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James Beard Foundation

NYC's 2017 James Beard Awards Finalists, Mapped

Where to find these almost-award-winning restaurants

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The James Beard Awards has named its 2017 finalists, and — as per usual — the New York City inclusions are many. Varying from best new restaurant to outstanding service to design icon, NYC reps hard on the list. Considering the James Beard Awards are an industry standard-bearer in the awards department, it is an honor just to be nominated, and 21 area establishments have already made it this far.

To make your life easier, here is the full list of local nominees, mapped out for dining convenience, as well as contextualized. The winners will be announced on Monday, May 1 at the James Beard Awards Gala at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, at which time we will update this map. May the odds be ever in their favor.

Curious who took home the gold last year? Head right this way for that information.

Note: this map is listed alphabetically.

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Aldo Sohm Wine Bar

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Aldo Sohm, the guy behind this Midtown wine bar collaboration with chef Eric Ripert, has been nominated for Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional. He also heads up the wine program at Le Bernardin, on top of a partnership with cult favorite wine glass brand, Zalto. At Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, Sohm's beverage prowess is on display at approachable prices, alongside Ripert's award-winning food, in more whimsical takes, such as coq au vin chicken drumsticks.

Best Chef: New York City nominee Anita Lo's 17-year-old Annisa is sadly no longer, but that doesn't take the nomination away. When it was open, the full, Asian-leaning tasting menu was best known for its addictive foie gras soup dumplings. This is not Lo's first Best Chef: New York City nomination; she's also earned three stars from The New York Times.

Bien Cuit

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This artisanal Brooklyn bakery is helmed by Zachary Golper, who is in the running this year for Outstanding Baker. Golper got his start under top-ranking French patissier, Jean Claude Canestrier, before shifting his focus more toward bread. Now at Bien Cuit, Golper provides New Yorkers with golden loaves, shatteringly-crisp croissants, and inventive desserts at the brand new Grand Central location.

Nick Solares

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

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Eater's Bill Addison officially named Blue Hill at Stone Barns the best restaurant in America, for the fact that it, "isn't just an exquisite fine-dining restaurant serving magnificent tasting menus; it's an experiment, a laboratory, a learning center, and a model for the future of agriculture." This year, it's up for Outstanding Service from James Beard.

Bill Addison

Buvette

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Best Chef: New York City nominee, Jody Williams has brought Paris to New York City at her bustling, attractive neighborhood cafe. Breakfast might be the ultimate time to enjoy Williams' simple, rustic fare, namely the scrambled eggs with prosciutto. But go anytime to be charmed by this very French, yet still very NYC spot.

Ghaya Oliveira, stock trader-turned-longtime pastry chef for chef Daniel Boulud, has been nominated for her work at Daniel for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Oliveira's desserts are delicate and flavorful, and often fruit-forward — like a passion fruit take on baba au rhum on the menu at Daniel right now.

Globally-influenced East Village essential, Estela has drawn praise from every press outlet in town — even rising to number 44 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Its seminal moment was probably when President Barack Obama dined there in 2014. Now, chef-owner Ignacio Mattos is up for Best Chef: New York City for his inventive takes on dishes that don't seem like much when listed on the menu (endive with walnuts, anchovy, and Ubriaco Rosso, anyone?), but come alive on the plate.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

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Slurping some ice cold oysters while underneath Grand Central is one of the most iconic activities a New Yorker can partake in, which is probably why Grand Central Oyster Bar (circa 1913) is nominated for this year's Design Icon Award. The only thing to do is go and see why for yourself.

Hearth was already a New York City classic when chef-owner Marco Canora totally revamped the menu in early 2016. The redo has panned out. Canora is now nominated for Best Chef: New York City for his healthy, lighter takes on seasonal Italian fare.

Nick Solares

Le Coucou

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Le Coucou, one of Eater's Ryan Sutton's best new restaurants of 2016, has received the same nomination from James Beard as Best New Restaurant. This cavernous French eatery from prolific restaurateur Stephen Starr (also nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur) throws it back to classic dishes like pike quenelles and mock turtle soup, somehow making them still feel very relevant today.

Nick Solares

Missy Robbins' pasta at Lilia has everyone in a tizzy — just one year after opening, Robbins has landed Lilia a place on Eater's essentials list, as well as scored herself a nomination as Best Chef: New York City (not to mention she was Eater NY's winner for best chef 2016). Robbins' acumen in the kitchen has propelled Lilia above the fray of all-too-common Italian pasta shops throughout the city.

The two-Michelin-starred, seafood-focused Italian restaurant is up for Outstanding Service this year, which makes sense given its status as a Midtown power spot. Marea has been nominated for several James Beard awards in years past, but hasn't won anything since Best New Restaurant in 2010. It will be interesting to see if this is the year it takes home another trophy.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

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The OG spot of chef David Chang's empire, fueled by ramen and buns, is up for Outstanding Restaurant, likely due to its massive influence on restaurants in the last decade. You can see its imprint in the stripped-down service and decor model that has swept the nation.

Nick Solares

Momofuku Ssäm Bar

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Another chef has risen through the Momofuku ranks and is now being recognized as a nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year. Matt Rudofker has been Momofuku Ssäm Bar's executive chef for some time now, as it's gone through some updates, while remaining an East Village essential for its boundary-pushing fare.

Nick Solares

Olmsted

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Olmsted has arrived on the New York City restaurant scene in a major way, nabbing Eater NY's 2016 Restaurant of the Year, three stars from Eater critic, Ryan Sutton, and now a nomination as Best New Restaurant. Chef/owner Greg Baxtrom and farmer/owner Ian Rothman have created a neighborhood restaurant model entirely their own, with a backyard garden, gently challenging menu, and approachable prices.

This is Gabrielle Hamilton's year, as she's getting a lot of public credit ("Mind of a Chef" feature, this nomination for Outstanding Chef) for her quiet work making Prune an absolute NYC essential. Seventeen years in, this seasonal American bistro is "as relevant as ever," Eater's Ryan Sutton wrote.

Sahadi's

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Bulk-bin wonderland, Sahadi's is up for America’s Classics, and it's no wonder considering its 70-plus years peddling spices, nuts, candy, dried fruits, housemade savory pies, hummus, and more, along with an in-house deli serving Middle Eastern favorites, in an unchanged space.

Sahadi's

The Dead Rabbit

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From two renowned UK bartenders came The Dead Rabbit, nominated this year for Outstanding Bar Program. It opened in 2013 and has since firmly established itself as a paragon of a serious cocktail bar, earning the top spot in 2016 on the World's 50 Best Bars list.

The Spotted Pig

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April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman's The Spotted Pig in the West Village has inspired countless dining trends, with its no reservations, standout burger, secret upstairs area, and bumping music, and it's still going strong with its nomination as Outstanding Restaurant. Editor’s note: Ken Friedman, a part-owner, has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.

Nick Solares

Outstanding Restaurateur nominee Ken Oringer has built himself a mini empire between NYC and Boston, bringing Toro down the coast and settling it at the foot of 10th Avenue. The high-ceilinged, industrial space serves up excellent tapas to a glitzy crowd, fitting right into the Meatpacking District.

Stephen Starr, on the docket for Outstanding Restaurateur, presides over Le Coucou and Upland here in NYC, along with many in Philly. He's also the guy behind blockbusters Buddakan and Morimoto. Here at Upland, Starr partnered with chef Justin Smilie for a California-inspired Italian brasserie that the Obamas just love.

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar

Aldo Sohm, the guy behind this Midtown wine bar collaboration with chef Eric Ripert, has been nominated for Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional. He also heads up the wine program at Le Bernardin, on top of a partnership with cult favorite wine glass brand, Zalto. At Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, Sohm's beverage prowess is on display at approachable prices, alongside Ripert's award-winning food, in more whimsical takes, such as coq au vin chicken drumsticks.

Annisa

Best Chef: New York City nominee Anita Lo's 17-year-old Annisa is sadly no longer, but that doesn't take the nomination away. When it was open, the full, Asian-leaning tasting menu was best known for its addictive foie gras soup dumplings. This is not Lo's first Best Chef: New York City nomination; she's also earned three stars from The New York Times.

Bien Cuit

This artisanal Brooklyn bakery is helmed by Zachary Golper, who is in the running this year for Outstanding Baker. Golper got his start under top-ranking French patissier, Jean Claude Canestrier, before shifting his focus more toward bread. Now at Bien Cuit, Golper provides New Yorkers with golden loaves, shatteringly-crisp croissants, and inventive desserts at the brand new Grand Central location.

Nick Solares

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Eater's Bill Addison officially named Blue Hill at Stone Barns the best restaurant in America, for the fact that it, "isn't just an exquisite fine-dining restaurant serving magnificent tasting menus; it's an experiment, a laboratory, a learning center, and a model for the future of agriculture." This year, it's up for Outstanding Service from James Beard.

Bill Addison

Buvette

Best Chef: New York City nominee, Jody Williams has brought Paris to New York City at her bustling, attractive neighborhood cafe. Breakfast might be the ultimate time to enjoy Williams' simple, rustic fare, namely the scrambled eggs with prosciutto. But go anytime to be charmed by this very French, yet still very NYC spot.

Daniel

Ghaya Oliveira, stock trader-turned-longtime pastry chef for chef Daniel Boulud, has been nominated for her work at Daniel for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Oliveira's desserts are delicate and flavorful, and often fruit-forward — like a passion fruit take on baba au rhum on the menu at Daniel right now.

Estela

Globally-influenced East Village essential, Estela has drawn praise from every press outlet in town — even rising to number 44 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Its seminal moment was probably when President Barack Obama dined there in 2014. Now, chef-owner Ignacio Mattos is up for Best Chef: New York City for his inventive takes on dishes that don't seem like much when listed on the menu (endive with walnuts, anchovy, and Ubriaco Rosso, anyone?), but come alive on the plate.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

Slurping some ice cold oysters while underneath Grand Central is one of the most iconic activities a New Yorker can partake in, which is probably why Grand Central Oyster Bar (circa 1913) is nominated for this year's Design Icon Award. The only thing to do is go and see why for yourself.

Hearth

Hearth was already a New York City classic when chef-owner Marco Canora totally revamped the menu in early 2016. The redo has panned out. Canora is now nominated for Best Chef: New York City for his healthy, lighter takes on seasonal Italian fare.

Nick Solares

Le Coucou

Le Coucou, one of Eater's Ryan Sutton's best new restaurants of 2016, has received the same nomination from James Beard as Best New Restaurant. This cavernous French eatery from prolific restaurateur Stephen Starr (also nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur) throws it back to classic dishes like pike quenelles and mock turtle soup, somehow making them still feel very relevant today.

Nick Solares

Lilia

Missy Robbins' pasta at Lilia has everyone in a tizzy — just one year after opening, Robbins has landed Lilia a place on Eater's essentials list, as well as scored herself a nomination as Best Chef: New York City (not to mention she was Eater NY's winner for best chef 2016). Robbins' acumen in the kitchen has propelled Lilia above the fray of all-too-common Italian pasta shops throughout the city.

Marea

The two-Michelin-starred, seafood-focused Italian restaurant is up for Outstanding Service this year, which makes sense given its status as a Midtown power spot. Marea has been nominated for several James Beard awards in years past, but hasn't won anything since Best New Restaurant in 2010. It will be interesting to see if this is the year it takes home another trophy.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

The OG spot of chef David Chang's empire, fueled by ramen and buns, is up for Outstanding Restaurant, likely due to its massive influence on restaurants in the last decade. You can see its imprint in the stripped-down service and decor model that has swept the nation.

Nick Solares

Momofuku Ssäm Bar

Another chef has risen through the Momofuku ranks and is now being recognized as a nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year. Matt Rudofker has been Momofuku Ssäm Bar's executive chef for some time now, as it's gone through some updates, while remaining an East Village essential for its boundary-pushing fare.

Nick Solares

Olmsted

Olmsted has arrived on the New York City restaurant scene in a major way, nabbing Eater NY's 2016 Restaurant of the Year, three stars from Eater critic, Ryan Sutton, and now a nomination as Best New Restaurant. Chef/owner Greg Baxtrom and farmer/owner Ian Rothman have created a neighborhood restaurant model entirely their own, with a backyard garden, gently challenging menu, and approachable prices.

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Prune

This is Gabrielle Hamilton's year, as she's getting a lot of public credit ("Mind of a Chef" feature, this nomination for Outstanding Chef) for her quiet work making Prune an absolute NYC essential. Seventeen years in, this seasonal American bistro is "as relevant as ever," Eater's Ryan Sutton wrote.

Sahadi's

Bulk-bin wonderland, Sahadi's is up for America’s Classics, and it's no wonder considering its 70-plus years peddling spices, nuts, candy, dried fruits, housemade savory pies, hummus, and more, along with an in-house deli serving Middle Eastern favorites, in an unchanged space.