James Beard Awards: See How New Jersey Fared

Foodies rejoice: you have some new restaurants to seek out. The semifinalists for this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards — dubbed the Oscars for restaurants — have been released and six restaurants from New Jersey made the list (see list below).

The awards across 21 categories for national and regional chef and restaurant awards were released on Thursday. Categories include best new restaurant, best chef, outstanding baker and outstanding service, among others.

The foundation holds an online open call for entries every year. A committee reviews thousands of entries to come up with a nominating ballot of semifinalists in each category.

An independent volunteer panel of more than 600 judges — comprised of top regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators, and past winners — then votes on specific award categories to determine the final five nominees in each category.

They then vote on these five nominees to select the winners.

The foundation will announce the final nominees on the morning of March 14 at Parc in Philadelphia. The event will be live-streamed.

The winners will be announced at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City on April 27. They’ll receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. There are no cash prizes.

Here's the full list of New Jersey chefs and restaurants named as James Beard Foundation Award semifinalists:

Best New Restaurant

Osteria Radici, Allentown

Outstanding Baker

H. Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, Curiosity Doughnuts, Stockton

Outstanding Serice

Chef Vola’s, Atlantic City

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

• Joey Baldino, Zeppoli, Collingswood
• Dan Richer, Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City
• David Viana, Heirloom Kitchen, Old Bridge

Click here to see a full list of the awards.

Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for #Culinary Kickoff