The James Beard Awards are tonight. Here are the California nominees
The James Beard Awards are known as the Oscars of the American food industry. Named after the cookbook author and culinary personality James Beard, the awards honor writers, journalists, chefs, and restaurants that have contributed significantly to American cuisine.
On Saturday, June 13, the James Beard Foundation held its Media Awards ceremony, and Monday, they hold the Restaurant and Chef Awards at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. Sixteen California restaurants and chefs have made it to the finals. Additionally, five chefs will be facing off for the title of Best Chef in California.
2026 James Beard Award finalists from California
Outstanding Restaurateur Nominee
Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar of the Cal-India Collective
Restaurants: Ettan, Palo Alto, Copra, San Francisco, Eylan, Menlo Park, and Little Blue Door, Los Altos
Outstanding Chef Nominees
Gilberto Cetina, Holbox, Los Angeles
Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco
Emerging Chef Nominee
Fátima Juárez, Komal, Los Angeles
Best New Restaurant Nominee
Ki, Los Angeles
Outstanding Hospitality Nominee
Providence, Los Angeles
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program Nominee
Kato, Los Angeles
Outstanding Bar Nominee
Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service Nominee
Jack Benchakul, endorffeine coffee bar, Los Angeles
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service Nominee
Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco
Best Chef By Region Nominees: California
Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica
Harrison Cheney, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu, Sun Moon Studio, Oakland
Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles
Daisy Ryan, Bell’s, Los Alamos
What kind of James Beard awards are there?
An upcoming ceremony on Sat. June 20 will present the Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year award to Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz of No Us Without You, an organization dedicated to providing food security to undocumented and vulnerable members of the restaurant industry.
Nancy Silverton, the founder of Los Angeles’s La Brea Bakery, will be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday for her work in “helping spark the modern artisanal bread movement,” wrote the Foundation. Silverton is the recipient of two prior James Beard Awards, one for Pastry Chef of the Year in 1991 and another for Outstanding Chef in 2014.
On Sunday, the James Beard Foundation will also hold a ceremony to honor the winners of its Impact Awards. Among the five honorees is the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights (CHIRLA).
