News

Three MVT Chefs Honored with 2026 James Beard Award Nominations

Friday January 23, 2026

Feast your eyes on this! For the second year in a row, Chef Danny Lee, Chef Matt Adler and Pitmaster Fernando Gonzalez have been selected as “Semifinalists” for the 2026 James Beard Awards. Considered the “Oscars of the food world,” it is a huge honor to be nominated once, let alone consecutively!

Chef Danny of Mandu is once again nominated in the “Outstanding Restauranteur” category with his partner Scott Drewno for their “The Fried Rice Collective” that includes restaurants Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You while Chef Adler and Pitmaster Gonzalez are both nominated in the “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” category for their work at Cucina Morini and 2fifty Texas BBQ, respectively. Last year, Chefs Danny and Drewno advanced to the “Finalist” round so we will be sure to keep an eye on the list when it’s announced on Tuesday, March 31!

We’re so proud of the high-quality and diverse lineup of foods here in Mount Vernon Triangle and are honored to have so many talented chefs call MVT home. Congrats again to Danny, Matt, Fernando, and your entire teams for these nominations — they’re all well-deserved!