The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday announced its list of nominees for its Restaurant and Chef Awards. Winners will be announced on June 16 at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The awards, first presented in 1991 on a booze cruise in New York City, have grown in size and profile over the years, but not without controversy. As the industry emerged from the COVID pandemic, the Beard Foundation moved the awards away from a fine-dining focus centered on prestigious chefs in major cities, to a celebration of a broader spectrum of chefs and restaurateurs. Recently that has included requirements by those nominating potential winners to explain how the candidates fit into the foundation’s values “centered around creating a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy work culture.”
Starting last year, candidates were required to submit a supporting video or essay about their operations.
Critics of the awards of said the change in requirements moves the awards away from recognizing culinary excellence. Supporters of the changes see it as a long-overdue adjustment to move them from what was previously seen as an “old boys network” in which the same operators and restaurant groups won year after year.
This year there are three new categories, all in beverage service: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The Beard Foundation has said the expansion of beverage awards reflects growing interest in beverage programs and their evolving nature.
This year’s nominees follow.
Emerging Chef
Kaitlin Guerin, Lagniappe Bakehouse, New Orleans
Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia
Nikhil Naiker, Nimki, Providence, R.I.
Jane Sacro Chatham, Vicia, St. Louis, Mo.
R.J. Yoakum, Georgie, Dallas
Best New Restaurant (opened between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024)
Alma Fonda Fina, Denver
Atoma, Seattle
Bûcheron, Minneapolis
Ema, Houston
Fet-Fisk, Pittsburgh
Mābo, Dallas
Mita, Washington, D.C.
Ômo by Jônt, Winter Park, Fla.
Penny, New York City
The Union, Helena, Mont.
Outstanding Restaurateur
Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of Atomic Workshop (The Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, and The Progress) in San Francisco
Sue Chin and Jason Chin, Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and others), Orlando, Fla.
Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C.
Allison Gibson and Cara Tobin, Honey Road and Gray Jay, Burlington, Vt.
Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d’Or, and Le Rock, New York City
Outstanding Chef
Lisa Becklund, FarmBar, Tulsa, Okla.
Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York City
Josh Niernberg, Bin 707, Grand Junction, Colo.
Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, Mass.
Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York City
Outstanding Restaurant
Coquine, Portland, Ore.
Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, Colo.
Galit, Chicago
Nonesuch, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Oberlin, Providence, R.I.
Outstanding Bakery
Atelier Ortega, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Gusto Bread, Long Beach, Calif.
JinJu Patisserie, Portland, Ore.
Starship Bagel, Dallas and Lewisville, Texas
Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, N.H.
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
Cat Cox, Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa, Okla.
April Franqueza, The Dining Room at High Hampton, Cashiers, N.C.
Crystal Kass, Valentine, Phoenix
Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos, Poulette Bakeshop, Parker, Colo.
Outstanding Hospitality
Archipelago, Seattle
Aria, Atlanta
Atomix, New York City
Harbor House Inn, Elk, Calif.
Mixtli, San Antonio, Texas
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Bar Brava, Minneapolis
Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, N.M.
Charleston, Baltimore
March, Houston
Strong Water, Anaheim, Calif.
Outstanding Bar
Kumiko, Chicago
Scotch Lodge, Portland, Ore.
The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
Water Witch, Salt Lake City, Utah
Wolf Tree, White River Junction, Vt.
Best New Bar (new category)
Agency, Milwaukee, WI
Bar Colette, Dallas
Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Merai, Brookline, Mass.
ViceVersa, Miami
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service (new category)
Jacob Brown, Lazy Bear, San Francisco
Jose Medina Camacho, Adiõs, Birmingham, Ala.
Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie’s, Austin, Texas
Cassandra Felix, Daniel, New York City
Cristie Norman, Delilah, Las Vegas
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service (new category)
McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver
Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez, Superbueno, New York City
Dave Newman, Pint & Jigger, Honolulu, Hawaii
Tobin Shea, Redbird, Los Angeles
Mike Stankovich, Longfellow, Cincinnati
Best Chef: California
Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano
Richard Lee, Saison, San Francisco,
Tara Monsod, Animae, San Diego
Kosuke Tada, Mijoté, San Francisco
Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles
Best Chef: Great Lakes (Ill., Ind., Mich., and Ohio)
Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson, The Cooks’ House, Traverse City, Mich.
Thai Dang, HaiSous, Chicago
David Jackman, Wildweed, Cincinnati
Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading, Chicago
Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (Del., Md., N.J., Pa., Va., and Wash. D.C.)
Henji Cheung, Queen’s English, D.C.
Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, D.C.
Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia
Dan Richer, Razza, Jersey City, N.J.
Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia
Best Chef: Midwest (Iowa, Kan., Minn., Mo., Neb., N.D., S.D., and Wis.)
Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado no Mise, Minneapolis
Diane Moua, Diane’s Place, Minneapolis
Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, Mo.
Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, Minn.
David Utterback, Ota and Yoshitomo, Omaha, Neb.
Best Chef: Mountain (Colo., Idaho, Mont., Utah, and Wyo.)
Joshua Adams, Campione, Livingston, Mont.
Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, Idaho
Brandon Cunningham, The Social Haus, Greenough, Mont.
David Wells, The Tasting Room at Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, Pray, Mont.
Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver
Best Chef: New York State
Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn
Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction Barbecue, Buffalo
Eiji Ichimura, Sushi Ichimura, New York City
Atsushi Kono, Kono, New York City
Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York City
Best Chef: Northeast (Conn., Mass., Maine, N.H., R.I., and Vt.)
Avery Buck, May Day, Burlington, Vt.
Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, R.I.
Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, Conn.
Erin Miller, Urban Hearth, Cambridge, Mass.
Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, R.I.
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (Alaska, Hawaii, Ore, and Wash.)
Jay Blackinton, Houlme, Orcas Island, Wash.
Joshua Dorcak, Mäs, Ashland, Ore.
Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, Ore.
Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, Alaska
Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra, Amity, Ore.
Best Chef: South (Ala., Ark., Fla., La., Ms., and Puerto Rico)
Nando Chang, Itamae AO, Miami
Matthew Cooper, Conifer, Bentonville, Ark.
Kevin Garcia, La Faena AgroCocina, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Angel David Moreno Zayas, El Gallo Pinto, Guayama, Puerto Rico
Rafael Rios, Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico, Bentonville, Ark.
Best Chef: Southeast (Ga., Ky., N.C., S.C., Tenn., W.Va.)
Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, Louisville, Ky.
Sara Bradley, freight house, Paducah, Ky.
Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville
Silver Iocovozzi, Neng Jr.’s, Asheville, N.C.
Robbie Robinson, City Limits Barbeque, West Columbia, S.C..
Best Chef: Southwest (Ariz., N.M., Nev., Okla.)
Olivier Bouzerand, Fait Maison, Edmond, Okla.
Yotaka Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix
Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas
Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas
Zack Walters, Sedalia’s Oyster & Seafood, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Best Chef: Texas
Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring
Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó, Houston
Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre, San Antonio
Regino Rojas, Purépecha, Dallas
Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo, Marfa
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
