Kansas City's Anjin joins 19 spots on Bon Appétit's 2026 Best New Restaurants list

Key points

• Anjin is one of 19 restaurants on Bon Appétit's 2026 Best New Restaurants list, covering openings from March 2025 to March 2026.
• The Kansas City venue is a 20-seat Japanese izakaya inspired by communal dining, featuring seasonal dishes like yakitori and tempura-fried soft shell crab.
• Anjin was a James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant but lost to Lei in New York; it was the only Kansas City restaurant on the James Beard finalist list this year.
• Bon Appétit praised the selected restaurants for taking risks and challenging traditional dining playbooks, emphasizing community and creativity.
• Texas is represented by Houston's Agnes and Sherman and Austin's Le Calamar, both of which have also received Michelin and regional awards.

Background

Kansas City's restaurant scene has gained national attention in 2026, with Anjin's recognition following earlier coverage of San Francisco's dining comeback on the same Bon Appétit list. The Goellner couple, who own Anjin and The Antler Room, have a history with James Beard nominations, with Nick Goellner previously nominated for Best Chef: Midwest in 2019, 2020, and 2023. This latest accolade adds to a year of significant culinary recognition for the region, including James Beard finalist status for Anjin and broader national coverage of Kansas City's dining trends.

How outlets are covering it

The Kansas City Star emphasizes Anjin's local significance, noting it was the only Kansas City restaurant to make the James Beard finalist list and highlighting the owners' previous nominations. The outlet frames the Bon Appétit inclusion as a major validation of the restaurant's intimate, community-focused concept. In contrast, CultureMap Houston focuses on Texas's representation, detailing how Agnes and Sherman and Le Calamar also made the list, with Agnes and Sherman having already earned a Michelin Recommended designation and Texas Monthly's best new restaurant title. While both outlets acknowledge the competitive nature of the list, the Kansas City Star centers on the local impact and the owners' reaction to not winning the top James Beard award, whereas CultureMap Houston provides a broader view of the Texas entries' existing accolades and menu specifics.

Why it matters

The inclusion of Anjin on Bon Appétit's Best New Restaurants list signals Kansas City's growing influence in the national dining landscape, particularly for small, concept-driven venues. The recognition of 19 restaurants across 12 states and Washington, D.C. highlights a trend toward risk-taking and community-focused dining, as noted by Bon Appétit. For Kansas City, this follows a year of James Beard finalist recognition, reinforcing the city's reputation for innovative culinary talent despite not securing the top award. The list also underscores the competitive nature of the restaurant industry, with venues in major food cities like Houston and New York also receiving attention, indicating a national shift toward valuing creativity and local identity in dining.

What to watch

Anjin will continue to operate as a 20-seat izakaya in Kansas City, with its seasonal menu and bar program likely attracting increased attention following the Bon Appétit recognition. The restaurant's owners, Nick Goellner and Leslie Newsame Goeller, may leverage this national exposure to further promote their other venue, The Antler Room. For the broader industry, the Bon Appétit list may influence dining trends, with the featured restaurants' emphasis on community and creativity potentially inspiring similar concepts in other markets. Texas's Agnes and Sherman and Le Calamar may also see increased patronage following their inclusion, particularly given Agnes and Sherman's existing Michelin and regional accolades.