James Beard Award Winners & Nominees

The James Beard Awards recognize excellence in the culinary arts, food and beverage, and hospitality industries. You'll find some of the country's best talent right here in Connecticut, with several recent winners, nominees, and semifinalists representing nearly every corner of the state.

Connecticut is well-represented on the list of nominees for the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, with three finalists:

• David Standridge of The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic is a nominee in the national Outstanding Chef category. Standridge also won the Best Chef: Northeast award in 2024. 
• Port of Call in Mystic is a nominee in the national Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category. The restaurant and bar was also a 2025 semifinalist in this category.
• David DiStasi of Materia in Bantam is a nominee in the Best Chef: Northeast category.

These three restaurants and chefs were semifinalists for 2026 awards:

• Bolivar Hilario of Community Table in New Preston, and Shilimat Tessema of Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant in New Haven were semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northeast category, representing chefs in the six New England states. ROLi in New Haven, which opened in 2025, was a semifinalist in the national Best New Restaurant category.