News today from the James Beard Foundation, and another strong showing for Utah’s talented food and beverage scene. This year’s JBF semi-finalist list dropped in the last half hour or so, and eight Utah names have been recognized; many reprising their appearance from nods in prior years. You can find the full list here. Utah’s nominees then:
Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
- Milo Carrier, Arlo
- Andrew Fuller, Oquirrh
- Travis Herbert, Felt Bar & Eatery
- Tommy Nguyen, The Pearl
- Nick Zocco, Urban Hill
Best New Restaurant
- Junah
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
- Sara Sergent, Alpine Distilling
Outstanding Bar
- Post Office Place
The next stage will see the semi-finalist list whittled down on March 31st – the more compact list will then head to the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 15, 2026 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
In 2025, seven Utah names appeared across a variety of categories for their individual efforts. Those included Lavanya Mahate (Saffron Valley), Mike Blocher / Nick Fahs (Table X), Matt Harris (tupelo), Andrew Fuller (Oquirrh), Nick Zocco (Urban Hill), Adalberto Diaz, (Fillings and Emulsions). Manolis and Water Witch made it to the list for hospitality and best bar, respectively.
Sadly, last year, only Water Witch made it through to the glamorous finale, ultimately failing to bring the best bar award home to Utah; a similar fate befell chefs Ali Sabbeh (Mazza) and Nick Zocco (Urban Hill) who came back empty-handed from the 2024 event.
A reminder that Michelin is also now running the rule over the local food scene. Fingers crossed that ’26 is a successful one for the Beehive.
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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.  Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.   I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.  What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
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