#james-beard-awards

#james-beard-awards

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the James Beard Foundation (JBF) announced the 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists. These annual awards, the JBF site proclaims, "represent the pinnacle of culinary recognition in the U.S." East Bay culinary artists, once again, made the cut. This long lead announcement provokes the public's interest for the better part of six months. Finalist info arrives on March 31 followed by a June 15 winner-take-all ceremony in Chicago.

The Outstanding Restaurateur category featured a Bay Area heavyweight couple in Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, who own the Anchovy Bar, the Progress and State Bird Provisions, which are all in San Francisco. Others that made the list include Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar of Ettan in Palo Alto, Copra in San Francisco and Eylan in Menlo Park. Monique and Paul Feybesse of Oakland's Tarts de Feybesse got a nod for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.

The James Beard Foundation revealed its full list of James Beard Awards semifinalists today, Jan. 21, with more than two dozen Los Angeles County chefs and restaurants receiving recognition. The semifinalists for Best Chef: California include Dave Beran of Seline, Brian Dunsmoor of Dunsmoor, Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer at Kismet, Andrew Muñoz and Michelle Muñoz of Moo's Craft Barbecue, Charles Namba of Camélia and Kwang Uh of Baroo.

In recent years, the awards have been under increased scrutiny after canceling its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to allegations of misconduct and abuse against nominated chefs, as well as a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs in the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable, and returned in 2022.

The longlist includes Sunny Lee of Korean wine bar Sunn's in Chinatown and Rasheeda Purdie of the recently opened restaurant Ramen by Ra in the East Village under the Emerging Chef category. The Outstanding Restaurant category includes two sides of NYC Italian restaurants: the Four Horsemen in Williamsburg and West Village's Via Carota. Best New Restaurant slot includes two of Eater's best new restaurants of 2025: Cambodian restaurant Bong in Crown Heights and Caribbean prix fixe Kabawa in the East Village,

The James Beard Award winners for 2025 highlighted Portland's culinary talents, with notable wins for JinJu Patisserie and chef Timothy Wastell.

Standing onstage Monday, flanked by Caldwell, Lee thanked the 'amazing, amazing Portland community,' dedicating the award to the city and even shouting out Portland Monthly's Karen Brooks.

Gourdet's suit, inspired by Haiti's freedom and the national bird, showcases a blend of culinary achievement with personal expression, highlighting the significance of style at the James Beard Awards.

"Chicago is poised to once again host the annual James Beard Awards, attracting restaurant and bar professionals from all over the country on June 16, marking a vibrant week for culinary events."

Violet Hour's closure due to significant plumbing issues has temporarily halted its operations, missing a key weekend for culinary tourism, as negotiations for repairs continue.