Colorado Chefs, Restaurants Semifinalists For James Beard Awards

DENVER, CO — The James Beard Awards have returned after the two-year hiatus that the organization undertook in 2020 and 2021.

The 2022 semifinalists for the James Beard Awards were released on Wednesday in advance of the Awards ceremony on June 13, and Colorado restaurants and chefs received recognition in most of the categories laid out in the awards.

Several Colorado restaurants, chefs and restaurateurs were recognized in many of the national categories. Seven Colorado chefs were recognized in the "Best Chef: Mountain" category, which includes the states of Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming.

Here are the chefs, restaurants and restaurateurs who were recognized as semifinalists in the 2022 James Beard Awards:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Edwin Zoe, Zoe Ma Ma and Chimera Ramen, Boulder, CO, and Denver

Outstanding Chef

• Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, CO

Emerging Chef

• Manuel "Manny" Barella, Bellota, Denver

Best New Restaurant

• Casian Seafood, Lafayette, CO

Outstanding Hospitality

• Spuntino, Denver

Outstanding Wine Program

• The Little Nell, Aspen, CO

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

• Jose Avila, El Borrego Negro, Denver
• Cody Cheetham, Tavernetta, Denver
• Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, CO
• Mawa McQueen, Mawa's Kitchen, Aspen, CO
• Dana Rodriguez, Work & Class, Denver
• Eric Skokan, Black Cat Farm Table Bistro, Boulder, CO
• Luis Young, Penrose Room, Colorado Springs, CO

See a full list of the James Beard Award semifinalists here.