Lagasse makes James Beard list

E.J. Lagasse is now a finalist for Best Emerging Chef at the 2026 James Beard Awards, putting the Lagasse name back in this year’s national chef race. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 restaurant and chef nominees on March 31. In the Emerging Chef category, Lagasse is listed for Emeril’s in New Orleans alongside Fátima Juárez, Rasheeda Purdie, Bailey Sullivan, and Adrian Torres. (jamesbeard.org) James Beard says the Emerging Chef award goes to a chef who shows “exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability,” with no age limit for the category. Winners will be announced June 15, 2026, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) Lagasse is the son of Emeril Lagasse, the television chef and restaurateur whose flagship Emeril’s opened in New Orleans in 1990. The younger Lagasse now serves as chef and co-owner of that restaurant. (emerilsrestaurant.com; heraldnews.com) Emeril’s has been in a generational handoff for several years. The restaurant says E.J. Lagasse graduated from Johnson & Wales in 2021, worked in kitchens in New York, London, and Stockholm, and returned to New Orleans to lead day-to-day operations before a 2023 renovation. (emerilsrestaurant.com) That remake has already brought other major accolades. Michelin said in late 2025 that E.J. Lagasse had led Emeril’s to two Michelin stars, and called him the 2025 Michelin Guide American South Young Chef Award winner. (guide.michelin.com) The James Beard nod extends that run from semifinalist to finalist. The foundation released its 2026 semifinalists on January 21 and said the restaurant and chef nominees would follow on March 31. (jamesbeard.org) For New Orleans, Lagasse’s place on the finalist list keeps one of the city’s most recognizable restaurant families in the awards conversation as the June ceremony approaches. (jamesbeard.org; jamesbeard.org)