James Beard Awards honorees include several Michigan restaurants, chefs
(CBS DETROIT) - Some of metro Detroit's eateries and culinary experts are semifinalists in the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards program.
The 2025 awards ceremony for the James Beard Awards, presented by Capital One, will take place June 16 in Chicago.
This is the 35th anniversary year for the awards program, which claims to be "among the nation's most prestigious honors." The awards recognize exceptional talent along with "a demonstrated commitment to equity, sustainability, and creating a culture where all can thrive."
There are over two dozen categories in this year's program, including three new awards that focus on beverages.
The 2024 James Beard Award winners included a Best Chef in the Great Lakes award for sushi chef Hajime Sato at the restaurant Sozai in Clawson.
The Michigan semifinalist honorees for 2025 are:
- Selden Standard of Detroit, semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant.
- Vecino of Detroit, semifinalist for Best New Restaurant.
- Secret Bakery of Ferndale, semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery.
- Baobab Fare of Detroit, semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality.
- Spencer of Ann Arbor, semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages.
- Javier Bardauli at Barda in Detroit, semifinalist for Best Chef in the Great Lakes.
- Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson at The Cooks' House in Traverse City, semifinalists for Best Chef in the Great Lakes.
- Missy Corey at Pennyroyal Cafe and Provisions in Saugatuck, semifinalists for Best Chef in the Great Lakes.
- Ji Hye Kim at Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, semifinalist for Best Chef in the Great Lakes.
- John Yelinek at Ladder 4 Wine Bar in Detroit, semifinalist for Best Chef in the Great Lakes.
The James Beard Foundation is a non-profit organization that celebrates and supports "the people behind America's food culture."
