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Here Are the 2025 James Beard Semifinalists in New England

Greater Boston gets some solid representation on this year’s long list, which will be whittled down to nominees and then winners later in the year.


A table is covered with dishes of Korean food, including a selection of small side dishes of kimchi and more.

A spread of dishes and banchan at Somaek. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Awards season starts today in the food world: It’s time once again for phase one of the James Beard Foundation’s annual restaurant and chef awards, now in its 35th year, starting with the announcement of a long list of semifinalists. Excitedly, Greater Boston gets a bit more representation than it did last year, with eight local people and places landing in the national categories. An additional eight chefs appear in the Northeast-region chef category. Talented neighbors elsewhere around New England get quite a few shout-outs, too.

Beards—considered top-tier awards in the United States food scene—will be given in 13 national categories this year, including three new drink-related categories (Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service). There are also 12 regional Best Chef awards given out. (Beyond the restaurant and chef awards, there are also media and impact awards, which are announced at different times.)

Here’s the full rundown on how the awards work, but in short, public recommendations are taken into account through an open call process, and a voting body of appointed judges around the country and Beard Foundation subcommittee members make the decisions. A shortened nominee list will be announced April 2, and winners will be named and celebrated at a June 16 gala in Chicago.

Below, find details on the Massachusetts restaurant and chef semifinalists for 2025, plus a quick peek at semifinalists elsewhere in New England.

Local Semifinalists in National Categories

A plate of thick bucatini with tomato sauce and bits of meat sits on a white counter with a black and white tiled floor in the background.

Bucatini all’amatriciana at Mida Fenway. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Douglass Williams of Mida

Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist

Williams recently opened the fourth location (Fenway) of his South End-born Italian restaurant Mida, beloved for its pasta and hospitality. (Swing by the South End or East Boston location on a Monday for an outstanding all-you-can-eat pasta feast for two.) He also has a casual pizzeria, Apizza, inside a West End food hall. 

782 Tremont St., South End, Boston, 617-936-3490, and other locations, midaboston.com.

Cassie Piuma of Sarma

Outstanding Chef semifinalist

No surprise to see Piuma on the list as her Mediterranean-inspired Somerville hot spot is one of the toughest reservations in town (and gets frequent acclaim locally and beyond). Might we suggest attempting to snag a bar seat and a taste of the fan-favorite fried chicken in celebration?

249 Pearl St., Somerville, 617-764-4464, sarmarestaurant.com.

Lune

Best New Restaurant semifinalist

Add this tiny, seasonal Dennis Port newbie from wife-and-husband duo Charlotte and Mick Formichella to your summer-on-the-Cape plans. The team serves a hyperlocal, ever-changing tasting menu out of an open kitchen (plus a less formal à la carte wine bar service one night a week), and the attention it got in its first season mean you’ll want to keep an eye out for the opening of 2025 reservations and get ready to snap one up quickly.

587 MA-28, Dennis Port, 508-237-6597, lunecapecod.com.

A plate of thin slices of grilled pork with scallions and sesame seeds sits on a light wooden table.

Dwaeji (pork) bulgogi with peppers, soy, and gochujang at Somaek. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Somaek

Best New Restaurant semifinalist

This buzzy 2024 opening and its adjacent sibling spots (a cocktail bar/listening lounge and a sushi bar) come from a powerful collaboration between the team behind JM Curley (and more) and chef-restaurateur Jamie Bissonnette (formerly of Toro, Coppa, etc.) Somaek celebrates homestyle Korean cooking, and Bissonnette’s Korean mother-in-law, Soon Han, is credited as consulting chef. 

11 Temple Pl., Downtown Crossing, Boston, somaek.com.

Equal Measure

Best New Bar semifinalist

When Kenmore Square brasserie Eastern Standard was reborn near its closed original location in late 2023, the Hawthorne—its late sibling cocktail bar—was not revived alongside it. Instead, Eastern Standard 2.0 got a brand new cocktail-focused sibling and neighbor, Equal Measure, featuring delightful concoctions by the group’s longtime beverage superstar Jackson Cannon. The space and name are different, but the same careful attention to every little boozy detail remains. 

775 Beacon St., Fenway, Boston, equalmeasurebos.com.

Crispy shrimp tempura sits in a thick yellow sauce.

Merai’s shrimp tempura with curry aioli. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Merai

Best New Bar semifinalist

With “elevated dive bar” vibes, this lively Brookline drinking spot from the crew behind Thai gem Mahaniyom features a food menu of Thai fusion (think: tom kha mushroom risotto, khao soi fettuccine) and creative cocktails with a focus on easy-drinking highballs.

14 Harvard St., Brookline Village, meraibar.com.

A small bar features 8 translucent amber stools, ash wood, and a dark blue backbar.

The Koji Club. / Photo by Kristin Teig

Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale of the Koji Club

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service semifinalist

We agree! DiPasquale is an expert in sake—and maybe even more importantly, an expert in making people feel so very welcome in her cozy Brighton bar, whether they’re sake newbies or connoisseurs. The Koji Club is a unique destination, and Boston is better for it.

525 Western Ave. (Charles River Speedway), Brighton, Boston, thekojiclub.com.

A white teacup and saucer with a delicate blue pattern is full of a beverage topped with thick whipped cream, with a chocolate pretzel nugget on the side.

The Wig Shop’s Rise & Grind cocktail—one per customer per visit—includes rum, cold brew, espresso liqueur, and cinnamon-demerara, with a chocolate-covered pretzel on the side. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Oscar Simoza of the Wig Shop

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service semifinalist

Another from the JM Curley crew: Simoza oversees the boozy magic at this swanky cocktail lounge next door. Try his signature Rise & Grind cocktail, a rum-and-coffee combo that plays on ingredients that bring him back to his Venezuelan roots.

27 Temple Pl., Downtown Crossing, Boston, wigshopboston.com.

Best Chef: Northeast Semifinalists

A spread of dishes at Jahunger. / Courtesy photo

In addition to the national categories, the Beard foundation breaks up the country into pieces for 12 regional Best Chef awards. The Northeast region—aka New England—includes Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Here are the Massachusetts semifinalists for 2025:

  • John DaSilva of Chickadee (Seaport)
  • Connor Dennehy of Talulla (Cambridge)
  • Subat Dilmurat of Jahunger (Cambridge)—The Beard Foundation mentions the original Providence location in today’s announcement, but we’ve got a location here as well. 
  • Valentine Howell of Black Cat (Jamaica Plain)
  • Kwasi Kwaa of Comfort Kitchen (Dorchester)
  • Rachel Miller of Nightshade Noodle Bar (Lynn)
  • Erin Miller of Urban Hearth (Cambridge)
  • Michael Serpa of Select Oyster (Back Bay)

New England Semifinalists Beyond Massachusetts

An elegant white bowl of gnocchi is on a white marble tabletop.

Gnocchi at Persimmon. / Courtesy photo

Start planning some road trips! Loads of incredible spots to visit elsewhere in our region, from Providence to Portland and beyond. Here are the 2025 semifinalists:

  • Cara Chigazola-Tobin and Allison Gibson, Honey Road and Gray Jay, Burlington, VT (Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalists)
  • Havana, Bar Harbor, ME (Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist)
  • Oberlin, Providence, RI (Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist)
  • Jason Eckerson and Kate Hamm, Fish & Whistle, Biddeford, ME (Emerging Chef semifinalists)
  • Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence, RI (Emerging Chef semifinalists)
  • Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH (Outstanding Bakery semifinalist)
  • Brant Dadaleares, Gross Confection Bar, Portland, ME (Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker semifinalist)
  • Persimmon, Providence, RI (Outstanding Hospitality semifinalist)
  • Taj Indian Cuisine, South Portland, ME (Outstanding Hospitality semifinalist)
  • Oyster Club, Mystic, CT (Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program semifinalist)
  • Wolf Tree, White River Junction, VT (Outstanding Bar semifinalist)
  • The Abbey, Brunswick, ME (Best New Bar semifinalist)
  • Mary Allen Lindemann, Coffee By Design, Portland, ME (Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service semifinalist)
  • Nathaniel Meiklejohn, The Jewel Box, Portland, ME (Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service semifinalist)
  • Robert Andreozzi, Pizza Marvin, Providence, RI (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Avery Buck, May Day, Burlington, VT (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Lee Frank, Lee Frank’s, South Berwick, ME (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Michelle Greenfield, Allium Eatery, Westport, CT (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Charlie Menard, Canteen Creemee, Waitsfield, VT (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Nicole Nocella, Stalk, Dover, NH (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Nick Rabar, Honeybird Kitchen & Cocktails, East Providence, RI (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)  
  • Jordan Rubin, Mr. Tuna, Portland, ME (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Jake Stevens, Leeward, Portland, ME (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)
  • Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI (Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist)