2018 James Beard Awards: complete list of winners

May 7, 2018

The 2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, hosted by Carla Hall, took place May 7 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. The 2018 James Beard Media Awards, which honor those in the media who cover the culinary industry, took place April 27 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Tamron Hall hosted the show. For the first time this year, the awards were streamed live on Twitter.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.

*=winner

2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards

Best New Restaurant
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.

The Charter Oak
St. Helena, CA

Empellón Midtown
NYC

Felix Trattoria
Venice, CA

JuneBaby*
Seattle

Kismet
Los Angeles

Outstanding Baker (Presented by Taylor Precision Products)
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 a baker or pastry chef for at least five years.

Dianna Daoheung
Black Seed Bagels
NYC

Zachary Golper
Bien Cuit
Brooklyn, NY

Maura Kilpatrick
Sofra Bakery and Café
Cambridge, MA

Belinda Leong and Michel Suas*
B. Patisserie
San Francisco

Alison Pray
Standard Baking Co.
Portland, ME

Greg Wade
Publican Quality Bread
Chicago

Outstanding Bar Program (Presented by Woodford Reserve Bourbon)
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktail, spirits, and/or beer service.

Anvil Bar & Refuge
Houston

Bar Agricole
San Francisco

Clyde Common
Portland, OR

Cure*
New Orleans

Kimball House
Decatur, GA

Trick Dog
San Francisco

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. Eligible candidates must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

Ashley Christensen
Poole’s Diner
Raleigh, NC

Gabrielle Hamilton*
Prune
NYC

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Christopher Kostow
The Restaurant at Meadowood
St. Helena, CA

Donald Link
Herbsaint
New Orleans

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 a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Kelly Fields
Willa Jean
New Orleans

Meg Galus
Boka
Chicago

Margarita Manzke
République
Los Angeles

Dolester Miles*
Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, AL

Diane Yang
Spoon and Stable
Minneapolis

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. Eligible restaurants must have been in operation 10 or more consecutive years.

Balthazar
NYC

Canlis
Seattle

Frasca Food and Wine
Boulder, CO

Highlands Bar & Grill*
Birmingham, AL

Quince
San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurateur
A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates 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, GT Fish & Oyster, Girl & the Goat, and others)
Chicago

JoAnn Clevenger
Upperline
New Orleans

Ken Oringer
Uni, Little Donkey, Toro, and others
Boston

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

Ellen Yin
High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, High Street on Market, High Street on Hudson, and others)
Philadelphia

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

Boka
Chicago

Saison
San Francisco

Zahav
Philadelphia

Zingerman’s Delicatessen
Ann Arbor, MI

Zuni Café*
San Francisco

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.

a.o.c.
Los Angeles

Bacchanal
New Orleans

Benu
San Francisco

FIG*
Charleston, SC

The Little Nell
Aspen, CO

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

Cathy Corison
Corison Winery
St. Helena, CA

Diane Flynt
Foggy Ridge Cider
Dugspur, VA

Miljenko Grgich*
Grgich Hills Estate
Rutherford, CA

Steve Matthiasson
Matthiasson Wines
Napa, CA

Lance Winters
St. George Spirits
Alameda, CA

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

Clare de Boer
King
NYC

Sarah Rinkavage
Marisol
Chicago

Miles Thompson
Michael’s
Santa Monica, CA

Kevin Tien
Himitsu
Washington, D.C.

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)
Andrew Brochu
Roister
Chicago

Abraham Conlon*
Fat Rice
Chicago

Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark
Parachute
Chicago

David Posey and Anna Posey
Elske
Chicago

Lee Wolen
Boka
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

Jeremiah Langhorne*
The Dabney
Washington, D.C.

Cindy Wolf
Charleston
Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Karen Bell
Bavette La Boucherie
Milwaukee

Steven Brown
Tilia
Minneapolis

Justin Carlisle
Ardent
Milwaukee

Gavin Kaysen*
Spoon and Stable
Minneapolis

Ann Kim
Young Joni
Minneapolis

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
Amanda Cohen
Dirt Candy

Ignacio Mattos
Estela

Missy Robbins*
Lilia
Brooklyn, NY

Alex Stupak
Empellón Midtown

Jody Williams
Buvette Gastrothèque

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

Tiffani Faison
Tiger Mama
Boston

Tony Messina
Uni
Boston

Cassie Piuma
Sarma
Somerville, MA

Benjamin Sukle
Oberlin
Providence

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)
Edouardo Jordan*
Salare
Seattle

Katy Millard
Coquine
Portland, OR

Bonnie Morales
Kachka
Portland, OR

Justin Woodward
Castagna
Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi
Joule
Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
Vishwesh Bhatt
Snackbar
Oxford, MS

Nina Compton*
Compère Lapin
New Orleans

Jose Enrique
Jose Enrique
San Juan, PR

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus
Coquette
New Orleans

Brad Kilgore
Alter
Miami

Slade Rushing
Brennan’s
New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Mashama Bailey
The Grey
Savannah, GA

Katie Button
Nightbell
Asheville, NC

Cassidee Dabney
The Barn at Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN

Rodney Scott*
Rodney Scott’s BBQ
Charleston, SC

Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
Memphis

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX, UT)
Michael Fojtasek
Olamaie
Austin

Bryce Gilmore
Barley Swine
Austin

Steve McHugh
Cured
San Antonio

Martín Rios
Restaurant Martín
Santa Fe

Alex Seidel*
Mercantile Dining & Provision
Denver

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

Dominique Crenn*
Atelier Crenn
San Francisco

Jeremy Fox
Rustic Canyon
Santa Monica, CA

Jessica Koslow
Sqirl
Los Angeles

Travis Lett
Gjelina
Venice, CA

2018 James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America Inductees

These recipients will accept their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 7 at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Jody Adams
Chef/Owner, TRADE, Porto, and Saloniki
Boston

Lally Brennan and Ti Adelaide Martin
Co-Proprietors, Commander’s Palace
New Orleans

Allison Hooper
Co-Founder, Vermont Creamery
Websterville, VT

Daniel Johnnes
Wine Director, The Dinex Group
New York City, NY

The following honorees will accept their awards at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 7 at Lyric Opera of Chicago

2018 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics (Presented by TABASCO® Sauce)

Sun Wah
Chicago, IL
Owners: Kelly Cheng, Laura Cheng, and Michael Cheng

Galleria Umberto
Boston, MA
Owners: Paul Deuterio and Ralph Deuterio

Los Hernandez
Union Gap, WA
Owner: Felipe Hernandez

El Guero Canelo
Tucson, AZ
Owner: Daniel Contreras

Dong Phuong Bakery
New Orleans, LA
Owner: Linh Tran Garza

2018 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

José Andrés
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Chef; Owner, ThinkFoodGroup; Founder, World Central Kitchen

2018 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Paula Wolfert
Multiple James Beard Award–Winning Author