11 Minnesota restaurants, chefs named as 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists
Nearly a dozen Minnesota chefs and restaurants made the short list for the 2025 James Beard Awards, an annual ceremony honoring the top culinary institutions in the U.S.
The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday released its list of award semifinalists, which includes several familiar faces in the Minnesota restaurant scene.
Outstanding Chef semifinalist Ann Ahmed of Khâluna in Minneapolis was a finalist for Best Chef Midwest last year, but Christina Nguyen, owner of Minneapolis restaurants Hai Hai and Hola Arepa, took home the prize.
Spoon and Stable, up for the national Outstanding Restaurant category, has generated plenty of James Beard buzz over the years. The restaurant’s chef and owner, Gavin Kaysen, won a regional Best Chef award in 2018. The eatery also received nominations for Best New Restaurant and Outstanding Restaurant Design in 2015.
Best Chef Midwest semifinalist Diane Moua — a longtime pastry chef at Spoon and Stable — was a James Beard semifinalist five straight years from 2016-20, advancing as a finalist in two of those years. She opened Diane’s Place in 2023, spotlighting Hmong cuisine and an array of pastries.
And for the third straight year, chef Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel in St. Paul is a Best Chef Midwest semifinalist.
Here are all 11 semifinalists from Minnesota:
- Outstanding Chef
- Ann Ahmed, Khâluna (Minneapolis)
- Outstanding Restaurant
- Spoon and Stable (Minneapolis)
- Best New Restaurant
- Bûcheron (Minneapolis)
- Vinai (Minneapolis)
- Outstanding Hospitality
- Mucci’s (St. Paul)
- Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Bar Brava (Minneapolis)
- Best Chef Midwest
- Shigeyi Furukawa, Kado no Mise (Minneapolis)
- Abraham Gessesse, Hyacinth (St. Paul)
- Mateo Mackbee, Krewe (St. Joseph)
- Diane Moua, Diane’s Place (Minneapolis)
- Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel (St. Paul)
A list of 2025 nominees is set to be released on April 2, and the winners will be announced at a June 16 ceremony in Chicago.