The James Beard Foundation has unveiled its lineup of New York City finalists for its 2025 awards, an accolade often likened to the Oscars of the gastronomic world. This selection whittles down the broader field of semifinalists previously announced in January, pinpointing the Big Apple's top contenders for the culinary honors, as reported by Eater.
Among the city's candidates are East Village's Penny, presented as the Best New Restaurant, the Flatiron District's Atomix commended for Outstanding Hospitality and the duo Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, acknowledged for their role as restaurateurs for Frenchette, Le Veau d’Or, and Le Rock, as per information presented by PIX11. In the race for Outstanding Chef are Gabriel Kreuther of his eponymous Midtown establishment and Jungsik Yim of the Korean upscale restaurant Jungsik; the spotlight also shines on the beverage and cocktail maestros Cassandra Felix of Daniel and Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez of Superbueno.
In the category of Best Chef: New York State, the finalists represent a diverse array of cuisines, including Nasim Alikhani of Brooklyn's Sofreh, Eiji Ichimura of Ichimura, Atsushi Kono of Kono and Vijay Kumar of Semma—all offering distinct culinary experiences ranging from Persian to Japanese fare. Not to be overlooked is Ryan Fernandez of Southern Junction in Buffalo, who received a nod for the Best Chef: New York State category. Meanwhile, from across the river in New Jersey, Dan Richer of Razza in Jersey City stands as a finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.
While New York did see recognition across several categories, it faced a notable exclusion as no local chefs were finalized for the Emerging Chef accolade, despite Daniel Garwood of Acru and Danny Garcia of Time and Tide making the semifinalist cut earlier in the year, Eater noted. The final winners are scheduled to be disclosed on June 16 at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago, with a livestream of the event providing a window for virtual attendance.
