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Anastasiia Gaines

Partage

An Inside Look at This Year’s James Beard Best Chef: Southwest Semifinalists

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Food & Drink

Every winter, the James Beard Foundation releases a list that makes the culinary world pause and head to their phones. Some in great anticipation and others leisurely scrolling, but all are looking for one thing: Who are semifinalists of the annual James Beard Awards. This list represents the most compelling chefs working today, shaping not just menus, but regional food identity itself. Often referred to as the “Oscars of food,” the James Beard Awards honor excellence, integrity and impact across the American dining landscape.

This year’s Best Chef: Southwest semifinalists are chefs who have tested their skills under pressure on Chopped, built restaurants in unexpected places and stayed deeply rooted in their communities while cooking on a national stage.

Here’s an inside look at four of those semifinalists—and the restaurants that define them.

At Espíritu in Mesa, Chef Roberto Centeno is contributing to bringing to life what once was a sleepy downtown, cooking authentic Mexican food with memory, fire and intention.

“The restaurant has been open for four years, so being nominated was surprising,” Centeno shares. “I was really excited for my employees being nominated because they look forward to it and getting that recognition.”

Centeno’s cooking leans toward his upbringing of home-cooked meals mixed with a passion for live-fire grilling. His signature skirt steak dish—a longtime fan favorite—tells his story best.

 “It’s nostalgic. I grew up eating it as a kid…my love from grilling came from my dad,” he says, describing a plate layered with beans, crispy potatoes and Sonoran-style chiltepin salsa.

Like several chefs in this year’s category, Centeno is also a Chopped champion—an experience he says sharpened his confidence under pressure.

“It’s a completely different experience on Chopped,” he shares. “It’s real, the competition itself, and once the time starts ticking, you have to perform.  As soon as the first round was done, I gained a lot of confidence and refocused on the things I do really well.”

Representing Arizona on a national stage, Centeno sees the state’s cuisine as a reflection of its people.

“We’re a bit of a melting pot and have a lot of melting cultures in Arizona and we do a good job at it,” he shares. “I’ve been lucky to travel to other countries and learn to appreciate what we do but I believe Arizona has some of the best food consistently I’ve ever had in diversity especially and that’s well-rounded.”

Finn Walter — The Nicolett | Lubbock, Texas

Out in West Texas, Chef Finn Walter is proving that ambitious, refined cooking doesn’t require a coastal address.

Walter’s cooking is rooted in classical French technique but shaped with Southwestern tradition. Dishes like pozole and fry bread sit comfortably alongside French technique, redefining what fine dining can look like in a small hometown. But the signature dish? That would be the lamb, served as a brisket.

“This is a dish that I began conceptualizing years before we opened. We feature Capra Lamb neck, crusted in a house blend of exotic peppercorns and local lavender, slow-roasted overnight, and a decadent dish to eat. A dish that seems simple, but involves a lot of time, technique and sourcing.”

A semifinalist for the second time, Walter returned home after working in cities like Austin and Paris to open The Nicolett, bringing fine dining to his hometown.

“I was born and raised in Lubbock, so this opportunity brought me ‘home,’” Walter says. “We returned here to bring a taste of fine dining to West Texas, through a regional lens of ingredients and inspiration.”

Yuri Szarzewski — Partage | Las Vegas, Nevada

Located in the Chinatown of Las Vegas lies the unexpected fine-dining French cuisine. At Partage, Chef Yuri Szarzewski has refined French tasting menus, using his upbringing and passion to define his menu.

“Coming from a small town in the south of France, I never imagined this path,” Szarzewski says. “Being nominated for a James Beard Award…is deeply emotional for me.”

Trained in Michelin-starred kitchens across France, Szarzewski approaches menus with seasonality, rhythm and progression. His oxtail croque monsieur, topped with bone marrow, has become the restaurant’s defining dish. “One bite is enough to understand the depth it delivers,” he says.

Szarzewski is also a Chopped winner, but says he isn’t the same chef today as he was then.

“Winning Chopped was a great feeling. I love competition, and that show is tough. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, which I love. I’m proud of that win, but I’m also a much more complete chef today,” he shares. “I’d love to do it again one day, just to see where I am now. Same pressure, same rules, better version of myself.”

Out in the semi-unpredictable climate of New Mexico, sourcing fresh produce can be a challenge. That’s why Chef Steve Riley’s cooking at Mesa Provisions is shaped by necessity, and a bit of curiosity. A previous Beard finalist, Riley returned this year almost by accident. “I was looking on Instagram, drinking coffee…and saw my name,” he says. “I was like, ‘wait a minute, I’m on this?’”

Largely self-taught, Riley credits his unconventional path with shaping a cooking philosophy that prioritizes understanding the “why” behind food.

“My love for food is the love of diversity of food and how food gets to where it is and why it’s there,” he says.

Vegetables take center stage at Mesa Provisions. From smoked beets to turnips, Riley delights in changing minds with his talents.

“I’ve had several guests tell me, ‘I hate beets, but I will order your beets every time,’” he says.

While the menu changes often, one item remains: a smoked half chicken, served with beans and tortillas, best captures the spirit of the restaurant.

“This dish really shows in a broad sense what it is I’m trying to do and how I like to eat,” Riley explains. “It has been on our menu since day one and it’s been a labor of love keeping it consistent every day and keep it the best quality we can.”

What’s Next?

Finalists for the James Beard Awards will be announced later this spring, with winners revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony in Chicago.

These semifinalists already tell a powerful story, making up their own slice of the Southwest. From Mesa to Lubbock, Las Vegas to Albuquerque, they show that the Southwest isn’t just influencing American cuisine—it’s helping lead it.

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