James Beard Nominees
E.J. Lagasse, son of Emeril Lagasse and with roots in Fall River, is a 2026 James Beard finalist for Best Emerging Chef. (heraldnews.com) Earl Reynolds of Whitefish was named a Best Chef finalist for the second time in his career. (kpax.com)
Two chefs with local roots in Massachusetts and Montana are heading to the 2026 James Beard Awards finals in national restaurant categories. (jamesbeard.org) E.J. Lagasse is a finalist for Emerging Chef, and Earl Reynolds of Herb & Omni in Whitefish is a finalist for Best Chef: Mountain, according to the James Beard Foundation’s nominee list released March 31. (jamesbeard.org) Lagasse’s nomination ties New Orleans to southeastern Massachusetts: The Herald News reported April 13 that he is the son of Emeril Lagasse, whose family has roots in Fall River, and that E.J. is being recognized in the 2026 awards cycle. (heraldnews.com) Reynolds’ nomination is also local and personal. KPAX reported April 13 that the Whitefish native is a James Beard finalist for the second time in his career and said he and his family were at home when the finalists were announced. (kpax.com) The James Beard Awards are among the highest-profile honors in United States dining, covering chefs, restaurants, bars, and hospitality programs. The foundation says the awards also weigh equity, community, sustainability, and workplace culture alongside culinary achievement. (jamesbeard.org) This year’s restaurant and chef winners will be announced on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The James Beard Foundation says the ceremony is part of its annual Restaurant and Chef Awards program. (jamesbeard.org) Lagasse has been part of a Portuguese-influenced restaurant project in New Orleans with his father. The Herald News reported in January that Emeril Lagasse and E.J. Lagasse were behind 34 Restaurant, a modern Portuguese restaurant inspired by family ties to Fall River and New Bedford, before its planned January 31 closure. (heraldnews.com) Reynolds’ restaurant, Herb & Omni, serves New American food built around Montana ingredients, according to KPAX. He told the station that putting Whitefish “on the map in the culinary world” was “a dream come true.” (kpax.com) The next marker is simple: finalists now have two months until Chicago, where a chef tied to Fall River and a chef from Whitefish will find out whether a nomination turns into a James Beard medal. (jamesbeard.org)
