The 2017 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Nominees

The 2017 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards are almost here! (In case you missed it, here's the full list of this year's Media Award winners, which were announced on Tuesday, April 25.) Don't forget to tune in to the James Beard Awards Gala, hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson at Lyric Opera of Chicago, on Monday, May 1. We'll be streaming the event live at jamesbeard.org/awards and tweeting the winners in real time. 

Here are the nominees: 

2017 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

Best New Restaurant (Presented by True Refrigeration®)
A restaurant opened in the calendar year before the award will be given that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service, and that is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.

In Situ
San Francisco

Le Coucou
NYC

Olmsted
Brooklyn, NY

Pineapple and Pearls
Washington, D.C.

Tartine Manufactory
San Francisco

Outstanding Baker
A chef or baker who prepares breads, pastries, or desserts in a retail bakery, and who serves as a national standard-bearer of excellence. Must have been working as a baker or pastry chef for at least for five years.

Ken Forkish
Ken’s Artisan Bakery
Portland, OR

Mark Furstenberg
Bread Furst
Washington, D.C.

Zachary Golper
Bien Cuit
Brooklyn, NY

Belinda Leong and Michel Suas
B. Patisserie
San Francisco

Greg Wade
Publican Quality Bread
Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktail, spirits, and/or beer service.

Arnaud’s French 75 Bar
New Orleans

Bar Agricole
San Francisco

Clyde Common
Portland, OR

Cure
New Orleans

The Dead Rabbit
NYC

Outstanding Chef (Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters)
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

Gabrielle Hamilton
Prune
NYC

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Christopher Kostow
The Restaurant at Meadowood
St. Helena, CA

Donald Link
Herbsaint
New Orleans

Michael Solomonov
Zahav
Philadelphia

Outstanding Pastry Chef (Presented by Lavazza)
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads in a restaurant, and who serves as a national standard bearer of excellence.  Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Kelly Fields
Willa Jean
New Orleans

Maura Kilpatrick
Oleana
Cambridge, MA

Margarita Manzke
République
Los Angeles

Dolester Miles
Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, AL

Ghaya Oliveira
Daniel
NYC

Outstanding Restaurant (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer of consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Must have been in operation ten or more consecutive years.

Frasca Food and Wine
Boulder, CO

Highlands Bar and Grill
Birmingham, AL

Momofuku Noodle Bar
NYC

Quince
San Francisco

The Spotted Pig
NYC

Topolobampo
Chicago

Outstanding Restaurateur
A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Must have been in the restaurant business for at least ten years. Must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past five years.

Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz
Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro, and others)
Chicago

JoAnn Clevenger
Upperline
New Orleans

Ken Oringer
Uni, Toro, Coppa, and others
Boston

Stephen Starr
Starr Restaurants (Le Coucou, Serpico, Upland, and others)
Philadelphia

Caroline Styne
The Lucques Group (Lucques, a.o.c., Tavern, and others)
Los Angeles

Outstanding Service
A restaurant in operation for five or more years that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Pocantico Hills, NY

Galatoire’s Restaurant
New Orleans

Marea
NYC

Terra
St. Helena, CA

Zahav
Philadelphia

Outstanding Wine Program (Presented by Robert Mondavi Winery)
A restaurant in operation five or more years that serves as a standard-bearer for excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine.

Benu
San Francisco

Canlis
Seattle

Emeril’s New Orleans

Fig
Charleston, SC

Miller Union
Atlanta

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional
A beer, wine, or spirits professional who has made a significant national impact on the restaurant industry.

Sam Calagione
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Milton, DE

Diane Flynt
Foggy Ridge Cider
Dugspur, VA

Miljenko Grgich
Grgich Hills Estate
Rutherford, CA

Aldo Sohm
Zalto Glass
NYC

Rob Tod
Allagash Brewing Company
Portland, ME

Rising Star Chef of the Year (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)
A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to make a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Camille Cogswell
Zahav
Philadelphia

Zachary Engel
Shaya
New Orleans

Matt Rudofker
Momofuku Ssäm Bar
NYC

Jenner Tomaska
Next
Chicago

Brady Williams
Canlis
Seattle

Best Chefs in America
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Eligible candidates may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as a chef for at least five years, with the three most recent years spent in the region.

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Abraham Conlon
Fat Rice
Chicago

Sarah Grueneberg
Monteverde
Chicago

Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark
Parachute
Chicago

Lee Wolen
Boka
Chicago

Erling Wu-Bower
Nico Osteria
Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Amy Brandwein
Centrolina
Washington, D.C.

Tom Cunanan
Bad Saint
Washington, D.C.

Rich Landau
Vedge
Philadelphia

Greg Vernick
Vernick Food & Drink
Philadelphia

Cindy Wolf
Charleston
Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Steven Brown
Tilia
Minneapolis

Justin Carlisle
Ardent
Milwaukee

Jorge Guzman
Brewer’s Table at Surly Brewing Co.
Minneapolis

Kevin Nashan
Sidney Street Cafe
St. Louis

Kevin Willmann
Farmhaus
St. Louis

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
Marco Canora
Hearth

Anita Lo
Annisa

Ignacio Mattos
Estela

Missy Robbins
Lilia
Brooklyn, NY

Jody Williams
Buvette Gastrothèque

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT)
Karen Akunowicz
Myers + Chang
Boston

Cassie Piuma
Sarma
Somerville, MA

Susan Regis
Shepard
Cambridge, MA

Benjamin Sukle
Birch
Providence, RI

Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley
Eventide Oyster Co.
Portland, ME

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)
Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton and Greg Denton 
Ox
Portland, OR

Edouardo Jordan
Salare
Seattle

Katy Millard
Coquine
Portland, OR

Justin Woodward
Castagna
Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi
Joule
Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)
Vishwesh Bhatt
Snackbar
Oxford, MS

Nina Compton
Compère Lapin
New Orleans

Jose Enrique
Jose Enrique
San Juan, PR

Slade Rushing
Brennan’s
New Orleans

Rebecca Wilcomb
Herbsaint
New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
John Fleer
Rhubarb
Asheville, NC

Edward Lee
610 Magnolia
Louisville, KY

Steven Satterfield
Miller Union
Atlanta

Ryan Smith
Staplehouse
Atlanta

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
Memphis

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)
Bryce Gilmore
Barley Swine
Austin

Steve McHugh
Cured
San Antonio

Hugo Ortega
Hugo’s
Houston

Steve Redzikowski
Acorn
Denver

Martín Rios
Restaurant Martín
Santa Fe

Jianyun Ye
Mala Sichuan Bistro
Houston

Best Chef: West (CA, HI, NV)
Michael Cimarusti
Providence
Los Angeles

Dominique Crenn
Atelier Crenn
San Francisco

Jeremy Fox
Rustic Canyon
Santa Monica, CA

Corey Lee
Benu
San Francisco

Ludo Lefebvre
Trois Mec
Los Angeles

Travis Lett
Gjelina
Venice, CA

The James Beard Foundation is also pleased to announce the 2017 recipients of the Who's Who award:

Suzanne Goin 
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Chef and Restaurateur, A.O.C., Lucques, and Tavern
Los Angeles

Evan Kleiman
Culinarian; Host of KCRW’s Good Food
Santa Monica, CA

Roger Berkowitz
President and CEO, Legal Sea Foods
Boston

Michel Nischan
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Chef; Founder, President, 
and CEO, Wholesome Wave
Bridgeport, CT

Rajat Parr
Domaine de la Cote
Lompoc, California

The following honorees will accept their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 1 at Lyric Opera of Chicago:

The 2017 America's Classics Award Winners
Bertha's Kitchen
Charleston, SC
Owners: Julia Grant, Linda Pinckney, and Sharon Coakley

Gioia's Deli
St. Louis
Owner: Alex Donley

La Taqueria
San Francisco
Owner: Miguel Jara

Sahadi's
Brooklyn, NY
Owners: Christina Sahadi Whelan, and Ron Sahadi

Schultz's Crab House
Essex, MD
Owners: Karen and Bob McKinney


2017 JBF Humanitarian of the Year
Denise Cerreta
One World Everybody Eats
Salt Lake City

2017 JBF Lifetime Achievement Award
Nora Pouillon
Restaurant Nora
Washington, D.C.

2017 James Beard Foundation Restaurant Design Awards

75 Seats and Under (For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2014)
Firm: AvroKO
Designers: Kristina O’Neal, William Harris, Adam Farmerie, Greg Bradshaw
Project: SingleThread, Healdsburg, California

Firm: Guga
Designer: Jeff Guga
Project: Kismet, Los Angeles

Firm: Ken Fulk Inc.
Designers: Tiffany Kramer and Jon de la Cruz
Project: Leo’s Oyster Bar, San Francisco

76 Seats and Over (For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2014)
Firm: AvroKO
Designers: Kristina O’Neal, Adam Farmerie, Greg Bradshaw, William Harris
Project: Momotaro, Chicago

Firm: Home Studios
Designers: Evan and Oliver Haslegrave
Project: Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant, Los Angeles

Firm: Meyer Davis
Designers: Will Meyer, Gray Davis, Katie McPherson
Project: St. Cecilia, Atlanta

Read the full press release about the 2017 nominees. 

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