Jan 22, 2025 - News

11 Minnesota restaurants and chefs named James Beard Award semifinalists

Kyle Stokes

a slice of cake, a fruity drink and a bowl of curry — Steamed chocolate cake (left), Balinese fruited tonic and Massaman curry from Khâluna. Photos: Audrey Kennedy/Axios

Eleven Minnesota chefs and restaurants made the shortlist for this year's James Beard Awards.

Why it matters: The awards are the Oscars of the restaurant industry, and another solid showing in Wednesday's semi-finalist announcement confirms the strength of the state's food and drink scene.

Driving the news: Khâluna's Ann Ahmed (outstanding chef) and Gavin Kaysen's Spoon and Stable (outstanding restaurant) are in the hunt for top national awards.

Catch up quick: Ahmed was a finalist for best Midwest chef last year, but lost out to Hai Hai's Christina Nguyen.

Plus: Adam Ritter's Bûcheron and Yia Vang's Vinai are both up for best new restaurant.

Mucci's in St. Paul (outstanding hospitality) and Bar Brava (outstanding wine program) are also in the running.

Zoom in: Myriel's Karyn Tomlinson — who was recently honored by Food & Wine Magazine — is a semifinalist for the best Midwest chef award.

Hyacinth's Abraham Gessesse, Diane Moua of Diane's Place and Kado no Mise's Shigeyuki Furukawa are also up for the regional honor.
So is Mateo Mackbee of Krewe, a restaurant outside St. Cloud mashing up New Orleans' eclectic flavors.

What's next: A shorter list of finalists will be announced on April 2. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in June.

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11 Minnesota restaurants and chefs named James Beard Award semifinalists

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