The 35th annual James Beard Awards took place this past weekend at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House, anointing the latest round of chef and restaurant winners during a red carpet event that is arguably the biggest night for chefs in the US.
In recent years, the awards have evolved as the James Beard Foundation, the non-profit organization behind the awards, grappled with issues of race, gender, and worker welfare. Under public scrutiny, the organization has been prompted to think more deeply about diversity of cuisine, be more inclusive of geography, and interrogate the role beverages and bars play in hospitality.
This year’s awards reflected this ongoing evolution with three new beverage award categories. From the crucial role immigrants play in American dining to New York’s return to dominance, here are three takeaways from the 2025 awards.
Immigration took center stage
Days after protesters took to the streets across the country to condemn ongoing Trump administration raids on undocumented immigrants, the contributions of immigrants took center stage during the awards ceremony on Monday.
The throughline was two-fold—not only the critical role that immigrants play in keeping restaurants, farms, and food production afloat, but the way that immigration has shaped American cuisine.
Clare Reichenbach, the foundation’s CEO, made clear in her remarks that immigrants are “essential to preserving the old and forging new culinary traditions.”
In accepting the medal for Best Chef in the southern region, Nando Chang of Miami’s Itamae spoke of his own roots as a Peruvian American of Chinese descent, and finding his identity in kitchens where he discovered, “all different types of people from all different types of backgrounds working together towards the same goal.”
Bobby Stuckey of Frasca Food & Wine in Boulder, Colorado, punctuated the theme during a full-throated acceptance speech for Outstanding Restaurant. “If you are new to this country and you don’t speak the language, the hospitality industry is here for you,” he said. “If you’re a single parent and you need a flexible schedule, we’re here for you. If you need a second chance because maybe you’re frustrated or just make some mistakes, hospitality is here for you.”
New York City made a triumphant return
New York City chefs and restaurants, largely passed over the past two years, had a strong showing on the national awards stage.
The Korean fine-dining restaurant Atomix, a perennial contender on the awards circuit, was awarded the medal for Outstanding Hospitality. Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr of critically acclaimed French restaurants Frenchette, Le Veau d’Or, and Le Rock were favorites for the country’s Outstanding Restaurateur, and Jungsik Yim of the longstanding Korean fine-dining spot Jungsik was recognized as this year’s Outstanding Chef. Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez of Superbueno, one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Bars of 2024, won for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
That’s four awards—plus maintaining hold of Best Chef New York State, which went to Vijay Kumar of the South Indian restaurant Semma, one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants of 2022.
Drinking was given more attention
The role bars and beverages play in hospitality drew focus this year, with the organization expanding the number of categories to reward excellent beverage programs and professionals.
Until this year, there were two categories, Outstanding Hospitality and Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. This year’s new awards included Best New Bar, which went to Identidad in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, which went to Jimenez of Superbueno; and Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, won by Arjav Ezekiel of Birdie’s in Austin, one of Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants of 2022.
Ezekiel was among those who used the moment to highlight his own journey as an undocumented immigrant from India who came to the United States when he was 12.
“I fell into restaurants because they were the only place that I could get a job. I fell in love with restaurants because of the people,” Ezekiel said. “We’re always there feeding bellies, feeding hearts, feeding hope. It’s who we are. There are rewards and values—hospitality and the commandments and empathy, optimism and generosity—values that to me also define the best of what it now means to be an American.”
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