Earl Reynolds is a repeat Beard finalist

Earl Reynolds of Whitefish is back on the James Beard Awards finalist list, earning a second career nod in the Best Chef: Mountain category. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees on March 31. Winners are scheduled to be named June 15, 2026, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) Reynolds is executive chef at Herb & Omni on Central Avenue in downtown Whitefish. The restaurant describes its menu as farm-to-table and says it uses locally sourced ingredients. (kpax.com) (herbandomni.com) This is Reynolds’ second time reaching finalist status, not just semifinalist status. KPAX reported that he was also a 2023 Best Chef finalist while leading Stone Hill Kitchen and Bar in Bigfork. (kpax.com) (jamesbeard.org) The Best Chef: Mountain award covers five states: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. Yellowstone Public Radio reported that Reynolds is one of two Montana finalists in the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, alongside Wild Crumb in Bozeman in Outstanding Bakery. (ypradio.org) The James Beard Foundation calls its awards the “pinnacle of culinary recognition” in the United States and says the program has run for nearly four decades. In restaurant terms, finalist status places a chef on a short national list after earlier semifinalist rounds. (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) Reynolds told KPAX that he and his family were at home when the finalists were announced and “started jumping around in the kitchen.” He said the recognition reflects both his team at Herb & Omni and the ingredients of northwest Montana. (kpax.com) Herb & Omni is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., according to KPAX. For Whitefish, the next date that matters is June 15, when Reynolds will learn whether a second finalist run turns into his first James Beard win. (kpax.com) (jamesbeard.org)