and the nominees are...

13 Houston restaurants score James Beard Award semifinalist nominations

Houston is well represented on the list of semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards. Overall, Houston received seven nominations in national categories and six nominations for Best Chef: Texas.

The national nominees are:

Outstanding Restaurateur: Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy, Sof Hospitality Group (Hamsa, Badolina Bakery, Doris Metropolitan, and Okto)
Outstanding Restaurateur: Sara Stayer and Martin Stayer, Nobie's, Toasted Coconut, and Nonno's
Emerging Chef: Suu Khin, Burmalicious
Best New Restaurant: Ema
Outstanding Bakery: Koffeteria
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: March
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: Andres Blanco, Le Jardinier

Best Chef: Texas nominees:

Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk
Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast (Spring)
Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn
Beatriz Martines, Xalisko (The Woodlands)
David Skinner, Ishtia (Kemah)

Considered the Oscars of the food world, the awards recognize excellence by chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories ranging from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. The James Beard Foundation added three new categories this year to recognize the beverage side of hospitality: Best New Bar. Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

The awards also include media categories that will be announced on May 7. Recipients of the coveted America’s Classic award will be announced on February 26.

“Excellence in food remains at the core of these awards; winning entries will also align with the Awards mission statement and the values of the James Beard Foundation. Candidates should also be making efforts to create a sustainable work culture, while contributing positively to their broader community,” the organization’s website states.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas boasts eight nominees, San Antonio has eight, and Austin received six. Notably, Chavez is the only 2024 Best Chef: Texas finalist to return for 2025. Bille, Koffeteria, Amosu, Garcia, and Sof Hospitality also earned semifinalists nominations in 2024.

Houston is looking to bounce back in this year’s awards. Last year, the city earned a strong 11 semifinalist nominations but only garnered one finalist nomination — Best Chef: Texas for Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó. In 2022, Southern-inspired cocktail bar Julep won the city’s first ever national award for Outstanding Bar Program. Street to Kitchen chef-owner Benchawan Jabthong Painter followed that up in 2023 by taking home the city’s first Best Chef: Texas award.

Finalists will be announced on April 2. The Foundation will reveal its winners at an awards ceremony on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Photo by Julie Soefer

March is nominated for its beverage program.

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head east

Eagerly-anticipated Houston barbecue joint hosts weekend preview pop-ups

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

One of Houston’s most eagerly anticipated new barbecue joints is giving diners a preview of what’s to come. Eastbound Barbecue will host “Sneak Peak Weekends” every Saturday and Sunday beginning this Saturday, December 20, until the restaurant opens in early 2026.

Held at the restaurant’s location in the East End (1105 Sampson Street) from 12-4 pm (or sold out), the weekend service gives diners their first chance to try Eastbound Barbecue’s smoked meats, sides, and desserts. That includes, smoked brisket, baby back ribs, jalapeno & cheese sausage, hatch chili lasagna mac & cheese, herbed potato salad, and more. Save room for the two dessert offerings, salted caramel banana pudding and cookie butter cake.

To distinguish Eastbound’s barbecue, chefs Lopez and Granville use different seasonings than other restaurants, such as rosemary salt in the brisket rub and a miso-caramel sauce that gives its ribs a sweet and savory bite. During the preview, Eastbound’s prices are noticeably lower than many other Houston barbecue joints, with brisket priced at $29 per pound, ribs at $26 per pound, and pulled pork at $22 per pound.

As CultureMap reported in August, Eastbound unites four friends, Ryan Penn, Ryan Powell, Luis Lopez, and Jake Granville, who also held senior roles at various restaurants owned by prominent Houston chef Ronnie Killen. Since then, the four partners have finished many of the improvements they needed to make prior to opening, including closing in the patio and installing offset smokers on the property.

For Penn, leaving the Killen’s organization after almost 20 years was a difficult decision, but one he felt he had to make. “I could have worked for [Killen] forever and been happy. It was more along the lines of, if I don’t do this now, I don’t want to be 70 and wish that I had,” he said at the time.

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

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