Florida Chefs Crowd the 2026 James Beard 'Best Chef: South' Field

Florida's kitchens are having a national moment. When the James Beard Foundation named its 2026 award finalists, the "Best Chef: South" category was thick with Sunshine State names — a marker of how competitive the state's dining scene has become.

Among the finalists were Bryce Bonsack of Rocca in Tampa, Michael Beltran of Ariete in Miami, the team behind Recoveco in Miami, and Wendy Lopez of Reyes Mezcaleria in Orlando. North Florida landed on the list too, with Barry Honan of Lotus Noodle Bar in St. Augustine and the team behind Chancho King in Jacksonville earning nods.

The road to Chicago

The finalists advanced from a larger pool of semifinalists announced earlier in the year. Winners were set to be revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago — long considered the industry's biggest night.

For Florida, the breadth of the field mattered as much as any single trophy. A decade ago the state's fine-dining reputation leaned almost entirely on Miami; the 2026 class showed serious cooking taking root in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and beyond.

Sources: James Beard Foundation; Tampa Bay Times; Creative Loafing Tampa.