James Beard nominee local tie
Portuguese‑American chef E.J. Lagasse, who has roots in Fall River, was named a James Beard Award nominee this cycle and will compete alongside chefs from major U.S. cities. (The Herald News covered Lagasse’s nomination and listed his national competitors.) (heraldnews.com)
E.J. Lagasse, a Portuguese-American chef with family roots in Fall River, is a 2026 James Beard Award nominee for Emerging Chef. (heraldnews.com) The James Beard Foundation listed Lagasse—of Emeril’s in New Orleans—among five national Emerging Chef nominees announced March 31, 2026. (jamesbeard.org) His competitors in that category include Fátima Juárez (Komal, Los Angeles), Rasheeda Purdie (Ramen by Ra, New York), Bailey Sullivan (Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, Chicago), and Adrian Torres (Maximo, West University Place, Texas). (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Awards are a national restaurant-industry prize run by the New York-based James Beard Foundation, with winners set to be revealed June 15, 2026 in Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) Lagasse’s nomination lands after Emeril’s earned two MICHELIN Stars in the MICHELIN Guide American South 2025 selection, a rating the guide said made him the youngest chef to lead a two-star kitchen. (guide.michelin.com) The MICHELIN Guide also named Lagasse the 2025 American South Young Chef Award winner as part of that same rollout. (guide.michelin.com) Emeril’s identifies E.J. Lagasse as “Chef, Co-Owner,” with Emeril Lagasse listed as “Owner,” tying the nominee to a family restaurant group that spans New Orleans and beyond. (emerilsrestaurant.com) In Fall River, the local angle runs through his father: the Herald News reported that Emeril Lagasse, E.J.’s father, was born in Fall River, linking the 2026 nominee to the city’s Portuguese-American community. (heraldnews.com) The next public milestone is the June 15 ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where the Emerging Chef category will be decided against nominees from Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston-area suburbs, and New Orleans. (jamesbeard.org)
