08-04-2025
Finalists for 2025 James Beard Awards Include 5 L.A. Restaurants and Chefs
The finalists for the annual James Beard Awards were announced April 2. Named after the renowned American chef, James Beard, this foundation has been around since 1990. The James Beard Foundation presents awards annually honoring excellence in culinary arts, hospitality and Beard Awards are the nation's most prestigious food and beverage awards. The Foundation has honored numerous excellent chefs over the years such as Wolfgang Puck, Rick Bayless and many Angeles made a mark on the semifinalist list, released in January. Los Angeles businesses and professionals received nominations in 12 categories. The narrowed down finalists, however, still have significant L.A. representation.
Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano, CaliforniaJon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles, California
Gusto Bread, Long Beach, California
Strong Water, Anaheim, California
Tobin Shea, Redbird, Los Angeles, California
L.A. is known for its diverse and eclectic food scene. The city has always been revered as a culinary powerhouse and this year's representation in the list of finalists shows its growing influence on the country's culinary scene. However, the James Beard Foundation has not gone without controversy. In 2020, staff members of the foundation sent a letter requesting better pay and a greater emphasis on diversity and equity within the company and leadership team. The leaked letter, that can be found here, led to the 2020 and 2021 awards being Foundation addressed the issue by conducting an internal review and making the voting process more inclusive and also altering the Best Chef category to operate regionally allowing for a more diverse range of talent to be honored. The awards are introducing a new award this year called the 2025 Impact Award. This award honors organizations dedicated to a 'more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system,' according to the JBF website. The 2025 James Beard Awards will be presented June 16 and held at the Lyric Opera House of Chicago.
