Posted on: January 21, 2026, 10:19h.
Last updated on: January 21, 2026, 10:31h.
On Wednesday, Las Vegas celebrated a remarkable achievement in its culinary landscape, securing 14 semifinalist spots in the 2026 James Beard Awards — the city’s highest single-year tally to date. These prestigious accolades are often regarded as the Oscars for the culinary world.
This impressive surge contrasts sharply with last year’s performance, which saw only five semifinalists from the city. In 2025, three of those competitors advanced to the finals, but none secured a win.
Las Vegas showcased its talent particularly in the Best Chef: Southwest category, featuring six nominees, including James Trees from Bar Boheme. Additionally, Trees earned a nomination for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program with Ada’s Food + Wine. This year marks his second and third semifinal placements, following his initial mention for Esther’s Kitchen in 2020. Notably, Trees has also launched High Steaks Vegas atop the Rio’s Masquerade Tower. For an in-depth look at his culinary journey, check out Casino.org’s exclusive interview with the chef.
Among this year’s nominees is emerging star Ellie Parker, the 26-year-old executive chef at Main St. Provisions and a contender on the current season of Hell’s Kitchen, which airs its finale this Thursday. Parker received recognition in the Emerging Chef category, marking her debut on the Beard nominee list.
Additionally, Tamba clinched a nomination for Best New Restaurant, while Kimberly McIntosh from Milkfish Bakeshop was acknowledged for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.
In the national categories, the esteemed Elizabeth Blau was honored in the Outstanding Restaurateur category for her exemplary work with Honey Salt, Buddy V’s, and Blau + Associates.
The semifinalists will be narrowed down to finalists on March 31, and the winners will be revealed during an awards ceremony in Chicago on June 15.
Beard Semifinalists
Chef: Southwest (in alphabetical order)
Oulay Ceesay Fisher
Calabash African Kitchen
Brian Howard
Sparrow + Wolf
Yuri Szarzewski
Partage
Sarah Thompson
Casa Playa (Encore)
Jamie Tran
Black Sheep
James Trees
Bar Boheme
Emerging Chef
Ellie Parker
Main St. Provisions
Best New Restaurant
Tamba
Outstanding Restaurateur
Elizabeth Blau
Blau + Associates (Buddy V’s, Honey Salt)
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Kimberly McIntosh
Milkfish Bakeshop
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Ada’s Food + Wine
Best New Bar
Nocturno
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
Bank Atcharawan
Jipata
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
Mariena Mercer Boarini
Aft Cocktail Deck (Wynn Las Vegas)
And the Accolades Keep Coming!
While 14 James Beard semifinal nominations are a significant achievement, four Las Vegas eateries also made it to Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US for 2026. The website compiled this list using data from its platform along with community feedback.
Rock N’ Potato, located in the Strip’s Showcase Mall and famous for its extravagant potato dishes, leads the local lineup at No. 23. Following closely at No. 26 is Lucky Noodle (6120 W. Tropicana Ave., Suite A1), known for its Taiwanese comfort dishes.
Ranked No. 31 is Ton Shou Katsu & Izakaya (4049 Spring Mountain Road), celebrated for its traditional Japanese offerings including crispy katsu cutlets and charcoal-grilled skewers. Lastly, Rutba Indian Kitchen (5115 Spring Mountain Road, Suite 223A) is featured at No. 34, recognized for blending classic Indian clay-oven dishes.
Culinary Developments
Blue Ribbon American Grill & Oyster Bar, which opened shortly after The Cosmopolitan launched in 2010, will close its doors on February 16. It will be replaced by Corner Store, which made its debut in New York’s SoHo in late 2024. This establishment, managed by Catch Hospitality Group, which also operates Catch at Aria, is notably known for hosting Taylor Swift multiple times.
Charter 75 Modern Kitchen is set to open in February at the Gold Coast Casino.
Istanbul Mediterranean will be launching its second location in Las Vegas at 505 Fremont St. downtown, taking over the space formerly occupied by Flippin’ Good.