James Beard Award finalists announced. This time, none is from the Kansas City area
The James Beard Award Foundation announced the nominees for the chef and restaurant awards Wednesday, none of which are from Kansas City.
In January, eight chefs and restaurants from the Kansas City area were named as semifinalists. However, those contenders did not advance to the next round.
The only Missouri restaurants and chefs that made the cut hail from the St. Louis area: chef Loryn Nalic of Balkan Treat Box in Webster Groves and chef Jane Sacro Chatham of Vicia in St. Louis.
There were no nominees from Kansas.
Winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony June 16, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The 2025 Kansas City area semifinalists were:
- 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 a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant.
Last year, the foundation named seven 2024 semifinalists in the area, including Rozz Petrozz of Saltwell Farm Kitchen, Katie Liu-Sung of Chewology and Johnny Leach of The Town Company. None advanced to the final round.
In 2023, Kansas City’s Yoli Tortilleria won a James Beard Award.
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 1:10 PM.