The James Beard Awards are tonight. Here are the California nominees
The James Beard Foundation’s 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards will honor 16 California nominees across categories like Outstanding Restaurateur, Best Chef in California, and Best New Restaurant, with finalists including Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar of the Cal-India Collective and Niki Nakayama of n/naka. Separate ceremonies on June 20 will recognize humanitarian efforts, including the No Us Without You organization and CHIRLA, alongside Nancy Silverton’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her role in the artisanal bread movement.
The James Beard Foundation’s 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, held on June 13 in Chicago, spotlight 16 California finalists. Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar of the Cal-India Collective are nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur for their restaurants Ettan, Copra, Eylan, and Little Blue Door. Outstanding Chef nominees include Gilberto Cetina (Holbox), Niki Nakayama (n/naka), and Michael Tusk (Quince), while Fátima Juárez (Komal) is up for Emerging Chef. California also has finalists in Best New Restaurant (Ki, Los Angeles), Outstanding Hospitality (Providence), and Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program (Kato). Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco) competes for Outstanding Bar, with Jack Benchakul (endorffeine coffee bar) and Kevin Diedrich (Pacific Cocktail Haven) nominated for beverage service roles. Five chefs—Dave Beran, Harrison Cheney, Sarah Cooper & Alan Hsu, Kwang Uh, and Daisy Ryan—are vying for Best Chef By Region. A separate ceremony on June 20 will honor humanitarian efforts, awarding Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz of No Us Without You the Humanitarian of the Year for their work in food security for undocumented workers. Los Angeles’s Nancy Silverton, founder of La Brea Bakery, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing the artisanal bread movement. The Impact Awards ceremony will also recognize the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights (CHIRLA) among five honorees.
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