ANNOUNCED! The South’s 2026 James Beard Award Finalists

We love awards season! So naturally, we anxiously await the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards, likened to “the Oscars of food.” Semifinalists were announced in January, and the list of finalists dropped on March 31. While we await the final awards ceremony in June, we’ll be looking into (and rooting for) all of the fabulous honorees around the South.

Check out the Restaurant and Chef Award finalists around the South below, and find the complete list at jamesbeard.org.

Outstanding Restaurant

• The Catbird Seat — Nashville, TN
• Mixtli — San Antonio, TX

Emerging Chef

• E.J. Lagasse, Emeril’s — New Orleans, LA
• Adrian Torres, Maximo — West University Place, TX

Best New Restaurant

• Agnes and Sherman — Houston, TX
• Merci — Charleston, SC

Outstanding Bakery

• Weltons Tiny Bakeshop — Charleston, SC

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Nicosi — San Antonio, TX
• Maggie Huff, Lucia — Dallas, TX

Outstanding Hospitality

• Aria — Atlanta, GA
• Bottega — Birmingham, AL

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• Field & Main Restaurant — Marshall, VA

Outstanding Bar

• Onyx Coffee Lab — Rogers, AR

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

• June Rodil, March – Houston, TX

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani of Chai Pani Restaurant Group (Chai Pani and Botiwalla) — Asheville, NC
• Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski of Link Restaurant Group (Pêche Seafood Grill, Herbsaint, Cochon, and others) — New Orleans, LA
• Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught of H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe, and others) — Houston, TX

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

• Ana Castro, Acamaya — New Orleans, LA
• Bryce Bonsack, Rocca — Tampa, FL
• Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer, Chancho King — Jacksonville, FL
• Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA — New Orleans, LA
• Jason Paul, Heirloom at The 1907 — Rogers, AR

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

• Joe Cash, Scoundrel — Greenville, SC
• Mary Ellen Diaz, Alma Bea — Shepherdstown, WV
• J. Trent Harris, Mujō — Atlanta, GA
• Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm — Leicester, NC
• David Willocks, The Baker’s Table — Newport, KY

Best Chef: Texas

• Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk — Houston, TX
• Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN — Houston, TX
• Scott Girling, Osteria Il Muro — Denton, TX
• Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, Café Piro — Socorro, TX
• Finn Walter, The Nicolett — Lubbock, TX

Ready to make some reservations?!

**********

Stay in the know on the best of the South — subscribe to StyleBlueprint!