The James Beard Foundation has released the list of nominees who may taste glory at its 2016 Restaurant Design Awards in May.

The organisation – which celebrates America's culinary heritage – will hand out awards in three categories: restaurants with 75 seats and under, those with 76 seats and over, and an honourary Design Icon Award which will be presented to the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York.

The first two awards will honour restaurant designs or renovations in North America since 1 January, 2013.

The list of nominees is as follows:

75 Seats and Under


Project: Bruno, NYC
Firm: Demian Repucci Design
Designer: Demian Repucci




Project: Jon & Vinny’s, Los Angeles
Designers: Jeff Guga, Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo, and Helen Johannesen




Project: Untitled at the Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC
Firm: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Designers: Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Collaboration with Cooper Robertson



76 Seats and Over


Project: Cherry Circle Room, Chicago
Firm: Land and Sea Dept
Designers: Mode Carpentry, Land and Sea Dept
(Robert McAdams, Jon Martin, Peter Toalson, and Cody Hudson)




Project: Cindy’s Rooftop Restaurant, Chicago
Firm: Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors
Designers: Robin Standefer and Steven Alesch




Project: Drake Devonshire Inn, Wellington, Ontario, Canada
Firm: +tongtong
Designer: John Tong



The Design Icon Award – which celebrates “a national standard bearer of outstanding design and design innovation” – was given to the Four Seasons to reward the restaurant’s success in “introducing generations of diners to modern elegance and luxury.”

The James Beard Awards Gala will take place at Lyric Opera of Chicago on 2 May, 2016. During the event, which is open to the public, awards will also be given to the best restaurants and chefs of the year.

James Beard Foundation president Susan Ungaro said: “We wish the nominees in all categories the best of luck as they travel in the coming months for the awards ceremonies – we’ll see you in Chicago.”