Beard nods: Earl Reynolds

Earl Reynolds, the chef behind Herb & Omni in Whitefish, is a 2026 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Mountain. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation published its 2026 restaurant and chef nominees on March 31, listing Reynolds alongside four other finalists from Colorado, Utah and Montana in the Mountain region. Winners will be announced June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) KPAX reported April 13 that this is the second time Reynolds has reached finalist status in his career. Reynolds told the station he was “so proud” of his team and “really grateful” for the recognition. (kpax.com) The nomination puts a Whitefish restaurant into a national awards program that the James Beard Foundation says has recognized restaurant and hospitality talent in the United States since 1990. The foundation says its awards now also weigh equity, community and sustainability alongside culinary achievement. (jamesbeard.org; jamesbeard.org) For Montana, the 2026 list is short. Yellowstone Public Radio reported that Reynolds is one of two Montana finalists this year, along with Wild Crumb in Bozeman in the Outstanding Bakery category. (ypradio.org) Reynolds had already been on the Beard radar this year before the finalist round. The foundation’s semifinalist list, published January 21, included him in Best Chef: Mountain before the field narrowed on March 31. (jamesbeard.org; jamesbeard.org) He has built a wider profile beyond Montana, too. KPAX reported in July 2024 that the Whitefish High School graduate beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network competition “Beat Bobby Flay.” (kpax.com) Herb & Omni is open in Whitefish from Wednesday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., according to KPAX. The next marker for Reynolds is June 15, when the Beard Foundation names this year’s winners in Chicago. (kpax.com; jamesbeard.org)