James Beard Awards announced for 2025. Here are the N.Y. winners.
The 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards were held Monday in Chicago.
Half a dozen New York finalists were in the running for top honors, along with five chefs who battled it out for best in the state. New Jersey and Connecticut also had chefs in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast categories.
to watch the awards live stream.
Local James Beard Award winners
- Outstanding Restauranteur: Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d'Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY
- Outstanding Chef: Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY
- Outstanding Hospitality: Atomix, New York, NY
- Outstanding Professionals in Cocktail Service: Ignacio "Nacho" Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY
Best Chef: New York State: Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY
Local James Beard Award finalists
- Outstanding Restauranteur: Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d'Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY
- Outstanding Chef: Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY & Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY
- Best New Restaurant: Penny, New York, NY
- Outstanding Hospitality: Atomix, New York, NY
- Outstanding Professionals in Beverage Service: Cassandra Felix, Daniel, New York, NY
- Outstanding Professionals in Cocktail Service: Ignacio "Nacho" Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY
Best Chef: New York State
- Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
- Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction Barbecue, Buffalo, NY
- Eiji Ichimura, Sushi Ichimura, New York, NY
- Atsushi Kono, Kono, New York, NY
- Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY
Best Chef Mid-Atlantic: Dan Richer, Razza, Jersey City, NJ
Best Chef Northeast: Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, Conn.
What is the James Beard Award?
The awards are one of the culinary industry's biggest nights, celebrating the talent, innovation and dedication of chefs across the country. This year marks the 35th annual celebration.
There are 15 main categories:
- Outstanding Restaurateur
- Outstanding Chef
- Outstanding Restaurant
- Emerging Chef
- Best New Restaurant
- Outstanding Bakery
- Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
- Outstanding Hospitality
- Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Outstanding Bar
- Best New Bar (New)
- Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service (New)
- Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service (New)
- Best Chefs (by region)
- America's Classics
for a closer look at the guidelines, and for the full list of nominees.
What's new this year?
The James Beard Foundation is beginning to introduce Beverage Awards categories in order to better acknowledge the beverage industry. This year, there are three new categories for Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
This year will also feature new Impact Awards, honoring those who actively work to create a more equitable, sustainable and economically viable industry for producers, workers and consumers.
The 2025 honorees are:
- Angie Craig, U.S. Representative (MN-2); Ranking Member, House Committee on Agriculture
- Brandon Edwin Chrostowski, CEO, EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute
- Anthony Edwards Jr., CEO and Co-Founder, EatOkra
- Seanicaa Edwards Herron, Founder and Executive Director, Freedmen Heirs Foundation
- Dune Lankard, President and Founder, Native Conservancy
The foundation also named Chad Houser as the 2025 Humanitarian of the Year Award honoree and Toni Tipton-Martin as the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.
