Two James Beard finalists
E.J. Lagasse, son of Emeril Lagasse, was named a finalist for Best Emerging Chef at the 2026 James Beard Awards, drawing attention to his Portuguese‑American roots in Fall River. (Local reporting confirmed his finalist status and background.) (heraldnews.com). Separately, Earl Reynolds of Whitefish was also named a James Beard finalist for Best Chef — the second time in his career he’s reached that level. (A Montana outlet reported Reynolds’ repeat finalist recognition.) (kpax.com).
Two chefs with ties to very different food scenes — New Orleans and Whitefish, Montana — are now finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards. (jamesbeard.org) E.J. Lagasse is a finalist for Best Emerging Chef, a national category, and Earl Reynolds is a finalist for Best Chef: Mountain, a regional category covering Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. The James Beard Foundation announced the 2026 restaurant and chef finalists on March 31. (jamesbeard.org) Lagasse works at Emeril’s in New Orleans and, according to local reporting, is the son of Emeril Lagasse and has Portuguese-American family roots in Fall River, Massachusetts. Another report said he became the youngest chef to lead a kitchen with two Michelin stars at that restaurant at age 22. (heraldnews.com, golfweek.usatoday.com) Reynolds is the chef at Herb & Omni in Whitefish, and KPAX reported this is the second time in his career that he has reached finalist status. Yellowstone Public Radio identified Reynolds as one of four Montana semifinalists in the Mountain region when the longer list came out in January. (kpax.com, ypradio.org) The split between their categories explains why both names can be “James Beard finalists” without competing against each other. Best Emerging Chef singles out rising talent nationwide, while Best Chef awards are divided into 12 regions. (jamesbeard.org) The awards carry unusual weight in restaurant culture because the James Beard Foundation’s chef and restaurant honors have been running since 1990 and are treated as one of the industry’s top credentials. The foundation said the 2026 awards mark its 40th year. (jamesbeard.org, goodmorningamerica.com) This year’s finalists were narrowed from semifinalists announced on January 21, with winners scheduled for June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. That gives both chefs about 10 weeks between finalist recognition and the ceremony. (jamesbeard.org, jamesbeard.org) For Lagasse, the nomination has also become a local identity story outside Louisiana, with Fall River’s Portuguese-American community claiming a connection through his family background. For Reynolds, the repeat finalist nod puts Whitefish back into a national awards conversation that usually centers on bigger restaurant cities. (heraldnews.com, kpax.com) The next clear marker is June 15 in Chicago, when the James Beard Foundation will turn two finalist announcements into either first-time wins or another near miss. (jamesbeard.org)
