Grab your fork and knife - the 2025 James Beard semifinalists are out and New Englanders are well-represented.
The James Beard Awards are considered by many some of the top honors in the culinary industry. Winners will be announced in April, but it's never too early to start sampling the offerings!
Outstanding restaurateur
- Cara Chigazola-Tobin and Allison Gibson, Honey Road and Gray Jay, Burlington, VT
- Douglass Williams, MIDA, Boston, MA
Outstanding chef
- Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA
Oustanding restaurant
- Havana, Bar Harbor, ME
Emerging Chef
- Jason Eckerson and Kate Hamm, Fish & Whistle, Biddeford, ME
- Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence, RI
- Best New Restaurant
- LUNE, Dennis Port, MA
- Somaek, Boston, MA
Outstanding bakery
- Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH
Outstanding pastry chef or baker
- Brant Dadaleares, Gross Confection Bar, Portland, ME
Outstanding hospitality
- Persimmon, Providence, RI
- Taj Indian Cuisine, South Portland, ME
Outstanding wine and other beverages program
- Oyster Club, Mystic, CT
Outstanding bar
- Wolf Tree, White River Junction, VT
Best new bar
- The Abbey, Brunswick, ME
- Equal Measure, Boston, MA
- Merai, Brookline, MA
Outstanding professional in beverage service
- Mary Allen Lindemann, Coffee By Design, Portland, ME
- Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale, The Koji Club, Brighton, MA
Outstanding professional cocktail service
- Nathaniel Meiklejohn, The Jewel Box, Portland, ME
- Oscar Simoza, The Wig Shop, Boston, MA
Best chef: Northeast
- Robert Andreozzi, Pizza Marvin, Providence, RI
- Avery Buck, May Day, Burlington, VT
- John DaSilva, Chickadee, Boston, MA
- Conor Dennehy, Tallula, Cambridge, MA
- Subat Dilmurat, Jahunger, Providence, RI
- Lee Frank, Lee Frank's, South Berwick, ME
- Michelle Greenfield, Allium Eatery, Westport, CT
- Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI
- Valentine Howell, Black Cat, Jamaica Plain, MA
- Kwasi Kwaa, Comfort Kitchen, Boston, MA
- Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT
- Charlie Menard, Canteen Creemee, Waitsfield, VT
- Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle Bar, Lynn, MA
- Erin Miller, Urban Hearth, Cambridge, MA
- Nicole Nocella, Stalk, Dover, NH
- Nick Rabar, Honeybird Kitchen & Cocktails, East Providence, RI
- Jordan Rubin, Mr. Tuna, Portland, ME
- Michael Serpa, Select Oyster, Boston, MA
- Jake Stevens, Leeward, Portland, ME
- Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI