L.A. restaurants could really use a win right now. The Eaton and Palisades Fires destroyed eateries in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades (here’s how you can support them) and inspired spots around the city to offer free meals to first responders and evacuees. But Angelenos’ understandable survivalist shift has meant that some of your favorite restaurants are struggling right now. Can the “Oscars of food” singlehandedly solve this? Of course not. But consider Wednesday’s announcement of the 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists an incentive to reserve a table. Sixteen restaurants and chefs in L.A. made the esteemed awards’ shortlist; on April 2, those picks will be whittled down to a list of finalists, and on June 16, the winners will be announced during an event in Chicago. Semifinalists include an “outstanding chef” nod for Gilberto Cetina of Mexican seafood stall Holbox, “outstanding restaurant” for French bistro Pasjoli and—a new award this year—“outstanding bar” for Thunderbolt. You’ll find the full list of semifinalists a little farther down this page, though we’ve limited it to nominees within L.A. County; some of our neighbors made the shortlist, too, like Daisy and Greg Ryan of Bell’s in Los Alamos (Outstanding Restaurateur), Anaheim tiki bar Strong Water (Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program) and Daniel Castillo of San Juan Capistrano’s Heritage Barbecue (Best Chef: California). The James Beard Foundation’s annual awards “recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries.” (Last year, L.A.’s own Kuya Lord chef Lord Maynard picked up the award for “Best Chef: California.”) For 2025, the 35th edition, the foundation has added three new bar-focused categories. Find those and the rest of the L.A. semifinalists below. Outstanding Chef Gilberto Cetina, Holbox Outstanding Restaurant Pasjoli (Santa Monica) Emerging Chef Jesus “Chuy” Cervantes, Damian Best New Restaurant Bridgetown Roti Outstanding Bakery Gusto Bread (Long Beach) Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker Nicole Rucker, Fat + Flour Outstanding Hospitality République Outstanding Bar Thunderbolt Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service Tobin Shea, Redbird Best Chef: California Evan Algorri, Etra Danielle Duran Zecca, Amiga Amore Elvia Garcia and Alex Garcia, Evil Cooks Melissa López, Barra Santos Charles Namba, Camélia Kwang Uh, Baroo Jon Yao, Kato