Dining awards season has arrived! Right on cue, the James Beard Foundation has dropped the 2025 restaurant and chef semifinalist list for its prestigious annual awards.
Not surprisingly, Boston area chefs, restaurateurs, bars and industry professionals were nominated across multiple categories including beloved local chefs, longtime restaurant groups and creative culinary types carving out new styles around The Hub. You can see the full semifinalists list here.
For the national awards, Jamie Bissonnette’s Somaek is nominated for Best New Restaurant. Located in Downtown Crossing, his Korean restaurant offers shareable versions of traditional dishes. “Recognition is so important for morale. Especially in the slowest time of the year,” Bissonnette tells Time Out Boston. “This means so much to us, and my family.”
Bissonnette previously earned a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast in 2014 for his work at Toro, Coppa and Little Donkey. Also nominated in the category is LUNE, located in Dennis Port.
Chef Douglass Williams has been nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur for his beloved MIDA restaurants. Though he is a three-time Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist, this is his first nomination in a national category. In 2024, he opened his fourth outpost of the popular Italian restaurant in Fenway, featuring handmade pastas and an excellent wine list.
Another familiar name, Cassie Piuma of Somerville’s Sarma—a Mediterranean restaurant so good we’ll show up on a Wednesday at 5pm to eat at the bar—is a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef. She’s been either a nominee or semifinalist for the award eight times.
Best Chef: Northeast, which sees chefs from all over the New England states competing against each other for the title, has quite a few Boston-area nominees as well for 2025.
First-time semifinalist Michael Serpa of Select Oyster Bar and Little Whale Oyster Bar tells Time Out: “As we approach our 10 year anniversary at Select, it is very nice to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation.”
Serpa, who got his start in Boston at Neptune Oyster before opening his own restaurants, continued: “We take pride in our little place and what we do there. Of course, none of this would be possible without our amazing team who work very hard to put out a great product consistently. Our loyal guests keep us open and we have a lot of fun serving them as well as new faces. Hopefully we can make it to the finalist list as a first-time nominee!”
Urban Hearth’s Erin Miller is also a first-time semifinalist. Her take on New American fare keeps getting better and better, so locals won’t be surprised at this nod.
“It’s an honor to be nominated in company with so many amazing chefs and restaurants for the 2025 Best Chef: Northeast by the James Beard Foundation. This nomination is a team accomplishment for everyone at Urban Hearth,” says Miller.
Nightshade Noodle Bar’s Rachel Miller has been nominated before, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a thrill, she tells us. “For me, hopefully, the third time's the charm. This is huge for my career, for the careers of my team and for my business. I’m so proud for and of us all!”
The intimate, plant-packed and rattan-accented oasis in Lynn has been serving refreshing, Vietnamese-inspired cuisine for several years, starting as a pop-up, before becoming a brick-and-mortar must in 2019.
Chef John DaSilva of South Boston’s Chickadee, also a repeat semifinalist, says: “This has been one of, if not, the hardest year of my life—personally and professionally. A lot of people and a lot of restaurants are struggling right now, and Chickadee is no exception. Recognition like this strengthens our belief in ourselves and in Chickadee's mission.”
Other Boston area nominees for Best Chef: Northeast are Kwasi Kwaa of Comfort Kitchen, a Best New Restaurant nominee in 2023, Conor Dennehy of Tallula in Cambridge and Valentine Howell of Black Cat in Jamaica Plain.
The Greater Boston area didn’t just see nominations in the restaurant categories this year, local spots were also nominated in three entirely new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
Equal Measure, the cocktail bar from the Eastern Standard team is up for Best New Bar.
“We’re beyond thrilled to be named a semifinalist for the inaugural James Beard Best New Bar award during the milestone 35th anniversary of the awards. Equal Measure was created to celebrate craft, community, and discovery, and this recognition is an incredible honor for our entire team,” Jackson Cannon, Beverage Director of ES Hospitality, and Garrett Harker, Owner, said in a joint statement. Merai from the Mahaniyom team is also a semifinalist for Best New Bar.
In the other two new categories, Wig Shop’s Oscar Simoza is up for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. He had quite a morning, saying, “Waking up to this nomination on the eve of my 40th birthday makes it extra sweet! I’m so honored to be considered for this award.” Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale of Koji Club is up for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service.