The James Beard Awards have announced the finalists for their prestigious culinary awards.

11 semifinalists were from Minnesota, and five made the cut as official nominees, including three of the five finalists vying for Best Midwest Chef.

Rep. Angie Craig was also named a 2025 Impact Award honoree for being the minority leader on the House Committee on Agriculture.

The James Beard finalists from Minnesota are:

• Best New Restaurant
  • Bûcheron (Minneapolis)
• Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
  • Bar Brava (Minneapolis)
• Best Chef Midwest
  • Shigeyi Furukawa, Kado no Mise (Minneapolis)
  • Diane Moua, Diane’s Place (Minneapolis)
  • Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel (St. Paul)

The winners of the 2025 James Beard Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Chicago on June 16.

Minnesota has had many James Beard Awards semifinalists, nominees, and winners over the years, with some restaurants and making the list multiple times.

Notable recent winners from Minnesota include Christina Nguyen, who won Best Chef Midwest last year for her Minneapolis restaurant Hai Hai. In 2022, Owamni, a Minneapolis restaurant serving indigenous food, was named the Best New Restaurant.