James Beard Awards 2026 nominees include slate of IL, St. Louis restaurants, chefs
Three Illinois chefs and four St. Louis-area restaurants and chefs have been nominated for 2026 James Beard Awards, referred to as the “pinnacle of culinary recognition” nationally.
Nominees “embody exceptional talent and leadership” in the industry, according to a news release from the James Beard Foundation, and the winners will be named in a June 15 ceremony to be held in Chicago.
There are more than a dozen award categories, celebrating an “Outstanding Restauranter,” “Outstanding Chef,” “Best New Restaurant” and more.
The newest James Beard Award program, the Impact Awards, was introduced last year and recognizes those who work toward creating a more sustainable, equitable and economically viable restaurant industry, according to the foundation.
In the 2025 award cycle, Chicago’s Kumiko won “Outstanding Bar” and Noah Sandoval at Chicago’s fine dining restaurant Oriole was named “Best Chef: Great Lakes.”
Here’s what to know about the Illinois and St. Louis-area restaurants and chefs nominated for this year’s James Beard Awards.
Who in Illinois was nominated for James Beard Awards?
Three chefs in Chicago have been nominated for 2026 James Beard Awards, including Bailey Sullivan at Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio for “Emerging Chef.” Monteverde Restaurant is located in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood and features Italian cuisine.
Sullivan spent more than eight years working her way up the ladder from line cook to executive chef, according to the restaurant’s website. You can book a reservation at Monteverde Restaurant online, or order to go.
Two Chicago chefs were nominated for “Best Chef: Great Lakes,” Norman Fenton at Cariño and Jacob Potashnick at Feld. Cariño was named among the top 50 best restaurants in the U.S. last year by The New York Times. It is a Michelin-starred restaurant specializing in contemporary Mexican dishes.
Feld Restaurant is located in Chicago’s West Town, and focuses on seasonal, produce-forward meals. It has also received a Michelin star, and you can make reservations online. Feld offers a pre-fixed tasting menu for $225, before tax and service fees.
St. Louis-area James Beard nominees
Vicia, a vegetable-forward establishment in St. Louis, was nominated for “Outstanding Restaurant.”
“We are honored to have been named a 2026 James Beard Finalist for Outstanding Restaurant. It is truly humbling to be recognized alongside this amazing of group of our peers! We are so very proud of our team, whose hard work, creativity, and commitment are at the heart of Vicia,” the restaurant’s website says.
Vicia serves vegetarian options and vegan dishes, but not exclusively. You can make reservations online to try the ricotta gnocchetti, braised beef short rib or grilled carrots.
Robin in St. Louis was nominated for “Best New Restaurant” and was also featured in The New York Times’ 50 best restaurants list in 2025. The establishment opened in March 2025, and offers “fine comfort dining” with dishes, such as the venison tartare, fresh cheese dumplings and confit mushrooms.
The “Best Chef: Midwest” category features two St. Louis-area chefs. Nick Bognar at Sado and Pavilion (located inside Sado) is one of the nominees and was previously named a 2020 James Beard Awards semifinalist for “Rising Star Chef of the Year” when he worked at St. Louis’ iNDO.
Loryn Nalic at Balkan Treat Box in St. Louis suburb Webster Groves has also been nominated for best Midwest chef, and has previously been a 2025 finalist and a semifinalist in 2024, 2023 and 2020 for the category.
Balkan Treat Box is known for its grilled beef sausages, Turkish wood-fired flatbread and desserts.
Another restaurant in a St. Louis suburb, Louie in Clayton, has been nominated for “Outstanding Hospitality.” Louie offers pizza, roast chicken, grilled pork chops and a variety of other dishes, and offers patio seating when weather allows.
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