America's Best New Restaurant Is In MN: James Beard Awards

MINNESOTA —Bûcheron in Minneapolis was named Best New Restaurant at Monday’s James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel in St. Paul won Best Chef: Midwest.

The awards, regarded as the Academy Awards of the U.S. restaurant industry, honor excellence across a range of categories, from fine dining to casual gems.

Bûcheron offers French-American cuisine, celebrating the Parisian bistro with its critically acclaimed south Minneapolis restaurant from co-owners chef Adam Ritter and Jeanie Janas Ritter, according to MPR News.

Tomlinson on Monday after her win described both Myriel and Bûcheron as “proudly Minnesotan and Midwestern," according to Eater Twin Cities, which noted Tomlinson's cooking style blends her Scandinavian heritage and French culinary training. Tomlinson wore her grandmother's dress from when she was crowned "dazzle corn queen" as part of a University of Minnesota celebration in 1941, Eater reported.

“The Midwest is beautiful, the Midwest is diverse, the Midwest is tenacious and strong," she said at the end of her acceptance speech, according to Eater.

2025 is the 35th anniversary of the prestigious culinary awards that recognize eateries and chefs who create exceptional food, food media content, and better food systems, according to the James Beard Foundation. Awards also recognize a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.

This year in celebration of the pivotal anniversary, the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards were presented across 25 categories, with an expanded focus on beverages, introducing three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

Other categories include outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, outstanding restaurant, emerging chef, best new restaurant, outstanding bakery, outstanding pastry chef or baker, outstanding hospitality, outstanding wine and other beverages program, outstanding bar and best chef.

Other Minnesota restaurants and chefs were named semifinalists earlier this year were:

• Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, for Outstanding Chef;
• Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis, for Outstanding Restaurant;
• Vinai, Minneapolis, for Best New Restaurant;
• Mucci's, St. Paul, for Outstanding Hospitality;
• Bar Brava, Minneapolis, for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program;
• Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado no Mise, Minneapolis, for Best Chef: Midwest;
• Abraham Gessesse, Hyacinth, St. Paul, for Best Chef: Midwest;
• Mateo Mackbee, Krewe, Saint Joseph, for Best Chef: Midwest;
• Diane Moua, Diane's Place, Minneapolis, for Best Chef: Midwest.