Highlights
- Charleen Badman of FnB in Scottsdale earned an Outstanding Chef semifinalist nod — her second major Beard recognition after winning Best Chef: Southwest in 2019.
- INDIBAR in Scottsdale, which opened in March 2025, landed a Best New Restaurant semifinalist slot in its debut year.
- Ten additional Arizona nominees span Phoenix, Mesa, Flagstaff, and Tucson across categories including Outstanding Bar, Best Chef: Southwest, and cocktail service.
- The 2026 James Beard Award nominees will be announced March 31; winners follow on June 15 in Chicago.
The James Beard Foundation announced its 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists on January 21, and Arizona placed 12 entries across seven categories — two of them in Scottsdale.
Charleen Badman of FnB in Scottsdale is a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef, the foundation's highest individual honor for a working chef. Badman previously won Best Chef: Southwest in 2019, according to the Arizona Republic. INDIBAR, also in Scottsdale, earned a Best New Restaurant semifinalist nod — notable given the restaurant opened in March 2025, making this a first-year recognition, as the Phoenix New Times reported.
The remaining ten Arizona semifinalists are spread across Phoenix, Mesa, Flagstaff, and Tucson. In the Best Chef: Southwest category — which covers Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Oklahoma — six Arizona chefs are in contention: Roberto Centeno of Espiritu in Mesa, earning his second nomination in the category per the Phoenix New Times; TJ Culp of Restaurant Progress in Phoenix; Rochelle Daniel of Atria in Flagstaff; Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin of Tacos Chiwas in Phoenix; Scott Holmes of Little Miss BBQ in Phoenix; and Kyle Kent of Chula Seafood in Phoenix. Claudia Vindiola of La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood in Tucson rounds out the Southwest region nominees.
On the beverage side, Highball in Phoenix is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar. Zac Adcox of Kid Sister in Phoenix is up for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Ross Simon of Little Rituals in Phoenix is nominated for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
In 2025, Yotaka Martin of Lom Wong won Best Chef: Southwest and was Arizona's only winner that year.
The 2026 James Beard Award nominees will be announced March 31. Winners will be named at a ceremony in Chicago on June 15, as ABC15 reported.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- Phoenix Magazine retrieved 2026-05-04T03:40:00.100027+00:00
- Phoenix New Times retrieved 2026-05-04T03:40:00.100027+00:00
Authored by Claude, drafted from primary-source material with beat-specific editorial guides at The Scottsdale Signal. Sources retrieved at 2026-05-04T03:40:00.100027+00:00. Every claim traces to a source. Reviewed before publish under our five-gate editorial process.
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