
James Beard, an iconic annual culinary award series, just announced their semi-finalists for the year. San Francisco once again made an impressive showing, racking up a total of 16 semifinalists in various categories. The James Beard Awards are known for being some of the most prestigious awards for restaurants and bars in the United States.
The foundation is officially marking its 35th year in 2025; “For 35 years, the James Beard Awards have stood as a testament to American food culture and its exceptional talent. What began as a celebration of culinary achievement has evolved into a platform leading chefs and the broader culinary industry towards a new standard of excellence,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation.
In past years, San Francisco has been well-represented at the awards, with 12 semifinalists in 2024. Semifinalists for this year include Four Kings for Best New Restaurant after being listed in the New York Times’ top 50 restaurants in America. Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski were nominated for Outstanding Restauranteur for their work at iconic restaurants such as State Bird Provisions, The Anchovy Bar, and The Progress. True Laurel, an elegant cocktail bar that’s no stranger to awards, was a semifinalist of Outstanding Bar. Neighborhood bar The Halfway Club was named a semifinalist for Best New Bar just after their one-year anniversary.
The James Beard Foundation has also added several new categories this year, including Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional Cocktail Service.
Check out the full list of San Francisco semifinalists below:
- Outstanding Restaurateur: Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski (The Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, and The Progress)
- Outstanding Chef: Suzette Gresham-Tognetti (Acquerello)
- Best Chef: California: Val Cantu (Californios), Richard Lee (Saison), Kosuke Tada (Mijote), Laura Ozyilmaz and Sayat Ozyilmaz (Dalida), Nite Yun (Lunette)
- Emerging Chef: Spencer Horowitz (Hadeem)
- Outstanding Restaurant: Benu
- Outstanding Bar: True Laurel
- Best New Restaurant: Four Kings
- Best New Bar (new category): The Halfway Club
- Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Kitchen Istanbul
- Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: Jacob Brown (Lazy Bear), Tonya Pitts (One Market)
- Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service: Danny Louie (Kaiyō)
The winners of the James Beard Awards for 2025 will be announced later this year on June 16 at a ceremony in Chicago.