DC Chefs, Restaurants Shut Out at James Beard Awards

Last night, the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, the highest honor for food and beverage professionals. While the odds were in favor of a local chef winning the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic award — four of the five nominees hailed from our nation's capital — that did not happen. In a repeat of what seems to happen pretty much every year, Cathal Armstrong (Restaurant Eve), Johnny Monis (Komi), Peter Pastan (Obelisk) and Vikram Sunderam (Rasika) all lost out to the one chef from another city, this time Maricel Presilla of Hoboken's Cucharamama. Meanwhile, Fiola was nominated for the best new restaurant category, which ultimately went to Next in Chicago.

Last year's sole DC winning chef José Andrés was on hand at the ceremony in New York and tweeted his disappointment in the Mid-Atlantic category, writing that "we need more help from our local press." But, hey, Armstrong and Sunderam needn't despair. The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington wants to remind them that there are still the Rammy Awards ahead. Totally the same thing, right?

For the full list of last night's winners, head on over to Eater National.

· Winners: 2012 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards [-EN-]
· All Previous James Beard Awards Coverage [-EDC-]