Seattle stays in the picture. With today's list of semifinalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards, the country's most prestigious recognition for dining and drinking out, the city shows up in some big national categories—and dominates its regional one.

Restaurants, chefs, bartenders, and restaurateurs that appear on the 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist list will wait for the longlist to be whittled down to a slate of nominees in March, with the final ceremony held in June in Chicago.

Fighting for a shot at one of the top national titles is Aaron Verzosa, the chef of Hillman City's tiny Archipelago, up for Outstanding Chef. He's received a spot on the longlist before, in 2024, but didn't move on to the finals. 

Ahmed Suliman of Cafe Suliman in Capitol Hill made his debut on the James Beard scene in the Emerging Chef category. In the Best New Restaurant category, Seattle Met's own favorite of 2025, Ballard's Little Beast, shows up to compete with the Wayland Mill in Wallingford.

The national shout-outs keep coming. Cruffin-maker Christina Wood appears on the list for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, bringing the first James Beard semifinal nod to Temple Pastries in the Central District.

On the drinks front, French is in. Downtown wine bar Le Caviste snagged a spot on the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program list, and Roquette, a craft cocktail bar with Gallic vibes in Belltown, is on the Outstanding Bar list for the second year in a row. Nearby Rob Roy, a James Beard favorite in recent years, again sees Anu Apte grab recognition on the longlist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

The only Washington state establishment outside of Seattle to show up in this year's national lineups is the Elbow Room, a dive bar in Vancouver that made the longlist for Best New Bar. Our sister publication Portland Monthly called it "approachable and unfussy but with a hardcore cocktail background."

In the James Beard regional category, where chefs from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawai'i all compete in Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific, our state is a heavyweight. Of the 20 nominated chefs or teams, Washington claims seven, including Jordan Koplowitz of Starla's in Bellingham (formerly of Capitol Hill's Blotto). The whole list for that category is below.