We were in that room at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday night, and let us to tell you, there is nothing quite like the James Beard Awards. The energy, the talent, the emotion. Over 1,800 guests gathered to celebrate the best of the best in American food and beverage. The room was electric.As we do here on The List, we're leading with our people first,  the Mid-Atlantic had a spectacular night, and then we're giving you every single winner. Bookmark this one. You're going to want it. (Good luck getting these reservations now!)Our People: Mid-Atlantic Winners Outstanding RestaurantKalaya — Philadelphia, PAOutstanding Pastry Chef or BakerSusan Bae, Moon Rabbit — Washington, D.C.Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya — Philadelphia, PAAmerica's ClassicOyster House — Philadelphia, PA (Current Owner: Sam Mink)The National AwardsOutstanding RestaurateurDana Street — Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others — Portland, MEOutstanding ChefMichael Tusk, Quince — San Francisco, CAEmerging Chef (presented by S.Pellegrino)Adrian Torres, Maximo — West University Place, TXBest New RestaurantLei — New York, NYOutstanding BakeryWild Crumb — Bozeman, MTOutstanding HospitalityProvidence — Los Angeles, CAOutstanding Wine and Other Beverages ProgramKato — Los Angeles, CAOutstanding BarScotch Lodge — Portland, ORBest New BarLoma — Providence, RIOutstanding Professional in Beverage ServiceLee Campbell, Borgo — New York, NYOutstanding Professional in Cocktail ServiceKevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CABest Chefs by RegionCalifornia: Dave Beran, Seline — Santa Monica, CA Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH): Jacob Potashnick, Feld — Chicago, IL Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA): Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya — Philadelphia, PA Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI): Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box — Webster Groves, MO Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY): Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton — Denver, CO New York State: Hooni Kim, Meju — Queens, NY Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT): Evan Hennessey, Stages — Dover, NH Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA): Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro — Portland, OR South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR): Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA — New Orleans, LA Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV): Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm — Leicester, NC Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK): Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa — Las Vegas, NV Texas: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN — Houston, TXAmerica's ClassicsThe James Beard America's Classics Award goes to beloved, locally and independently owned restaurants with timeless appeal — the places that define their communities.The Serving Spoon — Inglewood, CA (Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane)Oyster House — Philadelphia, PA (Sam Mink)Johnny's Cafe — Omaha, NE (Sally Kawa, Kari Kawa Harding, and Jack Kawa)Eng's — Kingston, NY (Tom Sit and Faye Sit)Figaretti's Italian Restaurant — Wheeling, WV (Dino Figaretti)Bob Taylor's Ranch House — Las Vegas, NV (Jeff Special)Special HonorsLifetime AchievementNancy Silverton — A true legend. Four decades of shaping how we eat, cook, and think about food. Founder of La Brea Bakery, co-founder of Campanile, and the force behind Osteria Mozza. She won the very first James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year in 1991 and Outstanding Chef in 2014. Nancy Silverton is American food culture.Humanitarian of the YearNo Us Without You — Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz, Los Angeles, CA. In 2020, these two co-founded No Us Without You to feed undocumented back-of-house restaurant workers ineligible for pandemic relief. They started hoping to feed 30 families a week. As of December 2025, they're providing food security for over 500 families quarterly — 10,000 pounds of food per quarter. During the ICE raids in LA in spring 2025, they pivoted to delivering meals directly to families at home. This is what it means to show up for the people who make hospitality possible.Congratulations to every single winner. Now go make a reservation.

Carla Hall, is at the top of her game. But getting there was no picnic. In this theatrical one-woman show, Carla Hall invites you to “strap in” for a wild, hilarious, and emotional ride as she reveals how she learned to embrace her own authenticity, “work her quirk” and finally step into her power. From her Tennessee roots as an awkward theater camp kid, to Howard University, to a stint on the runways of Paris, to her irreverent takes on the confusing expectations of Black excellence, crushing sexism, and the many attempts to erase her uniqueness, Carla has had to battle every step of the way to find her true voice – and wait till you hear it. In this insightful and inspiring World Premiere, Carla reveals the secret ingredients to her greatest creation: herself. This intimate exchange will leave audiences laughing, thinking, feeling and… maybe even discovering a little of their own power in simply being themselves.Carla Hall: Please Underestimate Me runs June 3 – July 12 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD. Tickets are $47-$101 and available online or by calling the box office at 301.924.3400. Discounts are available for groups, seniors, teachers, active military, first responders, and students. Visit olneytheatre.org/discounts for details.Bridging the food and theatre worlds, Honorary Producers for the production include Chef Eric Adjepong of Food Network’s “Wildcard Kitchen,” author, restaurateur, and TV personality Chef Spike Mendelsohn, food and wine publisher Nycci Nellis, Emmy-nominated journalist and producer Erin Como, and Nina Oduro, Co-founder of Black Women in Food. 

Nycci Nellis joined WTOP to share how Washington, D.C. is gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with watch parties, themed food and drink specials, and soccer-inspired events across the region. Popular viewing destinations include Hook Hall, The Wharf, and Union Market District, while restaurants such as Apapacho Taqueria, Casa Teresa, Shaw’s Tavern, and Elcielo Washington are offering World Cup-themed experiences and international cuisine. From large-scale fan zones and rooftop watch parties to hotel activations and special dining events, the tournament is turning the D.C. area into a month-long celebration of soccer, food, and community.

A fifth-generation mead maker carries a Holocaust survivor's legacy forward, one bottle at a time.Some stories start in a vineyard. This one starts in 19th-century Poland, survives a concentration camp and a death march, and lands in a tasting room in Mount Airy, Maryland. Rachel Loew Lipman didn't just inherit a winery. She inherited a reason. And if you've ever wondered whether a bottle of wine can hold memory, grief, and joy all at once, this episode of Industry Night, the DC food and hospitality podcast, is your answer.Maryland wine gets overlooked. It shouldn't. Winemaking here dates to the 1600s, and today more than 100 wineries are producing everything from cab francs to Vidal Blancs. But what Rachel is doing at Loew Vineyards goes beyond the glass. She's a DC food and hospitality insider's dream guest: a young head winemaker running Maryland's fourth oldest existing winery, its first kosher winery and meadery, and one of the longest continuous mead-making traditions in the world. This is the DC dining guide and hospitality podcast conversation you didn't know you needed.Rachel Loew Lipman is a fifth-generation mead maker, granddaughter of Holocaust survivor William Loew, and the force behind Loew Vineyards in Frederick County, Maryland. Her family's mead-making roots trace to 1800s Poland. She holds degrees in plant science and communications from the University of Maryland, a winemaking certification from Washington State, and experience in France. In 2025, she launched Maryland's first Star K certified mead. Watch the episode here, and listen to it here.