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The Resy Guide to 2023 James Beard Award Nominees in D.C.

By Resy Staff

Published: Jan. 25, 2023

This year’s James Beard Foundation Awards class of semifinalists in Washington D.C. and throughout the District reflects the best of the region’s talent — new and established. Nominees include standout interpreters of modern vegan and Vietnamese cuisine, homestyle French bistro cooking, a Deco-era homage, and much more.

Finalists will be announced in March, and awards handed out June 5 in Chicago. The local Resy restaurants that made the cut are listed below; find the full national list here on the Beard Foundation website.

Amazonia

Amazonia

Best New Restaurant
Peruvian
$$

Gatsby

Gatsby

Outstanding Restaurateur (KNEAD Hospitality + Design)
American
$

Oyster Oyster

Oyster Oyster

Outstanding Chef (Rob Rubba)
Vegetarian
$$

RIS

RIS

Outstanding Restaurant
American
$$

Bar Spero

Bar Spero

Best New Restaurant
American
$$$

L'Ardente

L'Ardente

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Italian
$

Bammy's

Bammy’s

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Caribbean
$$

Albi

Albi

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Middle Eastern
$$$

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Amazonia

Best New Restaurant

This mecca for Peruvian food and drink, from the team behind Service Bar and Peru-born chef Carlos Delgado, flourishes on two levels, literally: Bar Amazonia, upstairs, offers a casual menu of ceviches, skewers, and more, plus a treasury of pisco (Peru’s heady brandy); downstairs, Causa serves a six-course tasting menu inspired by the Andes, the rainforest, and the sea — its quality now acknowledged by the Beard Foundation.

Gatsby

Outstanding Restaurateur (KNEAD Hospitality + Design)

Prepare to be dazzled by this stylish, two-level reimagining of the classic Deco-era diner by KNEAD Hospitality + Design in collaboration with Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery. Opulent leather booths and a 1920s-themed mural are part of the setting for the wide-ranging all-American menu. Daily Blue Plate specials include fried chicken, fish and chips, and lasagna, and you can crown your meal with pie à la mode.

Oyster Oyster

Outstanding Chef (Rob Rubba)

Oyster Oyster serves up more than just bivalves in its charming and airy space. In fact, much of chef Rob Rubba’s exceptional tasting menu focuses on vegetables, alongside the freshest of oysters. Call it Oystertarian. By the way, the wine list is pretty spectacular, too.

RIS

Outstanding Restaurant

At this West End neighborhood standby, chef Ris Lacoste deals in the kind of fare her friend Julia Child was so fond of: simple homestyle cuisine with all of the bistro fixings, and an Old World wine list.

Bar Spero

Best New Restaurant

When the former executive chef at José Andrés’ minibar turns his attention to the Basque country’s late-night food scene, you pay attention. And such is the case with Bar Spero, a neon-lit and boisterous downtown hotspot, where chef-owner Johnny Spero of Reverie fame delves into seafood-forward tapas and preparations over a live-fire hearth.

L'Ardente

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

Citronelle veteran David Deshaies and his team rethink Italian classics and create new ones of their own at this spectacular trendsetter, with its double-high ceilings, Murano glass chandeliers, and attention-grabbing wood-fired grill. The signature 40-layer lasagna with truffle mornay and short rib sugo is a must.

Bammy’s

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

Named for the Jamaiacan staple of cassava root flatbread, Bammy’s delivers on making you feel like you’re right in Negril or Montego Bay — and the waterfront views from the Navy Yard don’t hurt, either. The food from Peter Prime, from conch fritters and goat curry to the jerk pork shoulder and escovitch, is imbued with warmth.

Albi

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

Chef Michael Rafidi isn’t afraid to experiment with traditional recipes and techniques for wood-fired Levantine cooking that you’ve likely never quite experienced before. And don’t leave without ordering the brown butter knafeh, a childhood favorite of Rafidi’s that changes with the seasons.

Moon Rabbit

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

Editor’s note: Moon Rabbit has rebranded into a new concept, Dockside Restaurant and Bar.

Kevin Tien’s deeply personal cooking — blending his Vietnamese American heritage and his upbringing in Lafayette, La. — is soulful, inventive, and unforgettable. For evidence of that, you need only order a bowl of the chao cua (rice porridge). Here, his grandmother’s signature dish, Vietnamese porridge, reflects that bayou-adjacent upbringing: made with local crab, okra, a dark roux, and Carolina Gold rice.

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