8 KC area restaurants are up for James Beard Awards: Taiwanese food, cocktails, more
The James Beard Foundation has announced its semifinalists for 2025 — and several Kansas City area restaurants have made the list.
One of the restaurant industry’s most prestigious honors, the James Beard Award highlights “exceptional talent” in the culinary sphere, according to the foundation.
The chefs and restaurants who move onto the next round will be announced April 2. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago on June 16.
This year’s chef and restaurant contenders in the metro are:
JJ’s Restaurant, 4810 Roanoke Parkway, for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. It offers contemporary American cuisine with European influences.
Helen Jo Leach of The Town Company, 1228 Baltimore Ave., for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Its upscale dining is sourced from local ranchers, farmers and purveyors.
Johnny Leach of The Town Company, 1228 Baltimore Ave., for Best Chef in the Midwest.
Katie Liu-Sung of Chewology, 900 Westport Road, for Best Chef in the Midwest. Liu-Sung’s restaurant serves Taiwanese street food.
Linda Duerr of The Restaurant at 1900, 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Mission Woods, Kansas, for Best Chef in the Midwest. Her menu consists of American favorites with Italian and French flairs.
Jay Sanders of Wild Child, 11022 Johnson Drive in Shawnee, Kansas, for New Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. The cocktail bar specializes in non-alcoholic drinks, while also serving full-strength drinks.
Just outside the metro:
Rozz Petrozz of Saltwell Farm Kitchen, 214 N. Overbrook Road in Overbrook, Kansas, for Best Chef in the Midwest. It offers a six-course farm-to-table dining experience.
John Brown’s Underground, 7 E. 7th St. in Lawrence, Kansas, for Outstanding Bar. The cocktail bar offers a rotating menu of thematic drinks in downtown Lawrence.
Wichita’s Georges French Bistro was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant.
Petrozz and Johnny Leach were both nominated last year. Sanders’ other Shawnee cocktail bar, Drastic Measures, was a finalist in 2023. Drastic was nominated for the same honor last year. The Restaurant at 1900 was nominated for Outstanding Hospitality and Best Chef in the Midwest in 2023.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 11:04 AM.