PHOENIX — The list of 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for the James Beard Awards features a lot of local pride!
Restaurants and chefs from Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Flagstaff, and Tucson put Arizona on the map… or, on this occasion, on the list.
“These semifinalists join a constellation of James Beard Award–recognized leaders who collectively embody the breadth of American culinary excellence,” read the statement on the James Beard Foundation’s website.
Here's who was selected from Arizona to be the 2026 James Beard semifinalists:
- Outstanding Chef
- Charleen Badman, FnB in Scottsdale.
- Best New Restaurant
- Indibar in Scottsdale.
- Outstanding Bar
- Highball in Phoenix.
- Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
- Zac Adcox, Café Monarch in Scottsdale.
- Ross Simon, Little Rituals in Phoenix.
- Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
- Roberto Centeno, Espiritu in Mesa.
- TJ Culp, Restaurant Progress in Phoenix.
- Rochelle Daniel, Atria in Flagstaff.
- Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, Tacos Chiwas in Phoenix.
- Scott Holmes, Little Miss BBQ in Phoenix.
- Kyle Kent, Chula Seafood in Phoenix.
- Claudia Vindiola, La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood in Tucson.
Restaurant and Chef nominees will be announced on March 31, and winners will be announced on June 15 at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony.
More Things to Do stories:
AZ & THE 'BEST CHEF: SOUTHWEST' AWARD
- Downtown Phoenix restaurant ‘Lom Wong’ won a James Beard Award in 2025.
- This win marked the second consecutive year a Phoenician has won the 'Best Chef: Southwest' award.
- "Lom Wong is a family restaurant. We’re grateful to be recognized for doing something that comes from our hearts," said Alex Martin, co-owner of Lom Wong, in an email sent to ABC15 regarding their win. The full story can be read here.
- Bacanora chef Rene Andrade won the coveted James Beard Award in 2024.
- Phoenix restaurant chef Andrade took home the top honor in the "Best Chef: Southwest" category; the region represents Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Oklahoma. The full story can be read here.
