{"id":107510,"date":"2026-01-21T18:40:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T18:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/107510\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T18:40:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T18:40:07","slug":"here-are-the-2026-james-beard-awards-restaurant-and-chef-semifinalists-for-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/107510\/","title":{"rendered":"Here Are the 2026 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists for NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, the James Beard Foundation<\/a> announced\u00a0the semifinalists for their time-honored awards, the James Beard Awards<\/a>. Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation\u2019s Restaurant and Chef Awards come together to \u201crecognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media and broader food system.\u201d The official list of nominees will be released on March 31 and the winners will be crowned at an official ceremony on June 15.<\/p>\n

Given the expansive reach of our culinary scene, New York gets its own category when it comes to best chef. Semifinalists for Best Chef: New York State include Fariyal Abdullahi of Hav & Mar<\/a>; Christophe Bellanca of Essential by Christophe<\/a>; Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha of Ha’s Snack Bar<\/a> (who ranked on our best restaurants list of 2025<\/a>); Fidel Caballero of Corima<\/a>; Giovanni Cervantes of Carnitas Ramirez<\/a>; Aretah Ettarh of Gramercy Tavern<\/a>; Efr\u00e9n Hern\u00e1ndez of Casa Susanna<\/a> in Leeds, New York; Corwin Kave of Deer Mountain Inn<\/a> in Tannersville, New York; Vikas Khanna of Bungalow<\/a>; Hooni Kim of Meju<\/a>; Yvan Lemoine of Tourmaline<\/a>; Nate Limwong of Chalong<\/a>; Cheng Lin of Sh\u014dta Omakase<\/a>; Buddha Lo of Huso<\/a>; Angie Mar of Le B<\/a>; Ayesha Nurdjaja of Shukette<\/a>; Joshua Pinsky of Claud<\/a>; Mads Refslund of Ilis<\/a>; Rafiq Salim of Rolo’s<\/a>; and Stefano Secchi of Rezd\u00f4ra<\/a>. Two chefs from New Jersey were recognized for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (which spans Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C.): Russ Cowan of Radin’s Delicatessen<\/a> and David Viana of Judy and Harry’s<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paul Carmichael\u2019s Kabawa<\/a>, one of our best new restaurants of 2025<\/a>, made the Best New Restaurant list, as did Crown Heights’s Cambodian restaurant,\u00a0Bong<\/a>,\u00a0and Chinatown wine bar,\u00a0Lei<\/a>. Two of New York’s restaurants were nominated under the Outstanding Restaurant category: Williamsburg\u2019s The Four Horsemen<\/a> and the West Village\u2019s Via Carota<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In\u00a0the Emerging Chef category, Sunny Lee of Chinatown\u2019s Sunn\u2019s<\/a> made the list, as did Rasheeda Purdie, who recently reopened her ramen counter, Ramen by R\u0101<\/a>. The semifinalists for Outstanding Chef\u00a0are\u00a0Gabriel Kreuther of his namesake restaurant, Gabriel Kreuther<\/a>, Kwame Onwuachi of Lincoln Center\u2019s Tatiana<\/a> and Missy Robbins for her work at Lilia<\/a> in Brooklyn.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Renata Ameni of Birdee<\/a> and Eunji Lee of Lys\u00e9e<\/a> were listed under Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, while B\u00e1nh by Lauren<\/a> and Librae Bakery<\/a> were recognized for Outstanding Bakery. Three restaurants in New York were nominated for Outstanding Hospitality, including Mexican contemporary restaurant, Cosme<\/a>; Billy Durney\u2019s bistro, Red Hook Tavern<\/a> and Prospect Heights\u2019 Persian restaurant, Sofreh<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Up for Outstanding Restaurateur is Jennifer Vitagliano and Nicole Vitagliano of Elizabeth Street Hospitality, who oversee The Musket Room<\/a>, Raf’s<\/a> and the Cafe Zaffri<\/a> and Simon Kim of Gracious Hospitality Management for his work at Korean steakhouse COTE<\/a>, subterranean cocktail lounge and bar, Undercote<\/a>, and the ode to fried chicken and caviar, COQODAQ<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our number one bar in New York City<\/a>, Bar Snack<\/a>, was listed under Best New Bar, as was Clemente Bar<\/a>, the artsy cocktail lounge hidden inside Eleven Madison Park<\/a>. Aldo Sohm Wine Bar<\/a> and Double Chicken Please<\/a> were listed under Outstanding Bar, while Tribeca\u2019s Chambers<\/a> and F.L.X. Table<\/a> in Geneva, New York, were nominated for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service recognized Lee Campbell of Borgo<\/a> and Amy Racine of La Marchande<\/a>. Ivy Mix of Whoopsie Daisy<\/a> was the sole New York representation under Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.<\/p>\n

Check out the full list of semifinalists on the James Beard Foundation\u2019s website<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Best Chef New York State<\/p>\n


\nFariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar, New York, NY
\nChristophe Bellanca, Essential by Christophe, New York, NY
\nSadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha, Ha’s Snack Bar, New York, NY
\nFidel Caballero, Corima, New York, NY
\nGiovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, New York, NY
\nAretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY
\nEfr\u00e9n Hern\u00e1ndez, Casa Susanna, Leeds, NY
\nCorwin Kave, Deer Mountain Inn, Tannersville, NY
\nVikas Khanna, Bungalow, New York, NY
\nHooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY
\nYvan Lemoine, Tourmaline, Forest Hills, NY
\nNate Limwong, Chalong, New York, NY
\nCheng Lin, Sh\u014dta Omakase, Brooklyn, NY
\nBuddha Lo, Huso, New York, NY
\nAngie Mar, Le B, New York, NY
\nAyesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York, NY
\nJoshua Pinsky, Claud, New York, NY
\nMads Refslund, Ilis, Brooklyn, NY
\nRafiq Salim, Rolo’s, Queens, NY
\nStefano Secchi, Rezd\u00f4ra, New York, NY <\/p>\n

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)<\/p>\n


\nRuss Cowan, Radin’s Delicatessen, Cherry Hill, NJ
\nDavid Viana, Judy and Harry’s, Asbury Park, NJ <\/p>\n

Outstanding Restaurateur<\/p>\n


\nSimon Kim, Gracious Hospitality (COTE, Undercote, and COQODAQ), New York, NY
\nJennifer Vitagliano and Nicole Vitagliano, Elizabeth Street Hospitality (The Musket Room, Raf’s, and Cafe Zaffri), New York, NY\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Outstanding Chef<\/p>\n


\nGabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY
\nKwame Onwuachi, Tatiana, New York, NY
\nMissy Robbins, Lilia, Brooklyn, NY <\/p>\n

Outstanding Restaurant<\/p>\n


\nThe Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, NY
\nVia Carota, New York, NY <\/p>\n

Emerging Chef<\/p>\n


\nSunny Lee, Sunn’s, New York, NY
\nRasheeda Purdie, Ramen by R\u0101, New York, NY <\/p>\n

Best New Restaurant<\/p>\n


\nBong, New York, NY
\nKabawa, New York, NY
\nLei, New York, NY\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Outstanding Bakery<\/p>\n


\nB\u00e1nh by Lauren, New York, NY
\nLibrae Bakery, New York, NY <\/p>\n

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker<\/p>\n


\nRenata Ameni, Birdee, Brooklyn, NY
\nEunji Lee, Lys\u00e9e, New York, NY\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Outstanding Hospitality<\/p>\n


\nCosme, New York, NY
\nRed Hook Tavern, Brooklyn, NY
\nSofreh, Brooklyn, NY\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program<\/p>\n


\nChambers, New York, NY
\nF.L.X. Table, Geneva, NY\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Outstanding Bar<\/p>\n


\nAldo Sohm Wine Bar, New York, NY
\nDouble Chicken Please, New York, NY\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Best New Bar<\/p>\n


\nBar Snack, New York, NY
\nClemente Bar, New York, NY <\/p>\n

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service<\/p>\n


\nLee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY
\nAmy Racine, La Marchande, New York, NY\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service<\/p>\n


\nIvy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Brooklyn, NY
\n