A dish at Herbsaint Bar & Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Herbsaint Bar & Restaurant
A dish at Herbsaint Bar & Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Herbsaint Bar & Restaurant

Outstanding Restaurateur

  • Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, Ettan, Copra, and Eylan, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Altos, and Menlo Park, CA
  • Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani, Chai Pani Restaurant Group (Chai Pani and Botiwalla), Asheville, NC
  • Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Link Restaurant Group (Pêche, Herbsaint Bar & Restaurant, Cochon, Gianna, and others), New Orleans, LA
  • Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H-Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe, and others), Houston, TX
  • Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, ME

 

Outstanding Chef

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

 

Outstanding Restaurant

 

Emerging Chef

 

Best New Restaurant

  • 1033 Omakase, Milwaukee, WI
  • Agnes and Sherman, Houston, TX
  • Anjin, Kansas City, MO
  • Emmett, Philadelphia, PA
  • Ki, Los Angeles, CA
  • Lei, New York, NY
  • Maison, Washington, D.C.
  • Merci, Charleston, SC
  • Robin Restaurant, St. Louis, MO
  • Tamba, Las Vegas, NV

 

Outstanding Bakery

  • Cultured, Sister Bay, WI
  • Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, Anchorage, AK
  • Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH
  • Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, Charleston, SC
  • Wild Crumb, Bozeman, MT

 

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

  • Neale Asato, Asato Family Shop, Honolulu, HI
  • Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
  • Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Nicosi, San Antonio, TX
  • Maggie Huff, Lucia, Dallas, TX
  • Justine MacNeil, Fiore, Philadelphia, PA
Chef Rasheeda Purdie
Rasheeda Purdie. Photo by Ben Hon for Resy
Annie Shi of Lei
Annie Shi. Photo by Matt Russell, courtesy of Lei

Outstanding Hospitality

  • Ansots Basque Chorizos & Catering, Boise, ID
  • Aria, Atlanta, GA
  • Bottega, Birmingham, AL
  • Louie, Clayton, MO
  • Providence, Los Angeles, CA

 

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

  • Chambers, New York, NY
  • Field & Main, Marshall, VA
  • Kato, Los Angeles, CA
  • The Port of Call, Mystic, CT
  • Sway Brewing & Blending, Baileys Harbor, WI

 

Outstanding Bar

  • Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
  • Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
  • Onyx Coffee Lab, Rogers, AR
  • Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
  • Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco, CA

 

Best New Bar

  • Bar Chenin, Detroit, MI
  • Bar Please!, Boise, ID
  • Clemente Bar and Studio, New York, NY
  • Later Bye, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Loma, Providence, RI

 

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

  • Jack Benchakul, Endorffeine, Los Angeles, CA
  • Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY
  • Ryan Fletter, Barolo Grill, Denver, CO
  • Brent Kroll, Maxwell Park, Washington, D.C.
  • June Rodil, March, Houston, TX

 

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

  • Hastings Cameron, Imaginary Factory, Madison, WI
  • Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA
  • McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO
  • Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Brooklyn, NY

 

A cocktail at Clemente Bar and Studio
Photo courtesy of Clemente Bar and Studio
A cocktail at The Port of Call
Photo courtesy of The Port of Call

Best Chef: California

  • Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA
  • Harrison Cheney, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco, CA
  • Daisy Ryan, Bell’s, Los Alamos, CA
  • Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles, CA

 

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

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

 

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

  • Nathan Flaim, LUCA, Lancaster, PA
  • Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi Omakase, Philadelphia, PA\
  • Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA
  • Suresh Sundas, Tapori, Washington, D.C.
  • Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia, PA

 

Photo courtesy of The Four Horsemen
Photo courtesy of The Four Horsemen

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

 

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

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

 

Best Chef: New York State

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

 

Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja
Ayesha Nurdjaja. Photo courtesy of Shukette
Dishes at Claud
Photo courtesy of Claud

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

  • David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT
  • Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH
  • Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, ME
  • Paul Trombly, Fancy’s, Burlington, VT
  • Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

The duck at Rocca
Photo courtesy of Rocca
The duck at Rocca
Photo courtesy of Rocca

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

  • Joe Cash, Scoundrel, Greenville, SC
  • Mary Ellen Diaz, Alma Bea, Shepherdstown, WV
  • J. Trent Harris, Mujō, Atlanta, GA
  • Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, NC
  • David Willocks, The Baker’s Table, Newport, KY

 

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

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

 

Best Chef: Texas

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

 

▪️

2026 Achievement Awards


 

Impact Award Honorees

  • Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
  • Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation
  • Senator Ben Ray Luján
  • ReFED
  • Southern Smoke Foundation

 

Humanitarian of the Year

  • No Us Without You/Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz

 

Lifetime Achievement

 

James Beard America’s Classics®

  • The Serving Spoon, Inglewood, CA
  • Oyster House, Philadelphia, PA
  • Johnny’s Cafe, Omaha, NE
  • Eng’s, Kingston, NY
  • Figaretti’s Italian Restaurant, Wheeling, WV
  • Bob Taylor’s Ranch House, Las Vegas, NV

 

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