Here’s a bit of a bright spot: the James Beard Foundation has named the finalists for the 2020 Restaurant & Chef awards and there’s a little love for some Boston faves. The winners will be announced on Friday, September 25th via the Foundation’s Twitter feed. Stay tuned for updates and more info. In the meantime, read on to see some local highlights from the list of contenders (you can see the whole list online here).

Best New Restaurant
Fox & the Knife, Boston

Outstanding Baker
Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery, Cambridge, MA

Outstanding Chef
Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA

Outstanding Restaurateur
Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer, JK Food Group, Boston (Little Donkey, Toro, Coppa)

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston

Best Chef: Northeast
Tiffani Faison, Orfano, Boston
Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA