Chiwas Hospitality Group
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It’s that time of year again. The James Beard Awards have announced their 2026 class of semifinalists.
Unofficially dubbed “the Oscars of Food,” the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards recognize the best of the best around the country. The restaurant awards highlight individual eateries that are pushing boundaries and serving customers at the highest level. Chef awards are divided by region, with Arizona lumped in with New Mexico, Nevada and Oklahoma in the Southwest.
Last year, chef Yotaka “Sunny” Martin of downtown Phoenix restaurant Lom Wong took home the medal for her regional Thai cuisine. In 2024, chef Rene Andrade took the title for his Sonoran-style live fire fare at Bacanora. Can Arizona make it three in a row? The 2026 nominees will be announced on March 31 and the winners will take home their medals on June 15.
Indibar
2026 James Beard semifinalists in Arizona
Outstanding Chef – Charleen Badman, FnB, Scottsdale
Best New Restaurant – Indibar, Scottsdale
Outstanding Bar – Highball, Phoenix
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service – Zac Adcox, Cafe Monarch, Scottsdale
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service – Ross Simon, Little Rituals, Phoenix
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
Roberto Centeno, Espiritu, Mesa
TJ Culp, Progress, Phoenix
Rochelle Daniel, Atria, Flagstaff
Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, Tacos Chiwas, Phoenix
Scott Holmes, Little Miss BBQ, Phoenix
Kyle Kent, Chula Seafood, Phoenix
Claudia Vindiola, La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood, Tucson
Familiar faces, new names
The James Beard Awards have recognized excellence in the industry for decades.
“We are thrilled to congratulate this year’s semifinalists as we mark another major milestone — 40 years of the James Beard Foundation,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, in a news release. “For four decades, the Foundation has recognized culinary excellence while championing the independent chefs and restaurants that are vital to our communities, economy, and culture. It is an honor to celebrate the 2026 semifinalists, whose work reflects the incredible dynamism, talent, and achievement defining our industry today.”
And for some of our 2026 Arizona semifinalists, they are no strangers to the awards. Chef Charleen Badman, who runs the Old Town Scottsdale eatery FnB, won the title of Best Chef: Southwest in 2019. That came after five years in a row as a semifinalist in the same category. Now, she has risen to the level of the overall best chef category, which recognizes “a chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals.”
Rochelle Daniel, who runs the acclaimed Flagstaff eatery Atria, was named a semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category in 2022.
Roberto Centeno earned his second Best Chef – Southwest nomination, which he shared with Rene Andrade for their work at Bacanora in 2023. He was also recognized as an Emerging Chef in 2024.
On multiple concepts in town, Centeno partners with the powerhouse culinary duo Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin. This year, the couple have been nominated for their work at their original eatery, Tacos Chiwas. They’re familiar with the James Beard Awards as well. In 2024, the duo were nominated in the category of Outstanding Restaurateur and in 2019, Holguin was nominated for Best Chef – Southwest for her cuisine at the now-closed Roland’s.
Ross Simon, the cocktail mastermind behind downtown’s Bitter & Twisted and a partner on Little Rituals, is a semifinalist this year. The fourth-floor hotel bar was a semifinalist in the Outstanding Bar category in 2020, 2024 and 2025.
Zac Adcox has received a semifinalist nod for his work at Cafe Monarch in Scottsdale. He previously worked with the team at the wine bar and bistro Kid Sister, which made its James Beard debut last year in the category of Best New Bar.
Not all of our local nominees are veterans of these awards. Some newcomers are entering the ring. Indibar opened in March 2025 and quickly made a splash with its inventive Indian cuisine.
Chef TJ Culp has run Restaurant Progress since 2017 and Sottise since 2021. His expert New American and French cooking have now earned him a spot on the Best Chef – Southwest lineup.
And Highball, a swanky cocktail bar on Seventh Avenue, has earned honors at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. This is its first year in the James Beard mix.
Following the semifinalist announcements, the groups will be narrowed down to nominees. Then, at an in-person ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in June, the winners will be awarded their medals.
