ELV note: Congrats to Julian Serrano, PICASSO, Robert Smith, CHINA POBLANO, Saipin Chutima and Mitsuo Endo for their nominations. Continue after the jump for the full list.

Awards Watch: 2011 Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists

It’s that time of year again—our countdown to May and the annual James Beard Foundation Awards has begun. We’re kicking things off with the semifinalists for our Restaurant and Chef Awards. Judges from across the country will take a look at the list below and vote to narrow it down to a final list of nominees. We’ll be live tweeting the nominee announcement on March 21, but in the meantime check to see if your favorite chefs and restaurants have made the longlist.

2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

ABC Kitchen, NYC

A-Frame, Los Angeles

Amis, Philadelphia

Bar Agricole, San Francisco

Barbuzzo, Philadelphia

Baru 66, Windsor Heights, IA

Benu, San Francisco

Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe, Tomball, TX

China Poblano at the Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas

ChoLon, Denver

Commonwealth, San Francisco

Community Table, Washington, CT

Cook & Brown Public House, Providence

Elise Coastal Dining, Pensacola, FL

Estadio, Washington, D.C.

Girl & the Goat, Chicago

Husk, Charleston, SC

Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, Washington, D.C.

Menton, Boston

Mondo, New Orleans

Nobuo at Teeter House, Phoenix

Piccolo, Minneapolis

Prospect, San Francisco

Recette, NYC

The Refinery, Tampa, FL

Salt of the Earth, Pittsburgh

Shepherd’s Pie, Rockport, ME

Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Seattle

Star Noodle, Lahaina, HI

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, Miami

Torrisi Italian Specialties, NYC

Uchiko, Austin, TX

Waterloo & City, Culver City, CA

Continue reading “James Beard Foundation Semi-Finalists Announced”