Hat's Off to the James Beard Foundation Award Winners
It is our honor at Fortune Fish & Gourmet to work with many of the greatest chefs and hospitality professionals in the nation. They work long hours, miss family events, and push themselves hard to be their best for every service. They turn raw ingredients into the stuff of dreams with creativity, imagination, and impressive skills.
The esteemed James Beard Foundation honors the best and brightest in the culinary world annually, often described as the Academy Awards of the food industry.
Last night, at the Lyric Theater in Chicago, the winners of the 2025 JBF Awards were announced at the black-tie gala, and we are pleased to see so many of our friends receive the coveted medal.
Our hearty congratulations to all the nominees – it's truly an honor to be recognized on the national culinary stage – the semi-finalists, finalists, and the winners of this year’s awards.
A standing ovation for the winners – kudos, congratulations, cheers, and hooray! We are proud to call you friends and clients and look forward to continuing to support you with the ingredients you trust to make memorable – and award-winning—meals.
Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr
Frenchette/ Le Veau d'Or/ Le Rock in New York, NY
Outstanding Restaurateur Riad Nasr & Lee Hanson
Atomix in New York, NY
Outstanding Hospitality presented by American Airlines
Ignacio " Nacho" Jimenez at SUPERBUENO in New York, NY
Outstanding Professional Cocktail Service
Julia Momosé at Kumiko in Chicago, IL
Outstanding Bar
Noah Sandoval at Oriole in Chicago, IL
Best Chef Great Lakes
Karyn Tomlinson at MYRIEL in St. Paul, MN
Best Chef Midwest
Vijay Kumar at SEMMA in New York, NY
Best Chef NY State
Jungsik Yim at Jungsik in New York, NY
Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton Korean Restaurant
Andy Schumacher at Cobble Hill in Cedar Rapids, IA: Semi-finalist, Best Chef Midwest
Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower at Maxwells Trading in Chicago, IL Finalist, Best Chef: Great Lakes
Jonathan Brooks at Beholder in Indianapolis, IN: Semi-finalist, Best Chef: Great Lakes
Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson at The Cooks' House in Traverse City, MI: Finalist, Best Chef Great Lakes
David Jackman at Wildweed in Cincinnati, OH: Finalist, Best Chef Great Lakes
Rachel Miller at Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn, MA: Semi-finalist, Best Chef Northeast
Brian Lewis at The Cottage in Westport. CT: Finalist, Best Chef, Northeast
Atsushi Kono at KONO in New York, NY: Finalist, Best Chef NY State
Cassie Piuma at Sarma in Somerville, MA: Finalist, Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton
Gregory Leon at Amilinda in Milwaukee, WI: Semi-finalist, Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton
Gabriel Kreuther at Gabriel Kreuther in New York, NY: Finalist, Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton
Yia Vang at Vinai in Minneapolis, MN: Semi-finalist, Best New Restaurant
Ryan Ratino at Ômo by Jônt in Winter Park, FL: Finalist, Best New Restaurant
Zachary Engel at Galit in Chicago, IL: Finalist, Outstanding Restaurant
Jane Sacro Chatham at Vicia in St. Louis, MO: Finalist, Emerging Chef presented by S.Pellegrino
RJ Yoakum at Georgie in Dallas, TX: Finalist, Emerging Chef presented by S.Pellegrino
MARCH in Houston, TX: Finalist, Outstanding Wine and Beverage Program
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FOR REFERENCE 2025 James Beard Award Finalists Revealed: Full List by Category | Fine Dining Lovers
