2023 James Beard Award Finalists Announced

Following January 2023’s announcement of The James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists, the prestigious American food organization has announced its annual list of finalists for the Awards in June. Leadership Award winners, Humanitarian of the Year and Lifetime Achievement honorees were also named in the announcement on March 29 at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville.

“The James Beard Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and exceptional culinary talent, as well as all those doing incredible work on behalf of our communities and wider food system. This year’s nominees, winners, and honorees are inspiring exemplars of that,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. “We congratulate all those recognized today and look forward to celebrating them at another exciting Awards Weekend in Chicago this June.”

Nominees are all over the country, from buzzy restaurant cities like New York and Los Angeles to smaller markets like Cincinnati, Fort Worth and Milwaukee.

Outstanding Chef

• Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle Bar, Lynn, MA
• Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles, CA
• Erik Ramirez, Llama Inn, Brooklyn, NY
• Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C.
• Hajime Sato, Sozai, Clawson, MI

Outstanding Restaurant

• Copine, Seattle, WA
• Coracora, West Hartford, CT
• Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
• Lucia, Dallas, TX
• Mita’s, Cincinnati, OH

Best New Restaurant

• Causa, Washington, D.C.
• Dept of Culture, New York, NY
• Don Artemio Mexican Heritage, Fort Worth, TX
• Kann, Portland, OR
• Lupi & Iris, Milwaukee, WI
• Neng Jr.’s, Asheville, NC
• Nolia, Cincinnati, OH
• Obélix, Chicago, IL
• Restaurant Beatrice, Dallas, TX
• Tatemó, Houston, TX

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Brandon Chrostowski, EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute (EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute, edwins too, EDWINS Bakery, and others), Cleveland, OH
• Greg Dulan, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, Dulan’s on Crenshaw, and Dulanville, Los Angeles, CA
• Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons, and Elie Yigo, CITY GRIT Hospitality Group (smallSUGAR, CITY GRIT, Il Focolare Pizzeria), Columbia, SC
• Yenvy and Quynh Pham, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, The Boat, Seattle, WA
• Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, a.kitchen + bar, High Street, and others), Philadelphia, PA

Emerging Chef Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Mineral Water

• Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago, IL
• Rashida Holmes, Bridgetown Roti, Los Angeles, CA
• Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA
• Charlie Mitchell, Clover Hill, Brooklyn, NY
• Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA

Outstanding Bakery Presented by Guinness

• Angelo Brocato Ice Cream & Confectionery, New Orleans, LA
• La Casita Bakeshop, Richardson, TX
• Kuluntu Bakery, Dallas, TX
• Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, MO
• Zak the Baker, Miami, FL

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Veronika Gerasimova, Veronika’s Pastry Shop, Billings, MT
• Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, Café Mochiko, Cincinnati, OH
• Vince Bugtong, ABACA, San Francisco, CA
• Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles, CA
• Shawn McKenzie, Café Cerés, Minneapolis, MN

Outstanding Hospitality Presented by American Airlines

• The Black Cypress, Pullman, WA
• Bottega, Birmingham, AL
• Lula Drake, Columbia, SC
• The Quarry, Monson, ME
• Sepia, Chicago, IL

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• COTE, New York, NY
• Lazy Bear, San Francisco, CA
• Nancy’s Hustle, Houston, TX
• OTOTO, Los Angeles, CA
• Spencer, Ann Arbor, MI

Outstanding Bar Presented by Hilton

• Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI
• Drastic Measures, Shawnee, KS
• Garagiste Wine Room | Merchant, Las Vegas, NV
• Las Ramblas, Brownsville, TX
• Rob Roy, Seattle, WA

Best Chefs Presented by Capital One (by region)

Best Chef: California

• Gilberto Cetina Jr., Holbox, Los Angeles, CA
• Kyle and Katina Connaughton, SingleThread, Healdsburg, CA
• Brandon Hayato Go, Hayato, Los Angeles, CA
• Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Sherman Oaks, CA
• Carlos Salgado, Taco María, Costa Mesa, CA

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

• Omar Anani, Saffron De Twah, Detroit, MI
• Diana Dávila, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago, IL
• Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL
• Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard, Detroit, MI
• Sarah Welch, Marrow, Detroit, MI

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

• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi, Philadelphia, PA
• Dionicio Jiménez, Cantina La Martina, Philadelphia, PA
• Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski, Apteka, Pittsburgh, PA
• Michael Rafidi, Albi, Washington, D.C.
• Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA

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

• Sanaa Abourezk, Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean, Sioux Falls, SD
• Gregory León, Amilinda, Milwaukee, WI
• Francesco Mangano, Osteria Papavero, Madison, WI
• Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Fairchild, Madison, WI
• David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Omaha, NE

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

• Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID
• Michael Diaz de Leon, BRUTØ, Denver, CO
• Suchada Johnson, Teton Thai, Teton Village, WY
• Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, ID
• Ali Sabbah, Mazza, Salt Lake City, UT

Best Chef: New York State

• Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
• Mary Attea, The Musket Room, New York, NY
• Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy, New York, NY
• Shaina Loew-Banayan, Cafe Mutton, Hudson, NY
• Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY

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

• Valentine Howell, Krasi, Boston, MA
• Christian Hunter, Community Table, New Preston, CT
• Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI
• Yisha Siu, Yunnan Kitchen, Boston, MA
• Renee Touponce, The Port of Call, Mystic, CT

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

• Joshua Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, OR
• Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland, OR
• Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, OR
• Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, AK
• Aaron Verzosa, Archipelago, Seattle, WA

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

• Sam Fore, Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites, Lexington, KY
• Josh Habiger, Bastion, Nashville, TN
• Sam Hart, Counter-, Charlotte, NC
• Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, GA
• Paul Smith, 1010 Bridge, Charleston, WV

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

• Ana Castro, Lengua Madre, New Orleans, LA
• Timothy Hontzas, Johnny’s Restaurant, Homewood, AL
• Henry Moso, Kabooki Sushi, Orlando, FL
• Alex Perry and Kumi Omori, Vestige, Ocean Springs, MS
• Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR

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

• Oscar Amador, Anima by EDO, Las Vegas, NV
• Kaoru Azeuchi, KAISEKI YUZU, Las Vegas, NV
• Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City, OK
• Jeff Chanchaleune, Ma Der Lao Kitchen, Oklahoma City, OK
• Justin Pioche, Pioche Food Group, Upper Fruitland (Doolkai), Navajo Nation, NM

Best Chef: Texas

• Reyna Duong, Sandwich Hag, Dallas, TX
• Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX
• Emiliano Marentes, ELEMI, El Paso, TX
• John Russ, Clementine, San Antonio, TX
• Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland, Burnt Bean Co., Seguin, TX

Leadership Awards

• Jim Embry, Sustainable Communities Network, Slow Food USA, and Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance
• Valerie Horn, CANE Kitchen, Cowan Community Center, and City of Whitesburg Farmers Market
• Savonala “Savi” Horne, Land Loss Prevention Project
• Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
• Rowen White, Sierra Seeds
• Emerging Leadership: The Burgerville Workers Union

Humanitarian of the Year Award

The 2023 Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are the co-founders of the Black Farmer Fund: social entrepreneur and impact investor Olivia Watkins, and farmer and activist Karen Washington.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree is legendary cookbook author, writer, teacher, and actress Madhur Jaffrey CBE.