Will the seventh time be the charm for Philly chef Jesse Ito? A look ahead at the 2024 James Beard Awards.

Philadelphia, which has cleaned up in recent years at the James Beard Awards, has but one restaurant star up for a prize at Monday night’s 2024 chef and restaurant ceremony in Chicago:

Jesse Ito, chef-owner of Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village, is a finalist for best chef, Mid-Atlantic. This is his seventh nomination overall for a Beard award, regarded as the Oscars of the restaurant world. The ceremony will be streamed on YouTube starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Although much has been made about Philadelphia’s lone restaurant finalist, Philadelphians received solid Beard attention this year in other categories.

» READ MORE: Philly wins big at the 2024 James Beard Book and Media Awards

Inquirer critic Craig LaBan and photographer Jessica Griffin won the award for travel writing for a series of articles about Cantina La Martina chef Dionicio Jiménez’s first post-pandemic trip home to Puebla as well as a deep dive into tequila and mezcal production led by Philadelphia restaurateur David Suro of Tequilas. A Philadelphia Magazine article about hoagies by Hannah Albertine, Adam Erace, and Bradford Pearson also was a finalist in the category.

LaBan was a finalist this year in the criticism category won by the New Yorker’s Helen Rosner.

Books by local authors won both beverage categories. Suro and coauthor Gary Paul Nabhan took Beverage without Recipes for Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals. South Jersey bartender Danny Childs won in Beverage with Recipes for Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More.

» READ MORE: Jesse Ito and the art of sushi

In February, Vietnam Restaurant in Chinatown was announced as one of this year’s America’s Classics, which the Beard Foundation awards to locally owned restaurants that “serve quality food, have timeless appeal, and reflect the character of their communities.”

Vietnam Restaurant joins Philadelphia-area America’s Classics recipients such as Corinne’s Place (2022) in Camden, White House Sub Shop (2000) and Chef Vola’s (2011) in Atlantic City, and John’s Roast Pork (2006) in South Philadelphia.

Also, two of the five recipients of the foundation’s 2024 Leadership Awards work in the region and were recognized in a ceremony Sunday for working to set standards that “create more equitable, just, sustainable, and economically viable food systems for producers, workers, and consumers alike.” Muhammad Abdul-Hadi of Down North Pizza and the Down North Foundation in North Philadelphia was cited for Industry Culture and Practices, while Christa Barfield of FarmerJawn was honored for Emerging Leadership as someone “at the beginning of their career but already doing significant work.”

Abdul-Hadi, who opened Down North in 2020, said he hopes to “continue to shine the light on the issues we’re trying to tackle, as far as giving voice to individuals in the culinary space.” Among Down North’s causes is employing previously incarcerated employees. “Not having a culinary background but making an impact means a lot to be recognized by organization that’s as prestigious as James Beard.” Abdul-Hadi said the group is working to develop other restaurants, not just pizzerias, to spread its mission.

Barfield’s 128-acre farm in Chester County specializes in regenerative organic food production through a community supported agriculture program, storefronts, and educational programs. It’s designed not just to provide organic foods in areas with few such options but also to educate on the importance of sustainable agriculture and healthy eating. Barfield said she conceived FarmerJawn — the largest Black-owned food grower in Pennsylvania — as a vehicle to “change our food system. It’s not just about the fact that we’re growing and what we’re growing, but it’s also about how we believe in taking care of people and plants as well.” She said her goal this season was to grow a million pounds of food.

Ito, 35, started in the business as a 14-year-old after-school dishwasher working for his parents, Masaharu (”Matt”) and Yeonghui, at their restaurant, Fuji, first in Cinnaminson and later in Haddonfield.

He went to full time while studying marketing at Rutgers University.

Jesse and Matt Ito joined restaurateurs Stephen Simons and Dave Frank in opening Royal in 2016. There’s a popular izakaya (or barroom) in the front with drinks and an à la carte menu of hot and cold dishes.

Royal’s main attraction, though, is tucked into a back room, where Ito conducts omakase experiences for audiences of eight people at a time — arguably Philadelphia’s toughest reservation, at $300 per person including service.