Amid one of the most challenging eras yet for local restaurants, the James Beard Awards chose to recognize 10 Minnesota chefs and restaurants on its annual long-list of semifinalists released Wednesday, Jan. 21.
The culinary awards, widely viewed as the industry’s highest honors, recognize and celebrate excellence in the hospitality industry and food media. The restaurant awards fall into 10 national and 12 regional categories. This year, the Twin Cities’ culinary community was recognized in both regional and national categories.
National awards
Outstanding Restaurateur: Mike Brown, Bob Gerken and James Winberg, Travail Collective (Travail Kitchen & Amusements, ie by Travail and Dream Creamery), Robbinsdale: The innovative chef collective began with a small tasting menu-only restaurant in downtown Robbinsdale and has grown into a formidable presence across the Twin Cities. Travail began by breaking the rules, with its chef/founders coming into the front of the house to serve guests. Today, they continue to defy restaurant expectations with an aggressive expansion of restaurants in the past year. This is their first time being recognized in this category, though they’ve been five-time semifinalists for Best Chef: Midwest.
Outstanding chef: Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis: This is the fourth year in a row Ahmed has been recognized for her Lao restaurant Khâluna, and her second time in this national category. She was a Best Chef: Midwest semifinalist in 2023, and advanced to be a nominee in 2024. The restaurant, which opened in 2021, garnered three stars from the Minnesota Star Tribune for “food that delivers on both exclusivity and pleasure — the kind that justifies multiple flights across continents and time zones.”
Outstanding chef: Alex Roberts, Alma, Minneapolis: For 26 years Restaurant Alma in Minneapolis has built its stellar reputation on seasonal ingredients and a commitment to excellence — a feat that won its chef/owner the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest in 2010 and semifinalist nods in several national categories over the years. Roberts and his business partner/spouse Margo Roberts have overseen Alma’s growth into casual concepts and a boutique hotel.
Outstanding Restaurant, Bar La Grassa, Minneapolis: When Nancy St. Pierre and Isaac Becker first opened Bar La Grassa, Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood was a mix of elderly warehouses and little action. In the ensuing years, this restaurant has been at the forefront of the area’s massive growth as a destination in the city. Through it all, Bar La Grassa continues to deliver fan-favorite pastas and other Italian-inspired fare. The restaurant was a semifinalist in the national category of Best New Restaurant in 2010, and Becker was recognized for his work as the James Beard Award’s Best Chef Midwest in 2011.
Emerging Chef, Kyle Lussier, The Pines, Grand Rapids: Fresh off the restaurant being named as one of Star Tribune’s best new restaurants of 2025, Kyle Lussier nabs his first recognition by the James Beard Foundation for his emerging talent. With his business partner/spouse Amanda Lussier, he moved back to his hometown of Grand Rapids, where, in summer 2025, the couple opened their first restaurant. The Pines quickly became known for its locally sourced, seasonally informed and wholly comforting cuisine in a tri-level restaurant that overlooks city’s downtown.
Outstanding Hospitality, Joan’s in the Park, St. Paul: Opened in 2011, Joan’s in the Park is the lifelong dream of Joan Schmitt and chef Susan Dunlop. The couple had met while working at Morton’s Steakhouse and founded their own place in an unlikely location: a former pizza joint in St. Paul’s quiet Highland Park neighborhood. The result is a beloved neighborhood restaurant known for its serene comforts: a tasting menu that unfolds with studied pacing and warm service that makes every occasion feel extra special. This is their first recognition by the James Beard Awards.
