Montana chef earns Beard nod again

Earl Reynolds, the executive chef at Herb & Omni in Whitefish, is a 2026 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Mountain, his second trip to the finals in three years. (jamesbeard.org) (kpax.com) The James Beard Foundation announced the 2026 restaurant and chef finalists on March 31, and it said winners will be named June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) Reynolds is competing in the Mountain region, which covers Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. Yellowstone Public Radio reported he is one of two Montana finalists this year, along with Wild Crumb in Bozeman in the Outstanding Bakery category. (ypradio.org) This is Reynolds’ second Beard finals appearance after a 2023 finalist run while he was executive chef at Stone Hill Kitchen and Bar in Bigfork. KPAX reported his 2026 nomination comes from his work at Herb & Omni on Central Avenue in downtown Whitefish. (kpax.com) The Beard awards are one of the restaurant industry’s biggest national honors, and the foundation said the chef and restaurant awards have been running for nearly four decades. This year also marks the foundation’s 40th year, according to its finalists announcement. (jamesbeard.org) (abcnews.com) Reynolds told KPAX that putting Whitefish “on the map in the culinary world” is “a dream come true,” and he said the finalist news set off a celebration at home with his wife and young daughter. (kpax.com) At Herb & Omni, Reynolds said he builds a New American menu around local farmers, ranchers and ingredients from northwest Montana. The restaurant says it serves dishes built around both plant-based and meat-centered diners, and it is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (kpax.com) (herbandomni.com) (explorewhitefish.com) Reynolds has drawn national attention before. In June 2024, he told Flathead Beacon he had been Herb & Omni’s executive chef since December 2023, and local outlets later reported he beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network show “Beat Bobby Flay.” (flatheadbeacon.com) (kpax.com) For Whitefish, the next date is June 15, when Reynolds will find out whether a second finals appearance turns into a James Beard win. (jamesbeard.org)