CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati restaurant and bar industry is once again getting national acclaim.
The Aperture's Jordan Anthony-Brown, Wildweed's David Jackman and Longfellow's Mike Stankovich were all recognized Wednesday as semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards.
The restaurant and bar industry's equivalent to the Academy Awards, the James Beard Awards, first held in 1991, are considered one of the most prestigious honors in the industry.
Anthony-Brown, owner and chef at Walnut Hills' The Aperture, is one of 20 semifinalists in the "Emerging Chef" category.
Anthony-Brown opened The Aperture in early 2024 in Walnut Hills' historic Paramount Square Building. The restaurant's menu is heavily influenced by the broader Mediterranean region, with guests enjoying pasta dishes, lamb, breads and more.
In September, The Aperture was named to The New York Times' 2024 "Best Restaurants in America" list.
Anthony-Brown posted to social media, saying "surreal wouldn’t even begin to describe this morning" following the news of his recognition.
RELATED | Top 9 Greater Cincinnati restaurants that opened in 2024
Jackman, chef at Over-the-Rhine's Wildweed, is a semifinalist in the "Best Chef" category for the Great Lakes region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. He is one of only four semifinalists representing the Buckeye State in the category.
Wildweed opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant, which sits at the corner of E 13th Street and Walnut Street, in July. The restaurant boasts a seasonally driven menu in its dining room, as well as a 12-seat chef's counter, which offers a daily menu of a dozen or so dishes centered on seven ingredients.
In December, Wildweed was named one of Esquire's "The Best New Restaurants in America, 2024."
Wildweed posted on Instagram after the honor, saying it's "beyond grateful to be included in an incredible list representing our region by an organization we align so closely with."
Stankovich, owner and operator of OTR's Longfellow bar, is a semifinalist for the "Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service" category.
Longfellow, which sits near Wildweed at the corner of E 13th Street and Clay Street, first opened in 2017. The bar, which is cozy and fitted with a classic horseshoe bar, offers guests classic cocktails, as well as cheap beer beloved by the average dive bargoer. There's also a small rotating menu of bar snacks.
In July, the bar was recognized by USA Today on its "Best Bars in America in 2024" list.
The James Beard Awards, which is celebrating its 35th year, will announce its nominees on Wednesday, April 2. Winners will then be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16 in Chicago.
Last year, Mita's Jose Salazar, Nolia's Jeffery Harris and Cafe Mochiko's Erik Bentz and Elaine Uykimpang Bentz were named semifinalists for the 2024 awards. All three of those chefs were also recognized in some way at the 2023 James Beard Awards.
