Six Michigan restaurants — four in metro Detroit — are represented as semifinalists in the 2026 James Beard Awards, the foundation announced Wednesday (Jan. 21). Two familiar faces and four first-time establishments from the Mitten were nominated in three different categories.
Often referred to as the food world equivalent of the Academy Awards, the James Beard Awards recognize top talent in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries, as well as food media and the larger food system.
At last year’s James Beard Awards, 10 Michigan restaurants were honored as semifinalists, but only one advanced to nominee status: chefs Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson of Cooks’ House in Traverse City, who were dually nominated for the Best Chef: Great Lakes award.
The last Michigan chef or restaurant James Beard award win occurred in 2024: Hajime Sato of the since-closed sustainable sushi spot Sozai in Clawson took home the medal for Best Chef: Great Lakes.
Here’s a list of this year’s Michigan James Beard semifinalists, and a little bit about the restaurants:
Best New Restaurant
Echelon Kitchen and Bar, Ann Arbor
Echelon Kitchen and Bar opened in February 2025 in downtown Ann Arbor. The restaurant has a notable drinks program and makes heavy use of its wood-fired stove and charcoal grill. Helmed by Chef Joseph VanWagner, the restaurant provides unique perks to its employees. These include health benefits, a “team wellness fund,” and quarterly PTO days for volunteering in the community. 200 S Main St, Ann Arbor; echelonkitchenandbar.com
Best New Bar
Bar Chenin, Detroit
This hip, wine-focused bar opened in March 2025 on the ground level of The Siren Hotel. With just 10-seats, the bar offers an intimate experience, and its additional offerings include craft cocktails, small plates, and house-made ice cream. 1509 Broadway St Suite A-1, Detroit; barchenin.com
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Andy Elliott and Emily Stewart, Modern Bird, Traverse City
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In 2022, husband-and-wife team Andy Elliott and Emily Stewart opened Modern Bird inside an 1890s building in Traverse City. Its menu makes heavy use of seasonal produce from the Leelanau Peninsula and changes frequently. In 2025, The New York Times named it one of the 50 best restaurants in America.
Javier Bardauil, Barda, Detroit
In 2021, Argentinian-born chef Javier Bardauil opened Barda — a modern steakhouse highlighting his live-fire cooking — in Detroit’s Core City district. The following year, Barda was a James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant. On the heels of its critical success, Bardauil opened Barda’s nearby sister restaurant, Puma, in 2024. 2026 marks Barda’s third James Beard nod and Bardauil’s second year in a row as a Best Chef semifinalist. 4842 Grand River Ave, Detroit; bardadetroit.com
James Galbraith, PostBoy, New Buffalo
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A first-time James Beard honoree, James Galbraith is the chef and co-owner of PostBoy. The restaurant describes itself as a purveyor of “global flavors through a local lens.” It is located in downtown New Buffalo. The city is on the shore of Lake Michigan, close to the Indiana border and roughly a 70 mile-drive from Chicago. The restaurant takes its name from “Post Boy,” a vessel from Buffalo, New York that was shipwrecked on the shore of Lake Michigan. Ultimately, this led its captain, Wessel Whittaker, to settle New Buffalo. 207 N Whittaker St., New Buffalo; postboynb.com
John Yelinek, Ladder 4 Wine Bar, Detroit
For the third year in a row, the James Beard Foundation has named Ladder 4’s chef John Yelinek as a semifinalist. Outside of this string of James Beard accolades, the restaurant has gotten lots of national press in recent years since opening in 2022. That includes earning the Resy One To Watch Award in 2025, as well as making Bon Appétit’s and The New York Times’ best new restaurant lists in 2023. 3396 Vinewood St., Detroit; ladder4winebar.com.
For a full list of 2026 semifinalists, visit jamesbeard.org.
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