The James Beard Foundation revealed its list of nominees who made the cut as 2023 semifinalists, recognizing the best chefs and restaurateurs in the country. The winners will be announced during the James Beard Awards Gala in Chicago on Monday, June 5, 2023. In the meantime, start exploring the career opportunities with this year's restaurants and chef nominees and/or discover openings on the teams of past years' winners.
Outstanding Restaurateur
- Mohamed Ali Alkassar and Niven Patel - Alpareno Restaurant Group (Miami, FL)
- Brandon Chrostowski - EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute (Cleveland, OH)
- Krista Cole - Sur Lie and Gather Restaurant (Portland, ME)
- Greg Dulan - Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, Dulan’s on Crenshaw, and Dulanville (Los Angeles, CA)
- Laile Fairbairn - Locally Grown Restaurants (Anchorage, AK)
- Sims and Kirsten Harlow Foster - Foster Supply Hospitality (NY)
- Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons, Nicole Storey, and Elie Yigo - City Grit Hospitality Group (Columbia, SC)
- Yuka Ioroi and Kris Toliao - Cassava (San Francisco, CA)
- Michael and Tara Gallina and Aaron Martinez - Take Root Hospitality (St. Louis, MO)
- Clinton Gray, Derrick Moore, and Emanuel Reed - Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria (Nashville, TN)
- Johnna Hayes and Debra Zinke - 3 Sirens Restaurant Group (Tulsa, OK)
- Amy and Jason Kerstein, Joe Muench, and Dan Snider - Black Shoe Hospitality (Milwaukee, WI)
- Sandy Levine - Freya, Chartreuse, and The Oakland (Detroit, MI)
- Albert McDonald, - The Mint, Pizza Campania, and Backcountry Burger Bar (Bozeman, MT)
- Yenvy and Quynh Pham - Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat (Seattle, WA)
- Michael Reginbogin and Jason Berry - KNEAD Hospitality + Design (Washington, D.C.)
- Jimmy and Johnny Tung - Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi, Doshi, and Camille (Orlando, FL)
- Kelly Whitaker - Id Est Hospitality Group (Boulder, CO)
- Chris Williams - Lucille’s Hospitality Group (Houston, TX)
- Ellen Yin - High Street Hospitality Group (Philadelphia, PA)
Outstanding Chef
- Junior Borges - Meridian (Dallas, TX)
- Nina Compton - Compère Lapin (New Orleans, LA)
- Greg Collier - Leah & Louise (Charlotte, NC)
- Renee Erickson - The Walrus and the Carpenter (Seattle, WA)
- Shigeru Fukuyoshi - Sagami (Collingswood, NJ)
- Christine Ha and Tony J. Nguyen - Xin Chào (Houston, TX)
- Andrew Le - The Pig and the Lady (Honolulu, HI)
- Johnny Leach - The Town Company (Kansas City, MO)
- Rachel Miller - Nightshade Noodle Bar (Lynn, MA)
- Eder Montero and Alex Raij - La Vara (Brooklyn, NY)
- David Nayfeld - Che Fico (San Francisco, CA)
- Niki Nakayama - n/naka (Los Angeles, CA)
- Josh Niernberg - Bin 707 Foodbar (Grand Junction, CO)
- Erik Ramirez - Llama Inn (Brooklyn, NY)
- Dana Rodriguez - Super Mega Bien (Denver, CO)
- Rob Rubba - Oyster Oyster (Washington, D.C.)
- Silvana Salcido Esparza - Barrio Café (Phoenix, AZ)
- Hajime Sato - Sozai (Clawson, MI)
- Michael Schwartz - Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink (Miami, FL)
- David Vargas - Vida Cantina (Portsmouth, NH)
Outstanding Restaurant
- Ariete (Miami, FL)
- Brennan’s (New Orleans, LA)
- Cassia (Santa Monica, CA)
- La Condesa (Austin, TX)
- Copine (Seattle, WA)
- Cora Cora (West Hartford, CT)
- Friday Saturday Sunday (Philadelphia, PA)
- The Grey (Savannah, GA)
- Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm (Boulder, UT)
- Lucia (Dallas, TX)
- Mita’s (Cincinnati, OH)
- Mourad (San Francisco, CA)
- PAGU (Cambridge, MA)
- Proper Meats + Provisions (Flagstaff, AZ)
- RIS (Washington, D.C.)
- Red Rose Restaurant (Lowell, MA)
- Smyth (Chicago, IL)
- Veselka (New York, NY)
- Via Carota (New York, NY)
- Wickman House (Ellison Bay, WI)
Emerging Chef
- Kane Adkisson - kanō (Omaha, NE)
- Bernard Bennett - Ọkàn (Bluffton, SC)
- Damarr Brown - Virtue (Chicago, IL)
- Victoria Elizondo - Cochinita & Co. (Houston, TX)
- Julio Hernandez - Maiz de la Vida (Nashville, TN)
- Jamie Hoang - Ahan (Madison, WI)
- Rashida Holmes - Bridgetown Roti (Los Angeles, CA)
- Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin - Best Quality Daughter (San Antonio, TX)
- Telly Justice - HAGS (New York, NY)
- Vinh Le - Cicada Coffee Bar (Cambridge, MA)
- Amado Lopez - Casa Amado Taqueria (Berkley, MI)
- Christian Lowe - Shift Kitchen & Bar (Flagstaff, AZ)
- Serigne Mbaye - Dakar NOLA (New Orleans, LA)
- Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino - Cafe Ohlone (Berkeley, CA)
- Charlie Mitchell - Clover Hill (New York, NY)
- Bo Porytko - Misfit SnackBar (Denver, CO)
- Amanda Shulman - Her Place Supper Club (Philadelphia, PA)
- Kevin Smith - Beast & Cleaver (Seattle, WA)
- Elias Taddesse - Mélange (Washington, D.C.)
- Akino West - Rosie’s (Miami, FL)
Best New Restaurant
- Al Coro (New York, NY)
- The Backporch (Roundup, MT)
- Bar Spero (Washington, D.C.)
- Birch & Rye (San Francisco, CA)
- Causa (Washington, D.C.)
- Dept of Culture (New York, NY)
- Don Artemio (Fort Worth, TX)
- Et Al. (Tulsa, OK)
- The Friar’s Fork (Alamosa, CO)
- Heavy Metal Sausage Co. (Philadelphia, PA)
- Heff’s Burger Club (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Kann (Portland, OR)
- Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining (Chicago, IL)
- KRU (Brooklyn, NY)
- La Royal (Cambridge, MA)
- Lupi & Iris (Milwaukee, WI)
- Nami Kaze (Honolulu, HI)
- Neng Jr.’s (Asheville, NC)
- Nolia (Cincinnati, OH)
- Obélix (Chicago, IL)
- ōkta (McMinnville, OR)
- Pijja Palace (Los Angeles, CA)
- Pizza Grace (Birmingham, AL)
- Restaurant Beatrice (Dallas, TX)
- Sambou’s African Kitchen (Jackson, MS)
- Stissing House (Pine Plains, NY)
- Tatemó (Houston, TX)
- Tatsu (Dallas, TX)
- Yangban Society (Los Angeles, CA)
- wolfpeach (Camden, ME)
Outstanding Bakery
- Angelo Brocato (New Orleans, LA)
- Breadshop (Honolulu, HI)
- Buena Gente Cuban Bakery (Decatur, GA)
- La Casita Bakeshop (Richardson, TX)
- Denise’s Delicacies (Philadelphia, PA)
- Friends & Family (Los Angeles, CA)
- Fujiya Hawai‘i (Honolulu, HI)
- Good Cakes and Bakes (Detroit, MI)
- Grist Milling & Bakery (Missoula, MT)
- Haymaker Bun Company (Middlebury, VT)
- JL Patisserie (Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ)
- Kuluntu Bakery (Dallas, TX)
- La Patisserie Chouquette (St. Louis, MO)
- Mighty Bread Co. (Philadelphia, PA)
- Normal Ice Cream (Salt Lake City, UT)
- She Wolf Bakery (New York, NY)
- Unforgettable Bakery & Cafe (Savannah, GA)
- Yasukochi’s Sweet Stop (San Francisco, CA)
- Yoli Tortilleria (Kansas City, MO)
- Zak the Baker (Miami, FL)
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
- Veronika Baukema - Veronika’s Pastry Shop (Billings, MT)
- Manuel and Jesús Brazón - Caracas Bakery (Doral, FL)
- Vince Bugtong - Viridian (Oakland, CA)
- Mariela Camacho - Comadre Panadería, (Austin, TX)
- Ismael de Sousa - Reunion Bread Co (Denver, CO)
- Nora Faye Allen - Mel the Bakery (New York, NY)
- Atsuko Fujimoto - Norimoto Bakery (Portland, ME)
- Andrew Hutchison - Madison Sourdough (Madison, WI)
- Michelle Karr-Ueoka - MW Restaurant (Honolulu, HI)
- Crystal Kass - Valentine (Phoenix, AZ)
- Margarita Manzke - République (Los Angeles, CA)
- Noelle Marchetti - Yolan (Nashville, TN)
- Shawn McKenzie - Café Cerés (Minneapolis, MN)
- Camari Mick - The Musket Room (New York, NY)
- Anne Ng - Bakery Lorraine (San Antonio, TX)
- Kareem Queeman - Mr. Bake (Riverdale, MD)
- Emily Riddell - Machine Shop (Philadelphia, PA)
- Phillip Ashley Rix - Phillip Ashley Chocolates (Memphis, TN)
- Elaine Uykimpang Bentz - Café Mochiko (Cincinnati, OH)
- Amanda Wildermuth - Honey Road (Burlington, VT)
Outstanding Hospitality
- The Black Cypress (Pullman, WA)
- Bottega (Birmingham, AL)
- Charleston (Baltimore, MD)
- Here’s Looking at You (Los Angeles, CA)
- House of Prime Rib (San Francisco, CA)
- Lark (Seattle, WA)
- Lil’ Deb’s Oasis (Hudson, NY)
- The Local (Abilene, TX)
- Lula Drake (Columbia, SC)
- Manoli’s (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Melba’s (New York, NY)
- Pêche (Palisade, CO)
- The Quarry (Monson, ME)
- The Restaurant at 1900 (Mission Woods, KS)
- Sepia (Chicago, IL)
- SMOKE. Woodfire Grill (Tulsa, OK)
- Sur Lie (Portland, ME)
- Theodore Rex (Houston, TX)
- Ticonderoga Club (Atlanta, GA)
- Vernick Food & Drink (Philadelphia, PA)
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- All Together Now (Chicago, IL)
- Commander’s Palace (New Orleans, LA)
- COTE (New York, NY)
- Flight Wine Bar (Washington, D.C.)
- Foam Brewers (Burlington, VT)
- FRIDA Southwest (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Glai Baan (Phoenix, AZ)
- Hiyu Wine Farm (Hood River, OR)
- Lazy Bear (San Francisco, CA)
- Lyla Lila (Atlanta, GA)
- Macchialina (Miami Beach, FL)
- Monk’s Cafe (Philadelphia, PA)
- OK Omens (Portland, OR)
- OTOTO (Los Angeles, CA)
- Rebel Rebel (Somerville, MA)
- Spencer (Ann Arbor, MI)
- Suerte (Austin, TX)
- Sunday Vinyl (Denver, CO)
- Waxlight Bar à Vin (Buffalo, NY)
Outstanding Bar
- Allegory (Washington, D.C.)
- American Solera (Tulsa, OK)
- Bar Leather Apron (Honolulu, HI)
- Cafe La Trova (Miami, FL)
- Dante (New York, NY)
- Drastic Measures (Shawnee, KS)
- Esters Wine Shop & Bar (Santa Monica, CA)
- Garagiste (Las Vegas, NV)
- The Gin Room (St. Louis, MO)
- Harlem Hops (New York, NY)
- The Jewel Box (Portland, ME)
- Kingfisher (Durham, NC)
- Las Ramblas (Brownsville, TX)
- Le Caveau (Philadelphia, PA)
- Post Office Place (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Rob Roy (Seattle, WA)
- Salud Cerveceria (Charlotte, NC)
- Scratch Brewing Company (Ava, IL)
- Trick Dog (San Francisco, CA)
- Weathered Souls Brewing Company (San Antonio, TX)
Best Chef: California
- Jonathan Bautista - Kingfisher (San Diego, CA)
- Rocio Camacho - Rocio’s Mexican Kitchen (Bell Gardens, CA)
- Val M. Cantu - Californios (San Francisco, CA)
- Gilberto Cetina Jr. - Holbox (Los Angeles, CA)
- Kyle and Katina Connaughton - SingleThread (Healdsburg, CA)
- Brandon Hayato Go - Hayato (Los Angeles, CA)
- Srijith Gopinathan - Ettan (Palo Alto, CA)
- Matthew Kammerer - The Harbor House Inn (Elk, CA)
- Intu-on Kornnawong - Jo’s Modern Thai (Oakland, CA)
- Andrew and Michelle Muñoz - Moo’s Craft Barbecue (Los Angeles, CA)
- Justin Pichetrungsi - Anajak Thai (Sherman Oaks, CA)
- Michael Reed - Poppy & Seed (Anaheim, CA)
- Daisy Ryan - Bell’s (Los Alamos, CA)
- Carlos Salgado - Taco María (Costa Mesa, CA)
- Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong - Jitlada (Los Angeles, CA)
- James Syhabout - Commis (Oakland, CA)
- Craig Takehara - Binchoyaki (Sacramento, CA)
- Pim Techamuanvivit - Kin Khao (San Francisco, CA)
- Robbie Wilson - Le Fantastique (San Francisco, CA)
- Akira Yoshizumi - Sushi Yoshizumi (San Mateo, CA)
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
- Francisco Alfaro - Mid-City Restaurant (Cincinnati, OH)
- Omar Anani - Saffron De Twah (Detroit, MI)
- Abra Berens - Granor Farm (Three Oaks, MI)
- Becky Clark - Little Fish Brewing Co. (Athens, OH)
- Diana Dávila Boldin - Mi Tocaya Antojería (Chicago, IL)
- Thai Dang - HaiSous (Chicago, IL)
- Paul Fehribach - Big Jones (Chicago, IL)
- Tim Flores and Genie Kwon - Kasama (Chicago, IL)
- Norberto Garita - El Barzon (Detroit, MI)
- Hideki and Yuko Harada - Kiki (Cincinnati, OH)
- Andy Hollyday - Selden Standard (Detroit, MI)
- Ji Hye Kim - Miss Kim (Ann Arbor, MI)
- Allie La Valle-Umansky, Jeremy Umansky, and Kenny Scott - Larder Delicatessen & Bakery (Cleveland, OH)
- BJ Lieberman - Chapman’s Eat Market (Columbus, OH)
- Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere - Baobab Fare (Detroit, MI)
- Abbi Merriss - Bluebeard (Indianapolis, IN)
- Zubair Mohajir - Wazwan (Chicago, IL)
- Samir Mohammad - 9th Street Bistro (Noblesville, IN)
- Michael Ransom - Ima Izakaya (Detroit, MI)
- Sarah Welch - Marrow (Detroit, MI)
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
- Chris Amendola - foraged. (Baltimore, MD)
- Steve Chu - Ekiben (Baltimore, MD)
- Joy Crump - FOODE (Fredericksburg, VA)
- David Deshaies - L’Ardente (Washington, D.C.)
- Nik Forsberg - Fet-Fisk (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Rahman “Rock” Harper - Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken (Arlington, VA)
- Andrew Henshaw - Laser Wolf (Philadelphia, PA)
- Jesse Ito - Royal Sushi (Philadelphia, PA)
- Dionicio Jiménez - Cantina La Martina (Philadelphia, PA)
- Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski - Apteka (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Enrique Limardo - Seven Reasons (Washington, D.C.)
- Philip Manganaro - Park Place Café & Restaurant (Merchantville, NJ)
- Melissa McGrath - Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen (Newfield, NJ)
- Thanh Nguyen - Gabriella’s Vietnam (Philadelphia, PA)
- Peter Prime - Bammy’s (Washington, D.C.)
- Michael Rafidi - Albi (Washington, D.C.)
- Ryan Ratino - Bresca (Washington, D.C.)
- Omar Rodriguez - Oyamel Cocina Mexicana (Washington, D.C.)
- Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon - Kalaya (Philadelphia, PA)
- Kevin Tien - Moon Rabbit (Washington, D.C.)
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
- Sanaa Abourezk - Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean (Sioux Falls, SD)
- Ann Ahmed - Khâluna (Minneapolis, MN)
- Nick Bognar - iNDO (St. Louis, MO)
- Samuel Charles - Rodina (Cedar Rapids, IA)
- Rob Connoley - Bulrush (St. Louis, MO)
- Michael Corvino - Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room (Kansas City, MO)
- Nick Goellner - The Antler Room (Kansas City, MO)
- Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite - EsterEv (Milwaukee, WI)
- Gregory León - Amilinda (Milwaukee, WI)
- Pam Liberda - Waldo Thai (Kansas City, MO)
- Francesco Mangano - Osteria Papavero (Madison, WI)
- Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger - Fairchild (Madison, WI)
- Loryn Nalic - Balkan Treat Box (Webster Groves, MO)
- Christina Nguyen - Hai Hai (Minneapolis, MN)
- Joseph Raney - Skogen Kitchen (Custer, SD)
- Karyn Tomlinson - Myriel (Saint Paul, MN)
- Paul and Jessica Urban - Block 16 (Omaha, NE)
- David Utterback - Yoshitomo (Omaha, NE)
- Adam VanDonge - The White Linen (Topeka, KS)
- Yia Vang - Union Hmong Kitchen (Minneapolis, MN)
Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
- Salvador Alamilla - Amano (Caldwell, ID)
- Michael Annandono - Michaelangelo’s Big Sky (Big Sky, MT)
- Dan Ansotegui - Ansots (Boise, ID)
- Jose Avila - La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal (Denver, CO)
- Andy Blanton - Cafe Kandahar (Whitefish, MT)
- Paul Chamberlain and Logen Crew - SLC Eatery (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Michael Diaz de Leon - BRUTØ (Denver, CO)
- C. Barclay Dodge - Bosq (Aspen, CO)
- Andrew Fuller - Oquirrh (Salt Lake City,