D.C. sweeps the 2024 James Beard Awards

It was a huge night for D.C. area chefs at the James Beard Awards , with wins for Albi 's Michael Rafidi, Perry's chef Masako Morishita, and Harley Peet of Bas Rouge on the Eastern Shore.

Why it matters: "The Beards" are big-time — considered the Oscars for the American hospitality industry.

🏆 Zoom in : Arguably the biggest award of the night — a hugely competitive national category, delivered last — went to Rafidi, who won for Outstanding Chef.

• Rafidi, a Palestinian American who grew up in the D.C. area, dedicated the award "to Palestinians, and all the people out there, whether it's here, Palestine, or all over the world."
• His restaurant, which opened in Navy Yard just before the pandemic, also has a Michelin star for its wood-fired Levantine cooking. He's expanding to Union Market soon.

Between the lines: Oyster Oyster chef Rob Rubba, who presented the award, won last year .

🏅 More wins: Morishita clinched another competitive national category for rising stars, last won locally by Kwame Onwuachi in 2019. The former Washington Commanders cheerleader has been making waves at the 40-year-old Adams Morgan restaurant since taking over the kitchen last year.

• If you've tasted her knockout Japanese breakfasts, garlic-edamame dumplings, and udon carbonara, you know why.

What they're saying: "This is my wildest American dream," the Japanese native tells Axios' Monica Eng. Morishita didn't win for fancy omakase, but Japanese comfort food — a style lesser known here, but "a cuisine that Japanese moms and husbands cook for their families."

• "This is a win for all the Japanese moms and immigrant women," she tells Axios.

👏 And more wins: The super competitive regional Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category went to Harley Peet of Bas Rouge tasting room in Easton, Maryland — who beat out Moon Rabbit 's Kevin Tien and Pizzeria Inferno 's Tony Conte, among others. It's his first nomination, and the first James Beard win for an Eastern Shore chef — a big deal!

• Peet is leading entrepreneur Paul Prager 's restaurants and the culinary revamp of the historic small town, which has transformed into a foodie escape in recent years.
• "There's an amazing group of chefs that I've worked with and that I'm friends with on the Eastern Shore, and this is just a slice for everybody," Peet tells Axios. "To bring it home to a small town is the best."

What we're hearing: The splashy red carpet ceremony has been held in Chicago for years, but sources tell Axios that the Beard Foundation is shopping around for a new location when their contract there is up.

The intrigue: This was the first year the foundation announced the finalists in D.C. during a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria, which is operated by McLean-based Hilton — a major Beards sponsor.

In the media awards, honored at a separate ceremony, José Andrés' " The World Central Kitchen Cookbook " won for the best International Cookbook.

• Local author Meryl Feinstein won for her Single Subject cookbook " Pasta Every Day ."
• Chevy Chase-based TV star Pati Jinich won in the Docuseries Visual Media category for the second season of " La Frontera ," which documents life on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Humanitarian Award , which recognizes "exceptional selflessness and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others and society as a whole," went to the LEE Initiative.

• Founders Edward Lee of D.C.'s Succotash and Lindsey Ofcacek are opening a nonprofit restaurant near Union Market.

The big picture: The Beards have been striving for diversity and inclusivity following years of controversy and a shakeup of the organization — a mission that was well represented in this year's winners, which range from West African-style Creole food from Dakar Nola in New Orleans to Ana Liz Taqueria on the Rio Grande border.

What's ahead: The Beards fall in a busy restaurant awards season, including the World's 50 Best and Michelin's launch in Mexico . Plus, the 2024 RAMMY Award s on July 21 — like the Beards for our local hospitality industry.

Full list of the 2024 James Beard Award winners