The James Beard Awards, widely recognized as the Oscars of the gastronomic sect in the United States, once again celebrated what is deemd the nation’s most outstanding culinary talent, this time with two Orange County names making the cut this year as finalists.
Alas, zero awards went to Orange County at this year’s ceremony, held in Chicago on Monday, June 16.
In April: Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue was named a fainalist for Best Chef: California and Strong Water in Anaheim received a nod for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, but both went home empty-handed on Monday..
This year, the nonprofit foundation recognized more than 100 restaurants and food makers as finalists across 25 categories. Each winner was presented with a certificate and medallion engraved with the image of James Beard, the lauded American chef, cookbook author, television personality and teacher for whom the awards are named.
Although he scored his first finalist placement with the James Beard Foundation, Castillo was bested by Jon Yao of Kato in Los Angeles. The category also included Tara Monsod of San Diego’s Animae, Richard Lee of Saison in San Francisco and Kosuke Tada of Mijoté in San Francisco.
ALSO READ: Where do Orange County’s top chefs eat? We asked them
During his acceptance speech, Yao said, in part, “At our restaurant, we tell stories of immigrants, diaspora, endurance and perseverance. LA is a city built by the toil of the immigrant community, and right now those same communities are being ripped apart.” The San Gabriel Valley native went on to ask the audience to use their voice and platform to speak out, adding, “We all deserve the freedom to pursue our dreams, to determine our own futures, and be treated with equal dignity and respect.”
This marks the third year in a row the Best Chef: California accolade went to a Los Angeles name; Kuya Lord chef Lord Maynard Llera nabbed the regional award in 2024, with Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai winning it in 2023.
Despite being named as finalists for the second year in a row for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, Ying Chang and Robert Adamson’s Strong Water in Anaheim lost to Charleston in Baltimore, Maryland. The shipwreck-themed bar in North County also competed against Bar Brava in Minneapolis; Campo at Los Poblanos in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico and March in Houston, Texas.
On another local note, R.J. Yoakum, executive chef at Georgie in Dallas, was a finalist in the Emerging Chef category. Yoakum, who previously worked in the kitchens of the French Laundry and Angler SF, grew up in Mission Viejo. Phila Lorn of Philadelphia ‘s Mawn won the category.
The full list of James Beard Awards 2025 winners is as follows:
Emerging Chef: Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Cat Cox, Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa OK
Outstanding Bakery: Jinju Patisserie, Portland, OR
Best New Bar: Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, PR
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie’s, Austin, TX
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service: Ignacio Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Charleston, Baltimore, MD
Outstanding Bar: Kumiko, Chicago, IL
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Best Chef, Northeast: Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT
Best Chef, Midwest: Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, MN
Best Chef, California: Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles
Best Chef, Mountain: Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID
Best Chef, Southwest: Yotaka Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix, AZ
Best Chef, Southeast: Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville, TN
Best Chef, Great Lakes: Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago, IL
Best Chef, Texas: Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring, TX
Outstanding Hospitality: Atomix, New York, NY
Best New Restaurant: Bûcheron, Minneapolis, MN
Outstanding Restauranteur: Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d’Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY
Outstanding Restaurant: Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
Outstanding Chef: Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY
2025 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award: Toni Tipton-Martin
2025 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year: Chad Houser
A body of judges in the culinary industry evaluate nominees based on their skills in the kitchen or behind the bar, including behavioral ethics and employee treatment. The James Beard Foundation has presented these awards annually since 1991, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media awards honoring cookbook authors, journalists and other media professionals were handed out at a ceremony on Saturday, June 14.
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