Who won this year's James Beard Awards?

Two Bay Area winners took home major honors at the prestigious James Beard Awards at a ceremony held June 15 at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago.

Going into the ceremony, the list of Bay Area and Northern California candidates had already been narrowed significantly: Only six of the 24 semifinalists were named as finalists.

Ultimately, of those, just two were named winners of the prestigious awards, which celebrate nationwide leaders in the food and beverage world: Kevin Diedrich of Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, and Michael Tusk of Quince in San Francisco for Outstanding Chef.

Peninsula duo Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar — the team behind Ettan, in Palo Alto; Copra, in San Francisco; Eylan, in Menlo Park; and Little Blue Door, in Los Altos — were among the top five finalists nationwide up for the Outstanding Restaurateur award, and Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu of Sun Moon Studio in Oakland were in the top five for the Best Chef award in the California region. Neither pair took home the top prize, though.

Diedrich, operating partner and bartender at Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco, expressed gratitude to a number of people while accepting the medallion for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service during the ceremony, which was broadcast online.

“I honestly didn't prepare anything. I'm just a bartender,” he remarked while accepting the award during the ceremony, which was broadcast online. Diedrich thanked the James Beard Foundation for creating a category for bartenders like him along with a few mentors, and credited his team at Pacific Cocktail Haven for making him “look good every single day.”

Lastly, he thanked his wife of 17 years. “She said she'd never marry or date a bartender, but now she’s married to an outstanding professional in cocktail service,” he said.

Tusk said he was surprised to receive his award.

“We really believe in what we do. We believe in hospitality. We're always trying to create a better team, create a better work environment for the entire team,” he said. “The amount of staff members is too lengthy to mention, but all of them, including all of the back of the house chefs over the years – I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.”

“The only thing I'd ask is if one day I can cook with all of you, since I'm sure you will all be up here one day also,” he said.

The event featured high-profile speakers and presenters like Run the Jewels, the latest “Top Chef” winner, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Many speeches throughout the night focused on the importance of immigrants in the U.S. food and restaurant systems.

“Chefs and their teams sit center stage on all the hot issues facing us right now, from food insecurity to pay equity to climate change to immigration and more. Our community comprises the problem solvers, the caretakers, and the change makers,” said Claire Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. “Tonight we recognize the many, many roles that you have to play to succeed today.”

The foundation also awarded its humanitarian award to No Us Without You, a nonprofit formed in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide back-of-house staff, such as dishwashers and line and prep cooks, access to pantry essentials and fresh produce. They also helped to feed families at home to help them avoid ICE raids in nearby restaurants in the spring of 2025.

“From our loading docks to our fast food joints, from our farmlands to our dinner plates, immigrants make America great,” said nonprofit cofounder Damián Diaz.

The 2026 winners are:

• Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, TX
• Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
• Outstanding Bakery: Wild Crumb, Bozeman, MT
• Best New Bar: Loma, Providence, RI
• Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service: Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA
• Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Kato, Los Angeles, CA
• Outstanding Professional in a Beverage Service: Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY
• Outstanding Bar: Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
• Best Chef, Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH): Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL
• Best Chef, Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK): Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
• Best Chef, Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY): Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO
• Best Chef, Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT): Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH
• Best Chef, Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA): Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
• Best Chef, Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI): Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
• Best Chef, South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR): Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA
• Best Chef, Texas: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston, TX
• Best Chef, New York: Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY
• Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA): Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
• Best Chef, Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV): Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, NC
• Best Chef, California: Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA
• Best New Restaurant: Lei, New York, NY
• Outstanding Hospitality: Providence, Los Angeles, CA
• Outstanding Restaurateur: Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, ME
• Outstanding Restaurant: Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA
• Outstanding Chef: Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA

Additionally, the California recipient named in this year’s America’s Classic category, representing timeless, independent restaurants that serve as community anchors, was The Serving Spoon in Inglewood, owned by Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane.

And the recipient of the foundation’s Lifetime Achievement award was Nancy Silverton, whose career spans four decades as a chef, baker, restaurateur, and author, particularly in Los Angeles with restaurants like Campanile and Osteria Mozza, and the La Brea Bakery.

“Through your work, you strengthen communities, you bridge cultures, and you create moments of connection that enrich all of our lives, all while serving truly delicious food,” Pritzker told attendees.

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 8:02 PM.