At the end of January, the James Beard Foundation announced the list of semi-finalists for the prestigious food awards. On Wednesday morning, they narrowed that list down to five in each category except for "Best New Restaurant" which has 10 finalists.
Sisters Yenvy and Quynh Pham made the cut for "Outstanding Restaurateur." The Phams are part of the second generation of their family to serve the greater Seattle area Vietnamese food. Their parents are often credited with popularizing phở in the city. Now, the two sisters run five different food establishments including the original Phở Bắc in Little Saigon.
The chef of the Filipino restaurant Archipelago located in Seattle's Hillman City is also a finalist. Aaron Verzosa is one of the five chefs up for "Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific."
Verzosa's restaurant s known for its small and intimate dining experience that uses Pacific Northwest ingredients in the Filipino food he cooks. Both Verzosa and his wife and business partner, Amber Manuguid, were raised in the Pacific Northwest by Filipino families.
Other Washington establishments that were named as finalists include Seattle's Copine which is up for "Outstanding Restaurant," Rob Roy for "Outstanding Bar," and Pullman's Black Cypress for "Outstanding Hospitality."
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Chicago on June 5.
