The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2025 awards Wednesday morning, and New York names are up for honors in every major category.
Among the notable semifinalists are the West Village’s Don Angie and Williamsburg’s The Four Horsemen, both contenders for the outstanding restaurant award. Jungsik Yim, whose namesake Korean fine dining restaurant earned its third Michelin star last year, is up for the outstanding chef award, as is Gabriel Kreuther of his eponym Midtown restaurant. In the coveted outstanding restaurateur category, New York’s semifinalists are Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr of Frenchette fame and Simon Kim of Gracious Hospitality Management.
Winning, or even just being nominated for, a James Beard Award is often a big business boost for restaurants. Per the award’s own estimates, two-thirds of all semifinalists see a spike in dining activity just for making the first cut. Wednesday’s announcement is the first narrowing of names that could win this year’s awards. Finalists will be announced in April, and winners awarded at a glitzy ceremony in Chicago in June.
More than a dozen New York names made the semifinalist round. Here are the preliminary nominees:
Emerging chef
Danny Garcia, Time & Tide
Daniel Garwood, Acru
Best new restaurant
Café Carmellini
Corima
Kisa
Penny
Outstanding bakery
Fan Fan Doughnuts
Outstanding pastry chef or baker
Camari Mick, Raf’s
Outstanding hospitality
Atomix
Melba’s
Outstanding wine and other beverages program
Hawksmoor
Outstanding bar
Leyenda
Best new bar
Bar Contra
Sip & Guzzle
Outstanding professional in beverage service
Cassandra Felix, Daniel
Outstanding professional in cocktail service
Ignacio Jimenez, Superbueno
Takuma Watanabe, Martiny’s
Beyond the national awards, the James Beard Foundation also honors chefs on a regional basis. For New York, it’s a statewide honor.
The semifinalists for Best Chef in New York state are:
Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar, ManhattanNasim Alikhani, Sofreh, BrooklynAyo Balogun, Dept of Culture, BrooklynGiovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, ManhattanChris Cipollone, Francie, BrooklynSuzanne Cupps, Lola’s, ManhattanClare de Boer, Stissing House, Pine PlainsAretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern, ManhattanRyan Fernandez, Southern Junction, BuffaloMarcus Glocker, Koloman, ManhattanEfrén Hernández, Casa Susanna, LeedsEiji Ichimura, Ichimura, ManhattanBrian Kim, Oiji Mi, ManhattanHooni Kim, Meju, QueensAtsushi Kono, Kono, ManhattanVijay Kumar, Semma, ManhattanShaina Loew-Banayan, Café Mutton, HudsonKwame Onwuachi, Tatiana, ManhattanHillary Sterling, Ci Siamo, ManhattanEmily Yuen, Lingo, Brooklyn
