2025 James Beard Award Finalists Revealed

The James Beard Foundation has revealed the 2025 finalists for its prestigious Restaurant and Chef Awards, honoring the chefs, restaurants, and hospitality professionals who shape the way America eats and drinks. This year’s announcement carries special significance: 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards®, one of the nation’s most esteemed recognitions in the culinary world.

Since their inception in 1990, the James Beard Awards have stood as a barometer of excellence across the hospitality industry. For chefs and restaurateurs, a Beard nomination can be a career-defining moment, drawing national attention and setting a standard of excellence for peers and diners alike. For emerging talents, it offers a platform to amplify new voices and regional stories. For diners, it provides a curated window into the creativity, resilience, and innovation that define the American dining landscape.

Administered by the James Beard Foundation, the awards celebrate not just culinary mastery but a deeper mission: to foster a more equitable and sustainable restaurant industry. Finalists are evaluated not only on their craft, but also on their leadership, community impact, and contributions to a culture where all can thrive. In recent years, the Foundation has implemented new policies and procedures to promote transparency, representation, and accountability within its selection process.

Honoring excellence across 25 categories, the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards continue to evolve. This year, the Foundation introduced three new categories that reflect the expanding role of beverage professionals in hospitality:

• Best New Bar
• Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
• Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

These additions reflect a growing awareness that hospitality goes beyond the kitchen—it includes the artistry and expertise of sommeliers, bartenders, and beverage directors who shape our experience at the table. 

Outstanding Chef Presented by Hilton

• Lisa Becklund, FarmBar, Tulsa, OK
• Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY
• Josh Niernberg, Bin 707, Grand Junction, CO
• Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA
• Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY

Outstanding Restaurant Presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water

• Coquine, Portland, OR
• Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
• Galit, Chicago, IL
• Nonesuch, Oklahoma City, OK
• Oberlin, Providence, RI

Best New Restaurant

• Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, CO
• Atoma, Seattle, WA
• Bûcheron, Minneapolis, MN
• Ema, Houston, TX
• Fet-Fisk, Pittsburgh, PA
• Mābo, Dallas, TX
• Mita, Washington, D.C.
• Ômo by Jônt, Winter Park, FL
• Penny, New York, NY
• The Union, Helena, MT

Emerging Chef Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

• Kaitlin Guerin, Lagniappe Bakehouse, New Orleans, LA
• Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA
• Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence, RI
• Jane Sacro Chatham, Vicia, St. Louis, MO
• RJ Yoakum, Georgie, Dallas, TX

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, Atomic Workshop (The Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, and The Progress), San Francisco, CA
• Cara Chigazola-Tobin and Allison Gibson, Honey Road and Gray Jay, Burlington, VT
• Sue Chin and Jason Chin, Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and others), Orlando, FL
• Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C.
• Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d' Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY

Outstanding Bakery

• Atelier Ortega, Jackson Hole, WY
• Gusto Bread, Long Beach, CA
• JinJu Patisserie, Portland, OR
• Starship Bagel, Dallas and Lewisville, TX
• Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
• Cat Cox, Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa, OK
• April Franqueza, The Dining Room at High Hampton, Cashiers, NC
• Crystal Kass, Valentine, Phoenix, AZ
• Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos, Poulette Bakeshop, Parker, CO

Outstanding Hospitality Presented by American Airlines

• Archipelago, Seattle, WA
• Aria, Atlanta, GA
• Atomix, New York, NY
• Harbor House Inn, Elk, CA
• Mixtli, San Antonio, TX

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• Bar Brava, Minneapolis, MN
• Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
• Charleston, Baltimore, MD
• MARCH, Houston, TX
• Strong Water, Anaheim, CA

Outstanding Bar

• Kumiko, Chicago, IL
• Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
• The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
• Water Witch, Salt Lake City, UT
• Wolf Tree, White River Junction, VT

Best New Bar

• Agency, Milwaukee, WI
• Bar Colette, Dallas, TX
• Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, PR
• Merai, Brookline, MA
• ViceVersa, Miami, FL

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

• Jacob Brown, Lazy Bear, San Francisco, CA
• Jose Medina Camacho, Adiõs, Birmingham, AL
• Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie's, Austin, TX
• Cassandra Felix, Daniel, New York, NY
• Cristie Norman, Delilah, Las Vegas, NV

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

• McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO
• Ignacio Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY
• Dave Newman, Pint + Jigger, Honolulu, HI
• Tobin Shea, Redbird, Los Angeles, CA
• Mike Stankovich, Longfellow, Cincinnati, OH

Best Chefs presented by Capital One (by region)

Best Chef: California

• Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano, CA
• Richard Lee, Saison, San Francisco, CA
• Tara Monsod, ANIMAE, San Diego, CA
• Kosuke Tada, Mijoté, San Francisco, CA
• Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles, CA

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

• Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson, The Cooks' House, Traverse City, MI
• Thai Dang, HaiSous, Chicago, IL
• David Jackman, Wildweed, Cincinnati, OH
• Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading, Chicago, IL
• Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago, IL

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

• Henji Cheung, Queen's English, Washington, D.C.
• Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, Washington, D.C.
• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
• Dan Richer, Razza, Jersey City, NJ
• Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA

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

• Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado no Mise, Minneapolis, MN
• Diane Moua, Diane's Place, Minneapolis, MN
• Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
• Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, MN
• David Utterback, Ota and Yoshitomo, Omaha, NE

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

• Joshua Adams, Campione, Livingston, MT
• Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID
• Brandon Cunningham, The Social Haus, Greenough, MT
• David Wells, The Tasting Room at Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, Pray, MT
• Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO

Best Chef: New York State

• Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
• Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction, Buffalo, NY
• Eiji Ichimura, Ichimura, New York, NY
• Atsushi Kono, Kono, New York, NY
• Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY

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

• Avery Buck, May Day, Burlington, VT
• Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI
• Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT
• Erin Miller, Urban Hearth, Cambridge, MA
• Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

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

• Jay Blackinton, Houlme, Orcas Island, WA
• Joshua Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, OR
• Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
• Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, AK
• Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra, Amity, OR

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

• Nando Chang, Itamae AO, Miami, FL
• Matthew Cooper, Conifer, Bentonville, AR
• Kevin Garcia, La Faena AgroCocina, Guaynabo, PR
• Angel David Moreno Zayas, El Gallo Pinto, Guayama, PR
• Rafael Rios, Yeyo's El Alma de Mexico, Bentonville, AR

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

• Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, Louisville, KY
• Sara Bradley, freight house, Paducah, KY
• Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville, TN
• Silver Iocovozzi, Neng Jr.'s, Asheville, NC
• Robbie Robinson, City Limits Barbeque, West Columbia, SC

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

• Olivier Bouzerand, Fait Maison, Edmond, OK
• Yotaka Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix, AZ
• Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
• Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV
• Zack Walters, Sedalia's Oyster & Seafood, Oklahoma City, OK

Best Chef: Texas

• Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring, TX
• Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó, Houston, TX
• Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre, San Antonio, TX
• Regino Rojas, Purépecha, Dallas, TX
• Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo, Marfa, TX

The winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Following the ceremony, the Foundation will host a walk-around tasting reception at Union Station, featuring dishes by Beard-recognized chefs from across the country.

Whether you're following for the headlines or cheering on your local favorites, the 2025 James Beard Awards promise to spotlight not only the most exciting talent in American food today but also the values and vision shaping its future.