On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the James Beard Foundation (JBF) announced the 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists. These annual awards, the JBF site proclaims, “represent the pinnacle of culinary recognition in the U.S.” East Bay culinary artists, once again, made the cut. This long lead announcement provokes the public’s interest for the better part of six months. Finalist info arrives on March 31 followed by a June 15 winner-take-all ceremony in Chicago. WTF has previously covered all of this year’s contenders. Here’s a short refresher course on the nominees.
BEST CHEF BY REGION: CALIFORNIA
JBF’s categories must make sense internally. They’ve got one named “Outstanding Chef” and another named “Best Chef by Region.” In their cooking hierarchy, outstanding must mean something different than best. Large as it is, California gets its own regional category with 20 best chef nominees. Three of them work in Oakland.
Sun Moon Studio’s dining room only accommodates a handful of diners. Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu’s restaurant is located on the lower floor of an unassuming building on Union Street. During the day, that part of Oakland is pretty sedate. But at night a golden glow emanates from Sun Moon’s window. It’s an indication that good seasonal cooking is taking place inside. When I interviewed the couple in 2024, the buzz and momentum for Sun Moon was already underway. Last year they received a Michelin star and landed on best restaurant lists at both the New York Times and Bon Appétit. Reservations are still required weeks in advance to secure a table. With this latest nomination in hand, interested parties should look at their spring datebooks now. If they want to taste their dishes before then, Sun Moon will pop-up at SF’s The Happy Crane on Feb. 11 for a Lunar New Year dinner. Sun Moon Studio,1940 Union St., Ste. 21, Oakland. sunmoonstudio.com
Chef Geoff Davis is the other East Bay semifinalist in this category. His Temescal restaurant, Burdell, grew out of several pop-ups. A protegée and friend of James Syhabout (Commis), Davis had a few false starts before gaining traction with a series of dinners he made at Andrew Vennari’s Sequoia Diner. I just read that the Laurel Heights diner will soon be under new ownership. Since Burdell opened in 2023, like Sun Moon, the chef has received national attention for his “nostalgic soul food.” Esquire magazine included Burdell as one of its 50 Best New Restaurants in America in 2023. And he was previously a James Beard finalist in 2024. Apart from these accolades, Burdell has managed a rare feat. His cooking has been eaten up by the socials, but the restaurant itself is a neighborhood anchor and a local favorite. Burdell, 4640 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. burdelloakland.com
OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF OR BAKER
“Is this guy really talking about Tarts de Feybesse again?” Yeah, you betcha dear reader. Chefs Monique Feybesse and Paul Feybesse have made the Beard list for the second year in a row. Does that mean they’re going to qualify as finalists this year? Magic eight ball says, “Without a doubt.” Their Oakland bakery is set up like a stage. Customers walk in and immediately sense a hive of activity taking place behind the tall kitchen windows. This husband-and-wife team have a remarkable work ethic. But their shared ambitions serve a purpose. They mean to delight. After one look at the case of pastries and desserts, customers get to see their imagination at play. The colors are as vibrant as the flavors. This week they started selling a calamansi baba à la Tequila that looks like a trompe l’oeil egg on top of a brioche bun. Don’t get me started on the range of their inventive éclair fillings or I’ll start singing “Constant Craving.” Tarts de Feybesse, 324 24th St., Oakland. tartsdefeybesse.com
EMERGING CHEF
This category appears to be the equivalent of the “Best New Artist” category at the Grammys. Steve Joo is in the emerging chef category not because he just got started. He’s simply being recognized, a lot and regularly, for his traditional approach to making homemade tofu and banchan at his deli restaurant Joodooboo. Since its 2022 opening on Market Street in Oakland, the range of items has continued to evolve. Right now the lunch and dinner menus feature a farmer’s rice bowl, a fried dooboo—tofu—meal and a nori acorn noodle bowl. Joodooboo, 4201 Market St., Oakland; IG: @joodooboo.
