These are all of L.A.'s 2025 James Beard Awards finalists
The votes for 2025 are in: Six L.A. chefs, restaurants, bars, bakeries and writers have been named James Beard Awards finalists. Known widely as the 'Oscars of food,' the awarding body recognizes chefs, restauranteurs, bar directors, authors and journalists across the nation.
While the restaurant and chef awards were first announced on April 2, the media awards weren't announced until today. Whittled down from 16 semifinalists, just three L.A. County chefs, restaurants and bakeries have advanced to the final round: Kato 's Jon Yao in 'Best Chef: California' category; Redbird 's Tobin Shea in 'Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service'; and Gusto Bread in Long Beach—which I consider one of the city's best bakeries, and totally worth the drive—for 'Outstanding Bakery.'
In the media category, three local journalists from the Los Angeles Times have picked up nominations. Critic Bill Addison received a nomination in 'Dining and Travel' for his guide to San Francisco and columnist Jenn Harris was also recognized for her work in the 'Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism' category. In 'Home Cooking,' senior editor Danielle Dorsey received a nomination for her recipe and reporting package on Black Thanksgiving traditions.
Within Southern California, a few of our neighbors in Orange County also picked up nominations: Anaheim tiki bar Strong Water (Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program) and Daniel Castillo of San Juan Capistrano's Heritage Barbecue (Best Chef: California).
The James Beard Foundation's annual awards 'recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries.' For 2025, the 35th edition, the foundation has added three new bar-focused categories. Last year, Lord Maynard Llera of Kuya Lord won 'Best Chef: California'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
The best wines to buy from M&S this summer
Between the cyber attacks and fashion editors eulogising about the summer collections, M&S has barely been out of the headlines this year. Food sales are strong, but what is going on with M&S wine? Earlier this spring, I went to the retailer's head office in Paddington to taste some 90 samples from its current drinks range and came out with mixed impressions. Here's what I thought. The first point to make is that the bottles you're inexorably bowled towards by in-store displays, especially in travel hubs, aren't the wines that M&S does best, even if it does sell a lot of them. I'm not a fan of the somewhat sickly Bellante Prosecco and not just because the name reminds me of an unprintable insult rather than a character in Handel's opera Almira. The M&S Garganega Pinot Grigio 2024, Italy (£7), which apparently sells by the bucketload, is made by the very good Cantina di Monteforte and is perfectly fine, though rather sweet (it has more than 6g/litre of residual sugar). My tip? If you like pinot grigio, go to Morrisons and buy Gordon Ramsay Pinot Grigio 2024, Italy (11%, Morrisons, £7.50; also Tesco, £8.75 and still worth that price), which is also made by Cantina di Monteforte but which is dry, peachy and delicious. Back at M&S, other classical styles, such as the Corsican Rosé at £8.50 or the Classics No 14 Spanish Albariño (£13), err on the side of anodyne, which is often my experience of wines at M&S tastings. Strangely, perhaps, for a retailer with a reputation for excelling at basics such as plain cotton knickers and men's crew-neck sweaters, the wines that shine at M&S aren't the ones I might usually look for, they're the ones I didn't know I wanted in my life. A new star to look out for is a beautiful white from the Dão and Lafões regions of Portugal with a slightly textured feel, like pear juice mingled with woody herbs and run through with a salty charge of preserved lemon. That's M&S Found Encruzado 2024, Portugal (12.5%, M&S, £8.50), which is due in stores on June 11. It's fresh enough to drink as an aperitif but it does have good backbone and will sit well with food. Snackwise, I'm matching this with paprika Pringles. Dinnerwise, its combination of texture and tang would be good with the fatty succulence of pulled pork, while its citrus and herbal notes work well with rosemary-and-lemon chicken kebabs. The encruzado is part of an M&S range called Found, dedicated to unusual and little-known grapes, and it's under this label that you will find many of the retailer's best wine buys – and I say this as someone extremely wary of novelty for novelty's sake. Among the Found wines I'd recommend are Feteasca Alba (£7.50) from Romania (also due in stores on June 11), orange Verdil from Spain, and Found Kratosija 2024, Macedonia (13%, M&S, £8.50), a vivid, berry-scented unoaked red that is a cracking buy. My theory is that the apparently cautious approach that leaves me wanting more from some M&S wines is a blessing when it comes to grapes that might otherwise be too challenging. Many Found wines take unfamiliar flavours and wrap them into a wine that is interesting enough but, crucially, approachable and good value – the same approach the food hall has taken for many years. That's not to say Found represents the only wines I'd buy from M&S: other star buys include a cava, an English bacchus and a smoky red from South Africa, all of which you'll find recommended below. Skip to: How we tested Victoria Moore tasted 91 wines at M&S's spring/summer press tasting in April 2025. Why you can trust us Victoria Moore is the author of the best-selling The Wine Dine Dictionary and an award-winning journalist who writes The Telegraph Magazine 's drinks column. With a postgraduate diploma in psychology, she also runs workshops on wine and smell. Her impressive list of awards includes Louis Roederer Wine Columnist of the Year, Louis Roederer Online Communicator of the Year and Fortnum & Mason Drinks Writer of the Year. The Wine Dine Dictionary won the André Simon Special Commendation Award and was also Fortnum & Mason Drink Book of the Year 2018. Follow Victoria on Instagram @how_to_drink.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Our wine expert reveals the best red wines for Father's Day, from £8.50
Father's Day calls for a proper get-together, delicious food and a good bottle or two, so here I've lined up four brilliant reds for different kinds of dad: a smooth, food-friendly Tuscan for the classic ones; a chillable red in a jazzy bottle for the trendy type; a lesser-known French for the laid-back gent and a top-tier pour for the sophisticated sort who knows – or likes to think he knows – his stuff. Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico Tuscany 2022 (13%), £15, Waitrose. Classic Dad will love this Sangiovese, which punches well above its price tag. With dark cherry, rosemary and Mediterranean herbs, it's a great match for smoky meats. £16.00 Shop Al Fresco Red 2024 (11%), £8.50, Co-op. This chillable light red is just the thing for Trendy Dad, right down to its AI- generated label. The drink itself, made by a UK Master of Wine, is all fun, flair and red fruit. £8.50 Shop Taste the Difference Discovery Collection Marselan 2023 (13%), £9.50, Sainsbury's. For Laid-back Dad, Marselan is an unusual cross between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, with dark plum, blackberry and savoury depth. £9.50 Shop
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
BBC removing 'masterpiece' film from iPlayer in days with fans urged to watch
The hit movie will leave th BBC iPlayer soon The clock is ticking for film buffs to catch a classic, Oscar-winning film on BBC iPlayer before it's taken down, reports Surrey Live. The film has garnered a global fanbase and was met with rave reviews from both audiences and critics upon its release. One fan gushed on Rotten Tomatoes: "Absolutely amazing. With invigorating writing and an amazing story surrounded by an amazing cast and even better music this movie is a modern movie classic!". Another chimed in: "This Movie is amazing. From the way it was written and portrayed by the actors to the way it was received, amazing [sic]." A third declared: "Masterpiece. My favorite musical of all time. My favorite movie of all time [sic]." A fourth praised: "one of the best movies of the century, you dont need to like musicals to like it. many movies have been about actors and musicians but this is the best of all [sic]. ". Another viewer confessed: "Very few movies have affected and haunted me like La La Land. I couldn't sleep the first time I watched it because of how it ended. I think it moved me a little too much. "The emptiness of their relationship not bringing closure was tough to swallow." La La Land, released in 2016, is a musical romantic comedy-drama that shines a light on Hollywood. Hailing from the creative genius of Damien Chazelle, the mastermind behind the Oscar-winning Whiplash, La La Land chronicles the love story of aspiring actress Mia Dolan (Emma Stone) and jazz musician Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling), both striving to make their mark in the city of dreams, Los Angeles. Their relationship is tested as they navigate the harsh realities of a city notorious for shattering aspirations. La La Land, a musical spectacle, bagged numerous Oscars, including Best Actress for Stone and Best Director for Chazelle. The film also marked a reunion for Stone and Gosling, who had previously shared screen space in the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. In addition to its Oscar haul, the film scooped up a host of awards, including Golden Globes, BAFTAs, among others. La La Land is often hailed as one of Gosling's most remarkable performances, with the Canadian actor boasting an impressive repertoire of roles spanning from romantic drama The Notebook, Blue Valentine, action-packed Drive, Blade Runner 2049, Barbie to The Big Short.
