Here Are Las Vegas’s 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalists

Robert Miller Las Vegas was recognized with semifinalists for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Best Chef: Southwest The James Beard Foundation Awards announced the line-up of semifinalists for the restaurant and chef awards categories on Wednesday, January 22. The initial, more extensive list will be trimmed down to nominees on April 3, 2025, before winners are announced on June 16 at the awards ceremony in Chicago. The James Beard Awards are considered some of the most prestigious awards in food. Each year, the James Beard Foundation taps outstanding restaurants and chefs from across the country for awards including Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Bakery, and Emerging Chef. The long-running program, which gave out its first awards in 1991, has garnered increased scrutiny in recent years since canceling its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to misbehavior and abuse allegations against nominated chefs, and a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs among the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable before returning in 2022. In 2024, the Las Vegas area’s only finalist in the running for the restaurant and chef awards was Steve Kestler of Aroma Latin American Cocina in Henderson. Although Kestler didn’t win, beloved 24-hour diner Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge was recognized with an America’s Classics award earlier in the year. Here is the list of 2025 James Beard Beard Foundation Awards semifinalists from Las Vegas. Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service Cristie Norman, Delilah, Las Vegas, Nevada Best Chef: Southwest DJ Flores, Milpa, Las Vegas, Nevada Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, Nevada Michael Vakneen, Double Zero Pie & Pub, Las Vegas, Nevada Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas, Nevada Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.