New James Beard Finalists
The latest James Beard Award finalists include E.J. Lagasse for Best Emerging Chef and Earl Reynolds of Whitefish as a repeat Best Chef finalist, spotlighting both a legacy chef’s son and regional talent. Local coverage notes Lagasse’s Portuguese‑American background and Reynolds’ second career finalist nod. ( )
Two chefs from very different corners of the restaurant world are now on the 2026 James Beard finalist list: E.J. Lagasse in New Orleans and Earl Reynolds in Whitefish. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees on March 31, and winners will be named June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) Lagasse is a finalist for Emerging Chef, a national category the foundation defines as honoring a chef with talent, character and leadership who is likely to have an outsized impact. (jamesbeard.org) Reynolds is a finalist for Best Chef in the Mountain region, which covers Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, according to Yellowstone Public Radio’s report on the state’s finalists. (ypradio.org) Lagasse’s nomination keeps a famous restaurant family in the awards conversation, but it also lands on his own recent résumé: he returned to New Orleans in 2022 to lead Emeril’s as chef and co-owner after training at Le Bernardin, Core by Clare Smyth and Frantzén. (emeril.org) Local coverage in Massachusetts tied that rise to family and heritage, identifying him as the son of Fall River-born chef Emeril Lagasse and noting his Portuguese-American roots. (heraldnews.com) Reynolds’ finalist spot puts a Montana chef back on a national stage for a second time, with KPAX reporting that the Whitefish native is now a James Beard finalist again. (kpax.com) His current kitchen is Herb & Omni in downtown Whitefish, where the restaurant says Reynolds builds menus around Flathead ingredients and the seasons he grew up with in northwest Montana. (herbandomni.com) The 2026 list shows how the awards now mix legacy names with smaller-market restaurants: Emeril’s is a nationally known New Orleans dining room, while Herb & Omni is a Whitefish restaurant serving one of the country’s most sparsely populated award regions. (jamesbeard.org) The next marker is June 15 in Chicago, when Lagasse and Reynolds will find out whether finalist recognition turns into a James Beard win. (jamesbeard.org)
