studio Dewberry and Workstead for Citrus Club, Charleston, SC
Design icon: In Panisse, Berkeley, California
2020 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award
Best New Restaurant
Seafood and Oyster Vending Machine, Birmingham, AL
Demi, Minneapolis
Eem, Portland, OR
Fox and the Knife, Boston
Gado Gado, Portland, OR
Gianna, New Orleans
Kalaya, Philadelphia
Nightshade, Los Angeles
Pasjoli, Santa Monica, California
Verjus, San Francisco
Outstanding Baker
Graison Gill, Bellegarde Bakery, New Orleans
Zachary Golper, Well Done, NYC
Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery, Cambridge, MA
Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie, Detroit
Avery Ruzicka, Manresa Bread, Los Gatos, CA
Outstanding Barre Program
Anvil Bar and Shelter, Houston
Expat, Portland, OR
Kimball House, Decatur, Georgia
Lost Lake, Chicago
Dog Stuff, San Francisco
Outstanding Chef
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans
Missy Robbins, Lilia, New York
Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA
Marc Vetri, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia
Exceptional hospitality
Brigtsen’s, New Orleans
Canlis, Seattle
Season, San Francisco
Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco
Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Lincoln CarsonBon TempsLos Angeles
Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Margarita Manzke, Republic, Los Angeles
Diane Moua, spoon and stable, Minneapolis
Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar, New York
Miro Uskokovic, Gramercy Tavern, New York
Outstanding restaurant
FIG, Charleston, SC
Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
Jaleo, Washington, D.C.
Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix
Quince, San Francisco
Outstanding restorer
Paul Bartolotta, The Bartolotta Restaurants, Milwaukee (Ristorante Bartolotta, Harbor House, Lake Park Bistro, and others)
Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer, JK Food Group, Boston (Little Donkey, Toro, Coppa)
JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline Restaurant, New Orleans
Alex Raij and Eder Montero, NYC (La Vara, Saint Julivert Fisherie, Txikito)
Jason Wang, Xi’an Famous Foods, NYC
Outstanding Wine Program
Bacchanal, New Orleans
Duck, Portland, OR
SIDE, NYC
Miller Union, Atlanta
Night + Sahm Market, Venice, California
Spiaggia, Chicago
Outstanding producer of wines, beers or spirits
Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, High Wire Distilling Co., Charleston, SC
Cathy Corison, Corison Winery, St. Helena, CA
Drew Kulsveen, Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY
Todd Leopold and Scott Leopold, Leopold Bros., Denver
Lance Winters, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson, The Catbird Seat, Nashville
Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston
Gaby Maeda, State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Ashleigh Shanti, Benne on Eagle, Asheville, North Carolina
Paola Velez, friends/relatives, Washington, DC
Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles
Best Chef: California
Jeremy Fox, Birdie G’s, Santa Monica, CA
Brandon’s Jew, Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
Jessica Koslow, Sqirl, Los Angeles
Mourad Lahlou, Mourad, San Francisco
Joshua Skenes, Angler, San Francisco
Pim Techamuanvivit, Kin Khao, San Francisco
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Jason Hammel, Cafe Lula, Chicago
Gene Kato, Momotaro, Chicago
Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago
John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth, Chicago
Erick Williams, Virtue, Chicago
Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.
Nicholas Elmi, Laurel, Philadelphia
Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia
Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia
Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C.
Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Steven Brown, Tilia, Minneapolis
Michael Corvino, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Kansas City, MO
Michael Gallina, Vicia, St. Louis
Jamie Malone, Grand Cafe, Minneapolis
Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis
Best Chef: Montagne (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
Carrie Baird, Bar Dough, Denver
Jen Castle and Blake Spalding, Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, Boulder, UT
Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill, Jackson, Wyoming
Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, CO
Dana Rodriguez, Super Mega Good, Denver
Kelly Whitaker, Wolf Tailor, Denver
Best Chef: New York State
Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko, New York
Brooks Headley, Burger Superiority, NYC
Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York
Daniela Soto-Innes, ATLA, NYC
Alex Stupak, Empellon, NYC
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
Vien Dobui, CÔNG TỬ BỘT, Portland, ME
Tiffani Faison, Orfano, Boston
Ben Jackson, wife of Drifters, Portland, ME
Krista Kern Desjarlais, The Purple House, North Yarmouth, ME
Greg Mitchell and Chad Conley, Palace Diner, Biddeford, ME
Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
Peter Cho, Han Oak, Portland, OR
Gregory Gourdet, Departure, Portland, OR
Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush, Senia, Honolulu
Katy Millard, Naughty, Portland, OR
Kristen Murray, MAURITIUS, Portland, OR
Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)
Jose Enrique, Jose Enrique, San Juan, PR
Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus, Coquette, New Orleans
Michael Gulotta, Maypop, New Orleans
Mason Hereford, The Turkey and the Wolf, New Orleans
Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans
Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Katie Button, Cure, Asheville, North Carolina
Cassidee Dabney, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
Cheetie Kumar, Garland, Raleigh, North Carolina
Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis
Julia Sullivan, Henrietta Red, Nashville
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
Dan Krohmer, other mom, Las Vegas
Jonathan Perno, Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
Chrysa Robertson, Rancho Pinot, Scottsdale, AZ
Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café Gran Reserva, Phoenix
Jeff Smedstad, Elote Cafe, Sedona, AZ
James Trees, Esther’s Kitchen, Las Vegas
Best cook: Texas
Kevin Fink, Emmer & Rye, Austin
Michael Fojtasek, Olamaie, Austin
Anita Jaisinghani, Pondicherry, Houston
Steve McHugh, recovered, San Antonio
Trong Nguyen, crawfish and noodles, Houston
2020 Leadership Award Winners
Phillip and Dorathy E. Barker, Co-Founders, Operation Spring Plant, Inc. (OSP)
Rosalinda Guillen, Executive Director, Community-to-Community (C2C) Development
Abiodun Henderson, Executive Director, The Come Up Project with Gangstas to Growers
Mark and Kerry Marhefka, Owners, Abundant Seafood
Caleb Zigas, Executive Director, La Cocina
Previously announced winners
Humanitarian of the Year: Zero food footprint
Achievement for life: Jessica B. Harris
American classics
Lassis InnLittle Rock, AR
Owners: Elihue Washington Jr. and Maria Washington
Zehnder’s of FrankenmuthFrankenmuth, MI
Owners: Al Zehnder, Susan Zehnder and Martha Zehnder Shelton
Puritan BackroomManchester, NH
Owners: Arthur Pappas, Chris Pappas and Eric Zink
Oriental MartSeattle
Owners: Mila Apostol and Joy Apostol
El Taco de MexicoDenver
Owner: Sasha Zanabria
Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-QueBrownsville, TX
Owner: Armando Vera
