2025 James Beard Award Nominations: MO/AD Tastemaker Edition
Highlighting Our James Beard Award Nominated Tastemakers
Each year, the James Beard Awards shine a spotlight on the culinary world’s most innovative and inspiring talent, celebrating chefs who are redefining the way we eat and connect through food. At Modern Adventure, we’re proud to collaborate with some of these extraordinary visionaries, offering exclusive trips led by James Beard-nominated and award-winning Tastemakers. From immersive culinary journeys that dive into their personal stories to hands-on experiences in the destinations that have shaped their careers, these trips are an invitation to savor the creativity, passion, and expertise of the culinary world’s brightest stars.
James Beard Award Finalists
Finalist for Outstanding Restaurant
Galit, Chicago, IL
Zach Engel
While living and working in the Middle East, Chef Zach traded stories and recipes with immigrants from across the region. His career includes time spent in the kitchens of Zahav in Philadelphia, Catit in Tel Aviv and Michelin-starred Madrona Manor in Sonoma County. Zach’s time growing up in a Jewish household as the son of a rabbi and his many trips to Israel are the grounding elements of his modern Middle Eastern cooking at Galit. Travel with Zach.
Finalist for Outstanding Chef
Gabriel Kreuther
Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY
Acclaimed Chef Gabriel Kreuther’s distinguished career and profound passion for French cuisine offers a unique and deeply personal exploration of these iconic regions. He honed his craft in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe before earning accolades in the U.S., including James Beard Award nominations and two Michelin stars at his eponymous restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.
Finalist for Outstanding Hospitality
Mixtli, San Antonio, TX
Rico Torres & Hailey Pruitt
Chef Rico Torres, co-founder of the San Antonio’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, Mixtli, has dedicated his career to rescuing, preserving, and promoting the diverse regional flavors of Mexico. At Mixtli, each menu is a tribute to Mexico’s 32 states, blending ancient techniques with contemporary creativity. Hailey Pruitt is a certified sommelier with a deep love for the history, artistry, and farming behind every bottle, having played a pivotal role in developing Mixtli’s beverage program. This duo is dedicated to exploring and celebrating the intersection of Mexican and French culinary traditions. Travel with Rico and Hailey.
Finalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes
Thai Dang
HaiSous, Chicago, IL
Thai Dang is a culinary powerhouse who emigrated to the United States when he was 8 years old. Fast forward a few decades, and he’s established himself as one of the most respected Vietnamese-American chefs in the country. Thanks to his determination and knowledge of Vietnamese coffee tradition, people drive for miles just to muse over coffee at Thai’s Chicago institution, HaiSous. The name translates to two pennies—to him, it’s a reminder of his humble beginnings that started with a dream and two pennies.
Finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Dan Richer
Razza, Jersey City, NJ
Dan Richer, a New Jersey native, discovered his passion for Italian cooking in Italy, inspiring a career centered on artisanal pizza and sustainable agriculture. Owner of a celebrated Razza and author of The Joy of Pizza: Everything You Need to Know (2021), Dan champions fresh ingredients and connecting chefs with local farmers.
Finalist for Best Chef: Midwest
David Utterback
Ota and Yoshitomo, Omaha, NE
Chef David Utterback is now a 4-time James Beard Award semifinalist and the chef-owners of acclaimed Omaha restaurants, Yoshitomo, Izakaya Koji, and Ota. He travels to Japan several times a year, continually exploring new regions and techniques, shaping his culinary identity, inspiring his menus, and bringing an authentic experience to every dish he creates. Travel with David.
Finalist for Best Chef: Southeast
Sara Bradley
Freight House, Paducah, KY
Chef Sara Bradley was raised on strawberry fields and pit BBQ, developing her skills under Michelin-starred chefs in Chicago and New York before returning to her old Kentucky home to open Freight House tavern. In her farm-to-table, Southern-inspired restaurant she sources local ingredients within a day’s drive and works to define the “New South” through thoughtful, seasonal cooking. Travel with Sara.
James Beard Award Semifinalists
Semifinalist for Outstanding Chef
William Dissen
The Market Place, Asheville, NC
William Dissen is a renowned culinary diplomat and James Beard Award nominee. Recognized twice by Fortune magazine as “Green Chef of the Year,” his commitment to sustainability is unwavering. He also recently published the cookbook, “Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted In the New South.”
Semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant
Chubby Fish, Charleston, SC
James London
If you’ve been to Charleston, you know that restaurants live and die by the quality of their fish. But in a town swimming with seafood joints, Chef James London’s Chubby Fish stands out for its creativity and unique offerings. Guests line up daily to dine at the intimate, no-reservations restaurant. Travel with James.
Don Angie, New York, NY
Angie Rito & Scott Tacinelli
Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli are the culinary maestros behind New York’s Don Angie. Their debut cookbook, “Italian American”, has soared to bestseller status, and they’ve both earned numerous James Beard Award nominations. Despite this impressive list of accolades, they’ve remained humble, inquisitive, and generous.
Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant
Somaek, Boston, MA
Jamie Bissonnette
Jamie Bissonnette is a force to be reckoned with. The James Beard Award-winning chef is the mastermind behind some of Boston’s most successful restaurants. He is renowned throughout the industry for his nose-to-tail cooking and unrivaled ability to bring both nostalgia and innovation to a plate. Travel with Jamie.
Semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery
Fan Fan Doughnuts, Brooklyn, NY
Fany Gerson
Fany Gerson, is a Mexican chef, author, and the visionary behind La Newyorkina, Mijo Mexican Kitchen, and Fan Fan Doughnuts. Fany is America’s most authoritative voice on Mexican sweets and has been featured in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Fine Cooking, Saveur Magazine, Fine Cooking, Fast Company and New York magazines, among others.
Semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality
Compère Lapin, New Orleans, LA
Nina Compton
Chef Nina rolls with a certain je ne sais quoi sort of gravitas. Food & Wine and Esquire both hailed her New Orleans restaurant Compère Lapin as one of the most important openings of the 21st Century and the James Beard Foundation named her the Best Chef in the South in 2018 in addition to this year’s nomination.
Semifinalist for Best Chef: California
Jonny Black
Chez Noir, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Michelin-starred Chez Noir, nestled in Carmel-by-the-Sea, offers a seafood-forward menu inspired by French and Spanish cuisines. Husband-and-wife duo Jonny and Monique Black deliver elevated coastal California dining with housemade ingredients, micro-seasonal produce, and warm, family-style hospitality, transforming this intimate space into a destination for modern, terroir-driven culinary experiences. Travel with Jonny and Monique.
Semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes
Javier Bardauil
Barda, Detroit, MI
Chef Javier Bardauil is renowned for bringing authentic South American flavors to Detroit with his first restaurant BARDA. Having trained at the Argentine Gastronomy Institute and Lenôtre School in Paris, Bardauil honed his craft working under Argentina’s culinary icons, Francis Mallmann and Pablo Massey. He also shared his passion for flame-kissed cookery as co-anchor of the Latin-American TV show Cena y Cine. Travel with Javier.
Lamar Moore
ETC., Chicago, IL
Beyond his own tight-knit Chicago community, Chef Lamar J. Moore is best known as a playful, often Puckish chef-competitor on national TV shows like Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay and Vegas Chef Prizefight, which he won in 2020. He’s cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama and at the James Beard House and transformed Bronzeville Winery into a veritable destination. Travel with Lamar.
