The James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalists for the 2024 Restaurant and Chef awards, and 10 Philadelphia restaurateurs have made it to the list, writes Emma Dooling for the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

The region’s 10 semifinalists received nods in six of the 11 categories. 

The Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category has several of those nods.

Philadelphia chefs Juan Carlos Aparicio of El Chingon, Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Randy Rucker of River Twice, and Omar Tate of Honeysuckle Provisions are all semifinalists for the award.

Dionicio Jimenez of Cantina La Martina is one of 20 semifinalists for the Outstanding Chef category. 

My Loup has been nominated in the Best New Restaurant category. 

Chef Yun Fuentes of Bolo is a semifinalist in the Emergency Chef category.

Isgro Pastries is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery. 

If any of the aforementioned win this year, it would mark their first James Beard Award. 

If Ellen Yin wins, however, it would mark her second.

This year, she is nominated in the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category, after winning the Outstanding Restaurateur Award for her American bistro, a.kitchen+bar last year.

Read more about Philadelphia’s representation on this year’s James Beard Award semifinalist list at the Philadelphia Business Journal.

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