RICHMOND, Va. — A lot of tears were shed Wednesday when Leah Branch, the executive chef at The Roosevelt in Richmond, Virginia, was one of two Virginia chefs named as a James Beard Award Semifinalists for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania).
"I cried. I admire her so much and absolutely think she deserves it," Kendra Feather, who co-owns The Roosevelt with Mark Herndon, said when asked about her immediate reaction upon learning of Branch's nomination. "Her talent was apparent from the first time we had her food! But her calm, nurturing leadership, and her interest in history and adventurous cooking are more than I could have hoped for in a chef."
Branch is a Chesterfield County, Virginia native who attended Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she began her career in the kitchen. She moved back to Virginia after the COVID-19 pandemic and was named executive chef at The Roosevelt in Church Hill.
"[My family] always gathered around food. And I just sort of like that idea of feeding people, serving people," Branch said during a 2023 appearance on CBS 6's Eat It, Virginia podcast. "I'm a terribly shy person. So I feel like maybe it's just a way that I can communicate with people a little bit better to kind of speak to them with a plate of something."
Feather, said Branch's contributions to the restaurant go way beyond food on the plate.
"She actively tries to be a good leader. She tries to create and keep balance, and one of her goals seems to be not letting her ego take the wheel," Feather said. "She works incredibly, incredibly hard. But also her genuine curious spirit, she goes out in the world and tries to meet people and try their food and learn more than anyone I've ever met."
At The Roosevelt, Branch is known for taking the restaurant's award-winning Southern food into her own unique direction.
"I’m always blown away by her ability to pair the comfortable with the uncomfortable or the approachable with the unapproachable," Eat It, Virginia co-host and Style Weekly food writer Robey Martin said. "For example, the current menu has a grilled bok choy Caesar salad and a chicken fried pig ear. Both dishes are heavily-sourced local and combine elements that are both common and uncommon. The Roosevelt is an incredible place for growth and [its owners] should be commended as well. It’s a second semi-finalist [Chef Lee Gregory being the other] coming out of that kitchen specifically in Richmond."
Tarik Sengul is a second Virginia chef nominated for James Beard Award Semifinalists for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.
"He’s an incredible chef doing the most at Smyrna in Charlottesville," Martin said "There’s a delicate nature to his food that one doesn’t often get to experience firsthand. And the service element of that restaurant is just on a different level."
Branch's nomination ends a bit of a James Beard drought for Richmond restaurants. The lack of recent Richmond-based nominations was discussed on a 2024 episode of Eat It, Virginia!
Other Richmond-area chefs and restaurants nominated for James Beard awards in the last decade or so include:
- Peter Chang, Best Chef (2022)
- Sunny Baweja, of Lehja, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2020, 2019)
- Evrim and Evin Dogu, Sub Rosa Bakery, Outstanding Baker (2020, 2018)
- An Bui, of Mekong and The Answer Brewpub, Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional (2018, 2019)
- Mama J's Kitchen, Outstanding Service (2019)
- Brittanny Anderson, of Metzger Bar & Butchery, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2018)
- David Shannon, of L'Opossum, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2016)
- Lee Gregory, of Alewife, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2013, 2014, 2015)
- Dale Reitzer, of Acacia Midtown, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2010, 2011, 2012, 2015)
Finalists will be announced on Tuesday, March 31, and winners on Monday, June 15.
The Roosevelt
623 N 25th Street
Richmond, VA 23223
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
- Matthew Adler, Cucina Morini, Washington, D.C.
- Darmyelesh Alemu, Beteseb, Silver Spring, MD
- Jamilka Borges, Lilith, Pittsburgh, PA
- Leah Branch, The Roosevelt, Richmond, VA
- Russ Cowan, Radin's Delicatessen, Cherry Hill, NJ
- Nathan Flaim, Luca, Lancaster, PA
- Fernando Gonzalez, 2Fifty TX BBQ, Washington, D.C.
- Ian Graye, Pietramala, Philadelphia, PA
- Miguel Guerra and Tatiana Mora, Mita, Washington, D.C.
- Johanna Hellrigl, Ama, Washington, D.C.
- Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
- Dwain Kalup, La Fia, Wilmington, DE
- Matthew Oetting, Marta, Baltimore, MD
- Cagla Onal, My Little Chamomile, Washington, D.C.
- Randy Rucker, Little Water, Philadelphia, PA
- Tarik Sengul, Smyrna, Charlottesville, VA
- Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA
- Suresh Sundash, Taipori, Washington, D.C.
- Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia, PA
- David Viana, Judy and Harry's, Asbury Park, NJ
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