The culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars will be announcing winners next week — 25 categories of restaurants, chefs, and others will be feted at the ceremony for the James Beard Awards on June 16 in Chicago.
The James Beard Foundation established the awards in 1990 and has bestowed them annually since 1991, except in 2020 and 2021, when the organization suspended them due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the restaurant industry.
Restaurants apply for the awards. Judges, who mostly remain anonymous, try the cuisine before voting. Nominees are reviewed for both the food and a behavioral “code of ethics,” including how employees are treated.
Here are the nominees from Rhode Island, along with the categories for which they have been nominated.
Oberlin, Providence — Outstanding Restaurant
Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence — Emerging Chef
Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence — Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence — Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
2024 Nominees
In 2024, one restaurant and two chefs from Newport County were among the nominees.
Basil Yu, Chef and Owner of Yagi Noodles in Newport, and Andy Teixeira, Executive Chef at Newport Vineyards in Middletown, were finalists in the category of Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT).
Giusto in Newport was a finalist for Outstanding Hospitality.
Other Rhode Island establishments and Chefs among the finalists include Bywater in Warren (for Outstanding Restaurant), Sky Haneul Kim of the Gift Horse in Providence (for Emerging Chef), Tuxpan Taqueria in Central Falls (for Best New Restaurant), Courtland Club in Providence (for Outstanding Bar), Peter Carvelli of Foglia in Bristol (for Best Chef: Northeast), Subat Dilmurat of Jahunger in Providence (for Best Chef: Northeast), and Maria Mexa of Delores in Providence (for Best Chef: Northeast)
