L.A. and O.C. Chefs and Restaurants in the Running for 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards

On Wednesday morning the James Beard Foundation announced The chefs, beverage programs, restaurants, and bars shortlisted for its 2025 culinary awards — significantly reducing the count of Los Angeles-based entries from earlier considerations.

In January, the James Beard Foundation was recognized nearly 20 Los Angeles area restaurants, chefs, and other individuals have been named as semifinalists. By today, just five from Los Angeles and Orange County will move forward as nominees.

Every year, the James Beard Foundation Awards honor professionals and establishments within the food service and accommodations sector; these honors are considered among the nation’s most esteemed prizes in the cooking domain. The list of this year’s victors will be revealed during an event taking place on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Chefs from the Los Angeles area have been excelling in the category of best chef: California. The previous year, Kuya Lord’s chef and owner, Lord Maynard Llera, was leading this trend. won the honor , and in 2023, Justin Pichetrungsi from Anajak Thai was awarded the title This year’s nominees feature two chefs who are listed as the Los Angeles Times 2024 Top 101 Restaurants Guide : Jon Yao and Daniel Castillo .

Yao offers a renowned tasting menu inspired by his Taiwanese background. His Arts District eatery, Kato, has been named the top restaurant in Los Angeles by The L.A. Times for two consecutive years. Additionally, it was awarded a Michelin star and listed among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

In 2018, 2019, and 2020, Yao was a finalist or nominated for the title of Rising Star Chef of the Year.

At Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, Castillo oversees a menu featuring some of the most succulent brisket, innovative smoked sausages, and fusion dishes that blend cultural boundaries. This marks Castillo’s and the restaurant’s inaugural recognition with a James Beard nomination or semifinalist acknowledgment.

Castillo mentioned that he is treating the victory as a collective achievement by his team, and expressed his hope that this recognition will bring increased attention to both Orange County and its food scene, along with highlighting barbecue cuisine in general.

Castillo stated, "The effort required to run a barbecue restaurant has been highlighted. This endeavor feels more like a marathon—lots of labor and commitment go into it. Similar to chefs at upscale eateries, consistency remains crucial here too. However, unlike controlling knobs in conventional kitchens, barbecuing involves managing an unpredictable flame. Achieving mastery over this process demands considerable patience and time."

In San Diego, Tara Monsod Also nominated, Monsod gained attention with his contemporary Filipino dishes at Animae and oversees the kitchen at the sister establishment Le Coq, a French steakhouse located in La Jolla. The two other contenders vying for California’s top chef title are San Francisco-based chefs Richard Lee from Saison and Kosuke Tada from Mijoté.

Gusto Bread in Long Beach returns as a nominee within the exceptional bakery category; the artisanal panadería helmed by proprietors Arturo Enciso and Ana Belén Salatino started out as a humble setup yet evolved into a complete bakery emphasizing ancient grains and locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

Anaheim’s Strong Water It was also nominated in the same category last year. . The ambitious tiki destination The husband-and-wife team of Robert Adamson and Ying Chang has once again been nominated for an award in the Outstanding Wine or Other Beverages Program category, making them a strong competitor yet again. top tiki bars in Southern California .

Tobin Shea The bar director at Redbird is nominated for the Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service award, competing with fellow beverages industry professionals in Honolulu, New York, Cincinnati, and Denver.

This marks Shea's inaugural Beard nomination, along with Redbird's. At his downtown eatery, he emphasizes themed menus featuring refined versions of classic dishes, alongside an alcohol-free beverage program.

Shea, who has been tending bar for 30 years, clearly recalls hearing a podcast announce in 2012 that the organization had introduced a new category for bar programs. This recognition of cocktail culture came after many years of focusing primarily on wine appreciation.

In my mind, I thought, 'Wow, this is exactly what I need to continue working as a bartender,'" he explained. "While my folks were supportive, they kept asking if I had considered finding another job besides bartending. Then, back in 2012, I listened to that podcast and felt that having that kind of opportunity for my profession—or even personally—would be incredible, giving me something concrete to strive toward.

Shea was part of the original team at Redbird and has remained associated with the esteemed restaurant for over ten years. He views this nomination as an acknowledgment of his entire bar staff rather than just himself.

Shea’s 50th birthday falls the week prior to the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony — which means he and his loved ones could end up marking both occasions in Chicago.

“He mentioned that it’s going to be a fantastic week.”

Most of Los Angeles’s 2025 semifinalists did not advance to the nomination stage.

For the Best Chef: California award, almost fifty percent of the semifinalists came from Los Angeles or Orange County. Alongside Yao, Castillo, and Monsod, the list also featured Kwang Uh from Baroo, as well as Alex and Elvia Garcia who run Evil Cooks together. Other nominees were Evan Algorri from Etra, Charles Namba at Camélia, Danielle Duran-Zecca behind Amiga Amore, Melissa López with Barra Santos, and Roberto Alcocer working out of Valle located in Oceanside.

In national categories, Gilberto Cetina from Holbox made it to the list of semifinalists for outstanding chef, while Pasjoli in Santa Monica earned a spot among the semifinalists for outstanding restaurant. Jesús "Chuy" Cervantes from Damian’s became the sole Southern California finalist nominated for the emerging chef award this year. Additionally, Bridgetown Roti received recognition as one of the semifinalists for best new restaurant. République was recognized as a semifinalist for outstanding hospitality, and Thunderbolt secured a place as a semifinalist for outstanding bar. Lastly, Nicole Rucker was also listed as a semifinalist for outstanding pastry chef or baker.

This tale initially surfaced in Los Angeles Times .