Las Vegas takes its first James Beard best chef award in more than a decade
Sarah Thompson’s win in the Best Chef: Southeast category, is the first for a Las Vegas chef in 15 years. Her restaurant, Casa Playa, serves coastal Mexican cuisine at the Encore in Las Vegas, and includes its own house-made masa program. “It’s been a while since Vegas has been up here,” Thompson said proudly, accepting the award. “Vegas is a wild place, but it’s a cool city because it’s anything you want it to be. What people don’t know is that Vegas is wildly unexpected. I didn’t expect to move there, or build a home there, or build something like Casa Playa, and I love it, I really do.”
Serigne Mbaye’s emotional speech
Serigne Mbaye’s win in the Best Chef: South category, is his second James Beard Award. His restaurant Dakar NOLA with business partner Effie Richardson took Best New Restaurant in 2023. Mbaye, whose restaurant Dakar NOLA was also named one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants of 2023, told his story of coming back to America 18 years ago. ”I didn’t speak any English. I could not write my name,” he said. “Couldn’t read. His voice broke as he held back tears “Standing here 18 years later, being nominated and winning Best Chef: South means a lot to me.” He told the story of his mother’s restaurant, and how the Senegalese food she served was a lifeline for his community in America. “Food is an opportunity,” Mbaye continued. “It gave my mom a lifeline back to Senegal, it gave me a platform to share the food I grew up with, it gave me the opportunity to further my education and learn about different cultures and different cuisines.”
See the full list of 2026 James Beard Award winner below:
Emerging Chef
Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, TX
Outstanding Restaurateur
Dana Street (Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others), Portland, ME
Outstanding Chef
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA
Outstanding Restaurant
Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA
Best New Restaurant
Lei, New York, NY
Outstanding Bakery
Wild Crumb, Bozeman, MT
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, DC
Outstanding Hospitality
Providence, Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Kato, Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Bar
Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
Best New Bar
Loma, Providence, RI
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA
Best Chef: California
Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
