These chefs and restaurants are the 2026 James Beard Award winners

By Jeanne Bonner, CNN

(CNN) — The winners of the James Beard Awards — often called “the Oscars of the food world” — were announced Monday, with the award for Best New Restaurant going to Lei, a winebar in New York’s Chinatown.

Michael Tusk of Quince in San Francisco was named Outstanding Chef at the award ceremony, which took place at the historic Lyric Opera in Chicago before an audience of about 2,000 chefs, restaurant owners and culinary figures.

The Outstanding Restaurateur award was won by Dana Street, who owns Fore Street, Scales and other restaurants in Portland, Maine, while the southern Thai eatery Kalaya, in Philadelphia, was named the Outstanding Restaurant.

Adrian Torres of Maximo in West University Place, Texas, won the Emerging Chef award.

Torres, whose parents immigrated from Mexico, took the opportunity to highlight his immigrant roots, saying that for so long “fear was our story.”

“I’m proud to be the son of immigrants. I’m proud to be a DACA recipient,” he said, referring to so-called undocumented “Dreamers” who were brought to the US as children.

He wasn’t the only person honoring immigrants. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a frequent critic of President Trump and a speaker at the event, pointed to the many immigrants who work in the restaurant industry, and said they and others have been “under siege by the President of the United States.”

Awards are given in 13 categories with nominees from across the country, and geographical winners are also chosen from among 12 areas of the country.

There are other awards given to restaurants and the hospitality industry but the James Beard Foundation, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, puts a premium on discovery and on American cuisine.

“We are singularly American … and we celebrate American food culture,” Clare Reichenbach, chief executive officer of the James Beard Foundation, said in remarks before the event.

The awards are considered both recognition and prediction of future success, with past winners citing a “Beard bump” following the announcements. Some chefs who were honored in past years with Outstanding, Emerging or regional Best Chef awards have gone on to become household names, including Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay.

The James Beard Foundation was founded in 1986 and is named for the legendary cookbook author who has been called America’s first foodie.

The foundation has been awarding the prizes since 1991.

Restaurant and Chef Awards (2026 finalists and winners)

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, NC
• Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Link Restaurant Group (Pêche Seafood Grill, Herbsaint, Cochon, and others), New Orleans, LA
• Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe, and others), Houston, TX
• WINNER: 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
• WINNER: Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA

Outstanding Restaurant

• The Catbird Seat, Nashville, TN
• The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, NY
• WINNER: Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA
• Mixtli, San Antonio, TX
• Vicia, St. Louis, MO

Best New Restaurant

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

Emerging Chef

• Fátima Juárez, Komal, Los Angeles, CA
• E.J. Lagasse, Emeril’s, New Orleans, LA
• Rasheeda Purdie, Ramen by Ra, New York, NY
• Bailey Sullivan, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, Chicago, IL
• WINNER: Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, Texas

Outstanding Bakery

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

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

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

Outstanding Hospitality

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

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

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

Outstanding Bar

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

Best New Bar

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

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

• Jack Benchakul, endorffeine coffee bar, Los Angeles, CA
• WINNER: Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY
• Ryan Fletter, Barolo Grill, Denver, CO
• Brent Kroll, Maxwell Park, Washington, DC
• June Rodil, March, Houston, Texas

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

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

Best Chefs (by region)

Best Chef: California

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

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

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

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

• Nathan Flaim, Luca, Lancaster, PA
• WINNER: Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, 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

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

• Zak Baker, Ca’Lucchenzo, Wauwatosa, WI
• Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado No Mise, Minneapolis, MN
• WINNER: Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
• Nick Bognar, Sado, Pavilion, St. Louis, MO
• David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Ota, Omaha, NE

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 & Omni, Whitefish, MT
• WINNER: 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
• WINNER: Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY
• Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York, NY
• Joshua Pinsky, Claud, New York, NY

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

• David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT
• WINNER: 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 and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

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

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

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

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
• WINNER: 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
• WINNER: Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
• Zack Walters, Sedalia’s, Oklahoma City, OK

Best Chef: Texas

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

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