Chef Roberto Centeno grills a tomahawk steak at Bacanora on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Phoenix. (Antranik Tavitian/The Republic via Reuters Connect)
Twelve Arizona chefs and restaurants have been named semifinalists for the 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards, including nominations for Best Chef — Southwest, Best New Restaurant and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The nominations were announced Jan. 21.
In 2025, fifteen Arizonans made the semifinals, including Yotaka Martin of Lom Wong, who ended up taking home the James Beard Award for Best Chef — Southwest.
Winning a James Beard Award is one of the highest honors a chef or restaurant can receive. It is basically the Oscars of the food industry.
Here are all the Arizonans who were semifinalists for the 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards.
Atria
Rochelle Daniel of Atria in Flagstaff was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. Daniel was previously a semifinalist for Emerging Chef in 2022.
Details: 103 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. 928-440-4377, atriarestaurant.com.
Chula Seafood
Kyle Kent of Chula Seafood in uptown Phoenix was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. Chula Seafood offers lobster rolls, California burritos, sashimi platters, grilled oysters and fish tacos.
Details: 100 E. Camelback Road, Suite 172, Phoenix. 602-354-3599, chulaseafood.com.
Espiritu
Roberto Centeno of Espiritu in Mesa was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. It is his second Best Chef — Southwest nomination, after sharing the nomination with Rene Andrade for Bacanora in 2023. Centeno’s work at Espiritu previously received him a nomination for Emerging Chef in 2024.
Details: 123 Main St., Mesa. 480-272-6825, espiritumesa.com.
La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood
Claudia Vindiola of La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood in Tucson was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. La Frida’s menu boasts sizzling fajitas, shrimp tacos, ceviche and tableside guacamole.
Details: 7230 E. 22nd St., Tucson. 520-344-8335, lafridamexicangrill.com.
Little Miss BBQ
Scott Holmes of Little Miss BBQ in Phoenix was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. Holmes fell in love with cooking at barbecue competitions before opening the brick-and-mortar restaurant in Phoenix.
Details: 8901 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. 602-314-6922. Also, 4301 E. University Dr., Phoenix. 602-437-1177, littlemissbbq.com.
Restaurant Progress
TJ Culp of Restaurant Progress in Phoenix was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. Culp opened Restaurant Progress in 2017. He has also been the chef and owner of Sottise since 2021.
Details: 702 W. Montecito Ave., Phoenix. 602-441-0553, progressphx.com.
Tacos Chiwas
Nadia Holguin and Armando Hernandez of Tacos Chiwas, which has multiple locations in metro Phoenix, were both nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. The couple was previously nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2024 for their work at Tacos Chiwas and its upscale sister restaurant Cocina Chiwas. Holguin was previously nominated for Best Chef — Southwest for her work at Roland’s, which closed in 2019.
Details: Tacos Chiwas, 1028 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-358-8830. Additional locations at tacoschiwas.com.
FnB
Charleen Badman of FnB was nominated for Outstanding Chef. She previously took home the title of Best Chef — Southwest in 2019. FnB was also a nominee for Outstanding Wine Program in 2017.
Details: 7125 E. Fifth Ave., Suite 31, Scottsdale. 480-284-4777, fnbrestaurant.com.
IndiBar
IndiBar in Scottsdale was nominated for Best New Restaurant. The restaurant opened in 2025, offering sophisticated Indian cuisine and cocktails. The name is a mix of Indian food and bar, as well as a play on “in the bar.”
Details: 6208 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-219-9774, theindibar.com.
Little Rituals
Ross Simon of Little Rituals in Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The bar was previously named a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar in 2020, 2024 and 2025. The bar opened in downtown Phoenix in 2019 and was named one of the best cocktail destinations in the U.S. in 2022.
Details: 132 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-603-2050, littleritualsbar.com.
Highball
Highball in Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Bar. The bar was opened by Libby Lingua and Mitch Lyons in 2020 on the second floor of a historic building near downtown Phoenix and has since received several accolades from Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards.
Details: 1514 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-675-4244, highballphx.com.
Kid Sister
Zac Adcox of Kid Sister in Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. In 2025, Kid Sister was nominated for Best New Bar. The European-inspired restaurant and wine bar opened in summer 2024 by sisters Casey and Courtney Lewandrowski and their best friend Dej Lambert.
Details: 4810 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. 602-633-9559, kidsisterphx.com.
Reporting by Eddie Fontanez, Arizona Republic
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