The Oscars of the food world are almost here.

The James Beard Foundation announced its lengthy list of semifinalists for the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards and, as usual, Baltimore restaurants and chefs are among those recognized.

Jasmine Norton, a self-taught chef who originally opened The Urban Oyster in Locust Point before relaunching the concept as a sit-down restaurant in Hampden, was among the semifinalists for best chef in the mid-Atlantic region. Her eatery is one of the nation’s few prominent Black-owned oyster bars. Fellow Maryland-based chefs Michael Correll of Ruse in St. Michaels and Fernando Gonzalez of 2FiftyBarbeque in Riverdale were also recognized in the same category.

Meanwhile, Dre Levon of Clavel was singled out in the Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service category, one of three new cocktail-adjacent awards introduced this year. “I tell you, it doesn’t get old. It’s exciting,” he said. “There’s a lot that runs through your head. You think about your team. You think of your city. It’s all a big effort and it feels like one person gets a nod, [but] there’s a lot of people involved.”

One of the first people Levon heard from was D. Watkins, who won a James Beard Media Award last year for his essay on sobriety.

Cindy Wolf’s Charleston was recognized in the category of Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, which honors restaurants that excel in beverage pairings. Wolf has been a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2006, 2008 and every year from 2014 to 2019, but has never won the award.

“After all these years, it’s nice to still be thought of and included,” said Wolf, who recently returned from France. The nod recognized the thoughtfulness of the 28-year-old restaurant’s wine program, spearheaded by sommelier Lindsay Willey together with Tony Foreman, Wolf’s former husband and longtime business partner. (The duo weeks ago announced they would no longer use the Foreman Wolf branding to refer to their restaurants, with Charleston under Wolf’s purview.)

Last year, Clavel was one of five national finalists for outstanding bar but lost out to Jewel of the South in New Orleans. Easton chef Harley Peet of Bas Rouge won the award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.

Nominees for the James Beard Awards will be announced on April 2 and winners made public at the June 16 award ceremony in Chicago. But being recognized at any level of the Beards is good for business. Two-thirds of semifinalists for James Beard Awards reported a significant increase in patronage after being recognized, according to Wednesday’s press release — particularly noteworthy “at a time when independent restaurants continue to operate on razor-thin margins.”

This year’s ceremony is the 35th for the James Beard Awards, and organizers were eager to celebrate the organization’s legacy. The program underwent major shifts to expand diversity and focus on social justice following a pause during the pandemic and complaints of racism.

“What began as a celebration of culinary achievement has evolved into a platform leading chefs and the broader culinary industry towards a new standard of excellence,” said James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach in a statement. She reaffirmed the group’s commitment to a “vision of a vibrant independent restaurant industry that stands as a cornerstone of American culture, community and economy; and drives towards a better food system.”