See the 2026 James Beard semifinalists of New England

Every New England state was represented across the 14 James Beard Award categories.

La Padrona (its bay scallops dish seen here) is one of many New England restaurants named a James Beard Award semifinalist. JohnTlumacki/Globe Staff

The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 semifinalists in restaurant and chef categories on Wednesday, the initial list of nominees from the most prestigious award for American restaurants.

All New England states were represented across all 14 James Beard Award categories.

This semifinalist list will narrow on March 31, when the James Beard Foundation announces the finalist nominations. Picked from that list are the winners come June 15 during a gala in Chicago.

How did each state in our region fare this year? See the 2026 semifinalists in New England below:

Outstanding Restaurateur

Leslie McCrorey Wells, Pizzeria Verità, Trattoria Delia, Sotto Enoteca, and others, Burlington, VT
Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, ME

Outstanding Chef

David Standridge, The Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic, CT

Outstanding Restaurant

Kinmedai sashimi at O Ya. (Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)

O Ya, Boston, MA
Oberlin, Providence, RI

Emerging Chef

Pao Thampitak, Gaaeng Supper Club, Boston, MA
Jasmine Watson, Audette, Newport, RI

Best New Restaurant

Café Monette, St. Albans, VT
Claudine, Providence, RI
ROLi, New Haven, CT

Outstanding Bakery

Night Moves Bread, South Portland, ME
Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

Breakfast sandwich from Verveine Cafe & Bakery. Handout photo.

Monica Glass, Verveine Cafe & Bakery, Cambridge, MA
Whitney Stancil, Cuvée at Chatham Inn, Chatham, MA

Outstanding Hospitality

Broiled twin Maine lobster, made with three pounds of lobster, served with roasted hen of the woods, Yukon potatoes, hunynut squash, Brussels sprouts, and drawn butter and lemon at Ostra. Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe

Ostra, Boston, MA
State Road, Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

The Port of Call, Mystic, CT
Talulla, Cambridge, MA

Outstanding Bar

Spoke Wine Bar in Somerville. Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe

Spoke Wine Bar, Somerville, MA

Best New Bar

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

Customers cheer glasses of sake at The Koji Club in Boston. (Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe)

Nader Asgari-Tari, Zurito, Boston, MA
Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale, The Koji Club, Boston, MA

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

Jesse Hedberg, Club Frills, Providence, RI
Kate Wise, Juniper Bar, Burlington, VT

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

The Tomato Pie served at Tonino. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

Tiara Adorno, The Crooked Ram, Manchester, VT
Jeremy Broucek, Bread & Friends, Portland, ME
Sāsha Coleman, Comfort Kitchen, Boston, MA
Amarilys Colón, La Padrona, Boston, MA
David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT
Luke Fetbroth, Tonino, Boston, MA
Chris Gould, Central Provisions, Portland, ME
Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH
Bolivar Hilario, Community Table, New Preston, CT
Sara Jenkins, Nina June, Rockport, ME
Shi Mei, Lenox Sophia, Boston, MA
Peter Nguyen, Lê Madeline, Quincy, MA
Kevin O’Donnell, Giusto, Newport, RI
Annie Parisi, Jayd Bun, South Kingstown, RI
Jake Stevens, Leeward, Portland, ME
Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, ME
Shilimat Tessema, Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, New Haven, CT
Paul Trombly, Fancy’s, Burlington, VT
Max Vogel, Ondis, Montpelier, VT
Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.

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