The James Beard Awards are kind of like the NBA season: They crown the champs, and it seems like training camps start two days later.

Making the cyclical process all the more tolerable is how well Milwaukee does — a trend that continued when the James Beard Foundation named its semifinalists earlier this week. Since we’re in the back-patting business, that’s where we start this episode of the podcast.The nominees fell into two camps, the first of which is the expected announcements. The “Best Chef: Midwest” category is a prime example, with plenty of familiar names on the list:

The other individual from our area to earn a nomination is Gregory León of Amilinda, who landed in the category “Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton.” But Milwaukee didn’t stop there. We also scored a couple non-restaurant nods, as Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge is up for “Outstanding Bar” and the forward-thinking hybrid cocktail lounge Agency (in the Dubbel Dutch Hotel) is in the category “Best New Bar.”

We’ll wait patiently for the finalists to be announced April 2, and then again for the winners at the annual awards ceremony June 16. In the meantime, here’s what else you’ll hear about in this episode:

Maider Kitchen Restaurant will bring a Hmong-focused menu to Phongsavan Asian Market on North 76th Street.