Winners of 2026 James Beard Awards Highlight Kalaya and Lei in Chicago
The James Beard Foundation announced the 2026 Restaurant and Chef winners at a Chicago ceremony hosted by Gail Simmons, with Kalaya named Outstanding Restaurant and Lei as Best New Restaurant; other top honors went to Michael Tusk (Outstanding Chef), Adrian Torres (Emerging Chef), Wild Crumb (Outstanding Bakery), and Loma (Best New Bar), among many category winners, while humanitarian and lifetime achievement awards were given to No Us Without You founders and Nancy Silverton respectively, underscoring immigrant contributions to American dining.