Regional James Beard nods

Two chefs with ties to Whitefish, Montana, and Fall River, Massachusetts, are now finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation named Earl James Reynolds of Herb & Omni in Whitefish a finalist for Best Chef: Mountain, and named E.J. Lagasse of Emeril’s in New Orleans a finalist for Emerging Chef on March 31. Winners will be announced June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) Reynolds is a Whitefish native cooking at Herb & Omni, where the restaurant says the menu is built around both herbivores and omnivores and around ingredients from the Flathead Valley. KPAX reported this is his second time reaching finalist status for a James Beard chef award. (herbandomni.com) (kpax.com) Lagasse is the chef and co-owner at Emeril’s, his father Emeril Lagasse’s flagship restaurant in New Orleans. The James Beard Foundation lists him among five national finalists for Emerging Chef, a category for chefs judged likely to make a significant impact in the years ahead. (emerilsrestaurant.com) (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) The James Beard Awards are one of the restaurant industry’s top national honors, and the Restaurant and Chef Awards have been running since 1990. The foundation says the awards recognize excellence in culinary arts, hospitality, and restaurant leadership. (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) For Reynolds, the nomination puts a small Montana restaurant back into a national awards conversation that often centers on bigger food cities. KPAX also reported he beat Bobby Flay on Food Network in July 2024 after returning to cook in his hometown. (kpax.com) (kpax.com) For Lagasse, the nomination extends a fast rise at a restaurant carrying one of the most recognizable family names in American food. Michelin said in November 2025 that, at 22, he became the youngest chef to lead a kitchen awarded two Michelin stars. (guide.michelin.com) (emerilsrestaurant.com) The Herald News tied Lagasse’s nomination to his family’s Fall River roots, while Reynolds told KPAX that putting Whitefish “on the map in the culinary world” was a dream. The next marker for both chefs is June 15 in Chicago. (heraldnews.com) (kpax.com)