Jesse Ito is a chef at Royal Sushi and Izakaya and is in the running for a James Beard Award. Ito is nominated in the Mid-Atlantic category for best chef and is the only finalist from the area to advance to the finals.
A Philadelphia chef has been named a finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award.
Royal Sushi & Izakaya's own Jessie Ito is in the running for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic category.
Ito is the only finalist from the area that has advanced to the final round.
In an Instagram post, Ito wrote:
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"Thank you @beardfoundation. I’m so honored to be a finalist again this year. Hoping to bring it home for the city I love—Philly"
Other finalists include:
- Tony Conte, Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, Darnestown, MD
- Matt Kern, One Coastal, Fenwick Island, DE
- Harley Peet, Bas Rouge, Easton, MD
- Kevin Tien, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
The winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
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