San Francisco sees two wins at the 2026 James Beard Awards
Pull out the Champagne. After four years, the Bay Area has broken its awards drought at the "Oscars of the food world" with two prizes in tow.
Michael Tusk, chef-owner of Quince, closed out this year's James Beard Foundation restaurant and chef awards ceremony in Chicago by claiming the coveted Outstanding Chef award. Tusk was joined by his wife and business partner, Lindsay, onstage as he received the award.
"I would not be receiving this if it wasn't for her. She allows me to cook, create and do a lot of the other elements of running a business," he said. During his brief remarks, he also thanked his entire staff.
The Tusks opened Quince in 2003, considered one of the Bay Area's standout fine dining restaurants. It ranked No. 18 in this year's Top 100 Restaurants list. The Tusks also own Italian restaurant Cotogna, and wine bar Verjus.
Tusk is the first Bay Area chef to win an individual award since 2022, when Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu's in Chinatown won the Best Chef: California award. In 2011, Tusk won the Best Chef: Pacific award.
Also a winner tonight was Kevin Diedrich, head bartender and co-owner of San Francisco's Pacific Cocktail Haven for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service award.
From the stage, he thanked the staff at Pacific Cocktail Haven, often shortened to PCH, that he has worked with, past and present. "The team at PCH makes you look good every single day. It's about the people you surround yourselves with and they're absolutely amazing," Diedrich said.
After receiving the award, Diedrich told the Chronicle that he hopes his award can inspire bars and restaurants in San Francisco to bet on themselves. "I hope people keep pushing boundaries and not playing it safe with their programs," he said. "We have new tech money coming in and people are back out and spending."
At PCH, cocktails draw inspiration from Asia and the Pacific. Signature cocktails include the Thrilla in Manila, which incorporates bourbon, calamansi, pineapple, coconut and absinthe. Diedrich opened Pacific Cocktail Haven in June 2016 along with business partners Andy Chun and Jan Wiginton of bar group Sidecar Hospitality. It operated at its original Union Square location until a fire forced a relocation to its current home, at 550 Sutter St., in 2021.
Diedrich and his partners also own the more casual Kona's Street Market in SoMa. That bar opened in 2021 and offers cocktails taking influences and ingredients from around the world.
Sadly, all other Bay Area restaurant nominees that made the final cut returned empty-handed.
Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar - owners of Bay Area restaurants Copra, Eylan, Ettan and Little Blue Door - missed out in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. That award went to Dana Street of Portland, Maine.
In the regional Best Chef: California award Bay Area finalists included Harrison Cheney of Sons & Daughters in San Francisco and chefs Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu of Sun Moon Studio in Oakland. Dave Beran of Seline in Santa Monica won the award.
In the Outstanding Bar award, Scotch Lounge of Portland won, beating out San Francisco tiki bar Smuggler's Cove.
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