James Beard Award Nominees: Full List Of 2026 Chef And Restaurant Finalists

The James Beard Foundation on Tuesday announced nominees who have advanced in its awards program, which is considered the pinnacle of culinary recognition in the United States.

Often called “the Oscars of the culinary arts,” the annual James Beard Awards recognize chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, critics and journalists. Honorees for achievement awards — Humanitarian of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and Impact Awards — were also announced Tuesday.

Here are the nominees:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, Cal-India Collective (Ettan, Copra, Eylan and Little Blue Door), Palo Alto, San Francisco, Menlo Park, Los Altos, CA
• Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani, Chai Pani Restaurant Group (Chai Pani and Botiwalla), Asheville, North Carolina
• Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Link Restaurant Group (Pêche Seafood Grill, Herbsaint, Cochon, and others), New Orleans
• Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo's, Xochi, Urbe, and others), Houston
• Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, Maine

Outstanding Chef

• Gilberto Cetina, Holbox, Los Angeles
• Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles
• Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, Colorado
• David Standridge, The Shipwright's Daughter, Mystic, Connecticut
• Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurant

• The Catbird Seat, Nashville
• The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, New York
• Kalaya, Philadelphia
• Mixtli, San Antonio
• Vicia, St. Louis

Emerging Chef

• Fátima Juárez, Komal, Los Angeles
• E.J. Lagasse, Emeril's, New Orleans
• Rasheeda Purdie, Ramen by Ra, New York City
• Bailey Sullivan, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, Chicago
• Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, Texas

Best New Restaurant

• 1033 Omakase, Milwaukee
• Agnes and Sherman, Houston
• Anjin, Kansas City, Missouri
• Emmett, Philadelphia
• Ki, Los Angeles
• Lei, New York City
• Maison Bar à Vins, Washington, D.C.
• Merci, Charleston, South Carolina
• Robin, St. Louis,
• Tamba, Las Vegas

Outstanding Bakery

• Cultured, Sister Bay, Wisconsin
• Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, Anchorage, Alaska
• Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, New Hampshire
• Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, Charleston, South Carolina
• Wild Crumb, Bozeman, Montana

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Neale Asato, Asato Family Shop, Honolulu
• Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
• Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Nicosi, San Antonio
• Maggie Huff, Lucia, Dallas
• Justine MacNeil, Fiore, Philadelphia

Outstanding Hospitality

• Ansots Basque Chorizos & Catering, Boise, Idaho
• Aria, Atlanta
• Bottega, Birmingham, Alabama
• Louie, Clayton, Missouri
• Providence, Los Angeles

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• Chambers, New York City
• Field & Main Restaurant, Marshall, Virginia
• Kato, Los Angeles
• The Port of Call, Mystic, Connecticut
• Sway Brewing & Blending, Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin

Outstanding Bar

• Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Albuquerque
• The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
• Onyx Coffee Lab, Rogers, Arkansas
• Scotch Lodge, Portland, Oregon
• Smuggler's Cove, San Francisco

Best New Bar

• Bar Chenin, Detroit
• Bar, Please!, Boise, Idaho
• Clemente Bar, New York City
• Later Bye, Oklahoma City
• Loma, Providence, Rhode Island

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

• Jack Benchakul, endorffeine coffee bar, Los Angeles
• Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York City
• Ryan Fletter, Barolo Grill, Denver
• Brent Kroll, Maxwell Park, Washington, D.C.
• June Rodil, March, Houston
• Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
• Hastings Cameron, Imaginary Factory, Madison, Wisconsin
• Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco
• Nicky Fas, Pantera, Caguas, Puerto Rico
• McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver
• Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Brooklyn, New York

Best Chef: California

• Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica
• Harrison Cheney, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
• Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu, Sun Moon Studio, Oakland
• Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles
• Daisy Ryan, Bell's, Los Alamos

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

• Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia, Cleveland
• Sarah Dworak, Sudova, Cincinnati,
• Norman Fenton, Cariño, Chicago
• Jeffery Harris, Nolia Kitchen, Cincinnati
• Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

• Nathan Flaim, Luca, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia
• Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia
• Suresh Sundas, Tapori, Washington, D.C.
• Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

• Zak Baker, Ca’Lucchenzo, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
• Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado No Mise, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, Missouri
• Nick Bognar, Sado, Pavilion, St. Louis
• David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Ota, Omaha,

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

• Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina, Denver
• Travis Herbert, Felt Bar & Eatery, Salt Lake City
• Earl James Reynolds, Herb & Omni, Whitefish, Montana
• Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver
• Nick Zocco, Urban Hill, Salt Lake City

Best Chef: New York State

• Fidel Caballero, Corima, New York City
• Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, New York City
• Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, New York
• Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York City
• Joshua Pinsky, Claud, New York City

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

• David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, Connecticut
• Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, New Hampshire
• Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, Maine
• Paul Trombly, Fancy's, Burlington, Vermont
• Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, Rhode Island

Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

• Nathan Bentley, Altura Bistro, Anchorage
• Johnny Courtney, Atoma, Seattle
• Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, Oregon
• Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, Oregon
• Aaron Tekulve, Surrell, Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

• Ana Castro, Acamaya, New Orleans
• Bryce Bonsack, Rocca, Tampa, Florida
• Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer, Chancho King, Jacksonville, Florida
• Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans
• Jason Paul, Heirloom at The 1907, Rogers, Arkansas

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

• Joe Cash, Scoundrel, Greenville, South Carolina
• Mary Ellen Diaz, Alma Bea, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
• J. Trent Harris, Mujō, Atlanta
• Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, North Carolina
• David Willocks, The Baker's Table, Newport, Kentucky

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

• Jeff Chanchaleune, Bar Sen, Oklahoma City
• Brian Howard, Sparrow + Wolf, Las Vegas
• Steve Riley, Mesa Provisions, Albuquerque
• Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas
• Zack Walters, Sedalia's, Oklahoma City

Best Chef: Texas

• Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk, Houston
• Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston
• Scott Girling, Osteria Il Muro, Denton
• Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, Café Piro, Socorro
• Finn Walter, The Nicolett, Lubbock

Achievement Awards

Impact Awards, a program introduced in 2025 to recognize changemakers advancing a fair and resilient restaurant industry. Replacing the former Leadership Awards, the initiative highlights efforts ranging from immigrant advocacy to food waste reduction.

Honorees include the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, ReFED, and the Southern Smoke Foundation.

“These honorees are helping build a more equitable and sustainable food system,” said chef Mary Sue Milliken, chair of the Impact Awards Committee, emphasizing the importance of supporting workers, reducing waste, and strengthening communities.

The Humanitarian of the Year Award will go to No Us Without You and its co-founders Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit gained national attention for providing food relief to undocumented hospitality workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to serve hundreds of families.

Celebrated chef Nancy Silverton will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her decades-long influence on American cuisine. From founding La Brea Bakery to co-creating globally acclaimed restaurants, Silverton has played a pivotal role in shaping modern culinary culture.

America’s Classics Awards

Previously announced America’s Classics awards went to independently owned restaurants that “reflect local character and cultural traditions and serve as an enduring anchor for their communities by serving delicious food across many years,” according to the James Beard Foundation.

Winners are:

• The Serving Spoon, Inglewood, California; current owners Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane
• Oyster House, Philadelphia; current owner Sam Mink
• Johnny's Cafe, Omaha; current owners Sally Kawa, Kari Kawa Harding, and Jack Kawa
• Eng’s, Kingston, New York; current owners Tom Sit and Faye Sit
• Figaretti’s Italian Restaurant, Wheeling, West Virginia; current owner Dino Figaretti
• Bob Taylor’s Ranch House, Las Vegas; current owner Jeff Special

This is the 36th year for the James Beard Awards, which were created in 1990 to honor exceptional achievement across a wide spectrum of dining experiences, from fine dining restaurants to casual eateries.

The Restaurant and Chef Award winners will be announced Monday, June 15, at Lyric Opera in Chicago. Media awards will be presented on June 13, and Impact Awards will be presented on June 14.