Denver’s 2026 James Beard Award Semifinalists

Posted on January 22

Peyton Garcia

Chef Miles Odell of Odell’s Bagel (which debuted in 2024) serves up his Pastrami "Lox" — a sesame bagel with red onion, caper, chives, and dill. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Colorado nabbed 17 spots across 11 categories on this year’s list of James Beard Award semifinalists — more than each of the last two years — and 14 of which are based in the Denver metro.

The list mostly comprises the usual suspects, with star-studded restaurants you may recognize from their growing collection of national accolades — like Alma Fonda Fina, MAKFam, Yuan Wonton, The Wolf’s Tailor, and Restaurant Olivia. But there are a few refreshing surprises, including Lady Jane, a longtime LoHi favorite cocktail bar, Gladys, a plant-based restaurant in Edgewater, and Chef Miles Odell, the man behind the fancy bagels (and exclusive evenings-only chef’s counter) at Odell’s Bagel.

Finalists will be named on Tuesday, March 31. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Chicago on Monday, June 15.

Here are all of Colorado’s semifinalists:

Outstanding Restaurateur

Tommy Lee: Uncle, Hop Alley and Molino Chido, Denver

Outstanding Chef

Josh Niernberg: Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction

Best New Restaurant

Kizaki, Denver

Outstanding Bakery

Poulette Bakeshop, Parker

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

Emily Thompson, The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver

Outstanding Hospitality

Restaurant Olivia, Denver

More Restaurant Awards Are Out! But Is It All Just Hype?

Who really decides which restaurants are award-worthy? And what does it matter to diners? Tune into this City Cast Denver podcast episode we aired when last year’s semifinalists were announced.