Utah James Beard Miss
Utah Finalists Travis Herbert, Nick Zocco Miss Out on James Beard Mountain Region Award
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Kansas City's Anjin restaurant left the 2026 James Beard Awards in Chicago empty-handed, losing the Best New Restaurant category to New York's Lei. Kansas City Star It was a full shutout for Kansas City, a city trying to prove its contemporary dining scene belongs alongside coastal heavyweights.
Utah also went home without a win. Travis Herbert of Felt Bar & Eatery and Nick Zocco of Urban Hill were both finalists for Best Chef: Mountain — a record two finalists from Salt Lake City in a single year. Axios Denver's Penelope Wong, chef and owner of Yuan Wonton, took the award instead.
Penelope Wong's Food Truck Journey Ends at the Podium
Wong built her name selling dumplings from a food truck on Denver's streets. She later opened Yuan Wonton as a brick-and-mortar restaurant. In her acceptance speech, she said the win was "for the community that waited in lines in the snow for dumplings when we were just a truck." Axios
The Mountain region covers five states: Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Colorado has dominated the category. Over the last decade, roughly 60% of Best Chef: Mountain winners have come from Colorado. Axios Wong's win continues that trend.
Utah Finalists Set Records but Still Can't Break Through
Utah had 12 semifinalists in 2026 — the most in state history. Herbert and Zocco becoming finalists together was also a first for Salt Lake City. Axios But a record number of nominations has not yet translated into a win.
Herbert stayed positive after the loss. "Being here is the win," he said. "We are putting Salt Lake on the map regardless of who takes the medal home." Zocco added that "the competition in the Mountain region has never been stiffer." Still, analysts note that Utah chefs lack the multi-year national media spotlight that winners like Wong have built over time.
Kansas City BBQ Reputation Shadows a Growing Fine-Dining Scene
Kansas City has seen a wave of non-BBQ restaurants open in recent years. Anjin, a Japanese restaurant, was the city's top hope at this year's ceremony. Its loss in the Best New Restaurant category fits a pattern: Kansas City restaurants reach the finalist stage but rarely win. Kansas City Star The Midwest category is often dominated by Chicago and Minneapolis.
After the loss, the team behind Anjin said Kansas City "proved tonight our contemporary scene belongs on this stage." Five Wisconsin finalists also went home without wins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel making it a tough night broadly for Midwest contenders outside of established culinary hubs.
Finalist Status Still Carries Real Economic Value
Losing does not mean losing everything. A James Beard win can boost a restaurant's revenue by 20% to 40% in its first year. Yuan Wonton is expected to see a surge in out-of-state visitors after Wong's win. But even finalist status is valuable. Urban Hill and Felt Bar & Eatery are already reporting three-month waiting lists. Axios
The 2026 ceremony was held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and hosted by cookbook author and TV personality. Eater DC Utah Governor Spencer Cox praised his state's chefs after the shutout, saying: "We don't need a medal to know we have the best food in the West." For cities like Salt Lake and Kansas City, the question heading into 2027 is whether growing nominations will finally become wins.
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