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Dish. | Wonho Frank Lee The LA area was nominated in four categories in this years awards On April 2, the James Beard Foundation announced finalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards restaurant and chef categories. The nominations are trimmed down from the initial, and more extensive Beards semifinalist list, which the foundation revealed in January.
Los Angeles was well-represented among the body of semifinalists, with recognition in 12 categories. Among Los Angeles’s finalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards are Daniel Castillo (Heritage Barbecue), Jon Yao (Kato), Strong Water in Anaheim, and Long Beach’s Gusto Bread. The James Beard Awards, often referred to as “the Oscars of food,” are among the most prestigious awards in the food and hospitality industry.
Each year, the James Beard Foundation restaurants, bars, and hospitality professionals in categories like Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best New Chef. This year’s awards bring three brand-new categories into the mix: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The first James Beard Awards ceremony was held in 1991, with chefs like Rick Bayless, Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck walking away as winners.
In recent years, the awards have been under increased scrutiny after canceling its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to misbehavior and abuse allegations against nominated chefs, and a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs among the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable before returning in 2022. In recent years, the awards have shifted the Best Chef category to a regional model to better recognize the diversity and depth of talent.
Winners will be announced on June 16 at the awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.Here are the James Beard Awards 2025 finalists for Los Angeles:Best Chef: CaliforniaDaniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano, CaliforniaJon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles, CaliforniaOutstanding BakeryGusto Bread, Long Beach, California Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages ProgramStrong Water, Anaheim, CaliforniaOutstanding Professional in Cocktail ServiceTobin Shea, Redbird, Los Angeles, CaliforniaDisclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025.
All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation..
