Hurrah! Amy Brandwein, Ruth Gresser and Polly Wiedmaier

Amy Brandwein  is a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.  Nominees have been chefs for at least five years, worked in their respective regions for at least the past three years and set new or consistently excellent standards.  The finalists will be announced on  March 27  by the 2018 JBF Best Chef Hugo Ortega at his eponymous Houston restaurant, Hugo's.  

Ruth Gresser  has been nominated as Outstanding Restaurateur by the James Beard Foundation. Candidates have demonstrated high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship; they  must be working restaurateurs who have been in the business for at least 10 years and cannot have been nominated for the award in the past five years. Ruth also was featured in the March issue of Bethesda Magazine for the opening of her newest Pizzeria Paradiso location in DC's Spring Valley neighborhood.

Marcel's, a restaurant owned and operated by Polly Wiedmaier and husband, Chef Robert Wiedmaier, is a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Service Award.  Nominated restaurants have been in operation for five or more years and excelled in hospitality and service.     ​