awards

Here Are the 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Nominees

Photo: Victor Spinelli/WireImage

The James Beard Foundation has announced the finalists for its 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards as well as its Leadership Award winners, Lifetime Achievement Award winners, and Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees. Highlights for New York City include Dept of Culture’s nod for Best New Restaurant in America and nominations for Charlie Mitchell of Clover Hill (Emerging Chef) and Mary Attea from the Musket Room (Best Chef).

The list below has been winnowed down from the longer one for semifinalists, which you can see here. The Leadership Award winners will be announced on June 4, followed by the Restaurant and Chef Awards on June 5.

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 & Restaurant Institute (EDWINS Leadership & 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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Nominees