In the world of chefs and restaurants, the greatest recognition from peers comes from the James Beard Foundation, the New York-based organization that “celebrates and supports the people behind America’s food culture.” For more than 30 years, the nonprofit has honored chefs and restaurants in the United States.
Since the awards started in 1991, the so-called “Oscars of the food world,” have honored chefs who have gone on to become household names: Rick Bayless, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton. In Iowa, 24 chefs have had their names called for the semifinalist list, with a majority hailing from Des Moines.
What’s called the long list of semifinalists came out in January, nominated by fans, regional panelists and other chefs. The organization divides the country into 12 regions, with Iowa in the Midwest competing against chefs and restaurants in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. The JBF also has awards for Outstanding Restaurateur, Outstanding Pastry Chef, Outstanding Hospitality and the like.
About 20 restaurants and chefs are named semifinalists in each category, which are pared down to five finalists in March. From there, a winner is named, this year in June in Chicago.
This year, DeLuxe Cakes & Pastries in Iowa City earned a semifinalist nod for Outstanding Bakery, The Contrary in Des Moines is a semifinalist for Best New Bar, and chefs Ian Robertson at Oak Park in Des Moines and Nick Hanke and Phil Shires at Masao in Des Moines are semifinalists for Best Chef Midwest.
Since the James Beard Awards began, no Iowa chef or restaurant has advanced beyond the semifinalist stage. Nevertheless, it’s still an enormous honor for chefs to be recognized by the organization. Food-loving travelers use the list to plan dining itineraries when they cross the state. Journalists and politicians will add these names to their lists during caucus season. And other chefs will seek out these places to learn what they are doing in their kitchens.
Here’s a look at the chefs and restaurants that have earned nominations from the James Beard Foundation across Iowa, divided into groups: Chefs from Des Moines, restaurants from Des Moines, chefs outside Des Moines and America’s Classics. Bon appétit.
Chefs in Des Moines
David Baruthio
David Baruthio with his stellar Baru 66 in Windsor Heights earned nominations for Best Chef Midwest in 2011 and 2013. Baru 66 closed in late 2019.
Baruthio now owns Café Madeleine, a tasting-menu-only restaurant that changes its menu every six weeks. Dinner at this 16-seat restaurant is by reservation only.
George Formaro
The chef partner behind Centro, Zombie Burger and the now-closed Django restaurants at Orchestrate Hospitality earned nominations in 2008, 2009 and 2010 for Best Chef Midwest and then as a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2013 and 2014. His Best Chef Midwest nods recognized his work at Centro, the 21-year-old Italian restaurant in downtown Des Moines. Centro serves pizzas baked in a coal-fired oven, pastas, steak and seafood. Order the chicken Francese, battered chicken breasts in a lemon butter sauce with fettuccine Alfredo on the side.
Nick Hanke
Nick Hanke, chef and co-owner of Masao in Des Moines’ East Village, is a 2026 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Midwest semifinalist, earning national attention in the restaurant’s first year. Hanke shares the nomination with partner Phil Shires for their refined blend of Japanese technique and French influence, served in the former Miyabi space. Trained under master sushi chef Mike “Masao” Miyabi, Hanke emphasizes pristine sourcing, seasonality and meticulous preparation, introducing Des Moines diners to rare fish and ever-changing menus.
Chris Hoffmann
Chris Hoffmann grew up in Ames and returned in 2017 to Des Moines. He opened Clyde’s Fine Diner in the East Village in 2019 with a menu of elevated diner food. Hoffmann earned a JBF semifinalist nod in 2024 for Best Chef Midwest.
The CFD burger is one of the best in Des Moines, while fans of the restaurant love Hoffmann’s sausage made in-house and Caesar sprouts, fried Brussels sprouts tossed in Caesar’s dressing with sunflower seeds. Clyde’s Fine Diner makes everything in-house.
Joe Logsdon
Joe Logsdon at La Mie earned a nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2010. His café on 42nd Street in Des Moines got its start in 2003, at first baking breads and pastries, then expanding to breakfast and lunch dishes. Tartines, quiches and omelets are just some of the options here. Diners order at the counter and then await their menu items at a table, or stand in the queue to grab to-go sandwiches or pastries.
Steve Logsdon
For fine Italian fare, head to Steve Logsdon’s Lucca in the East Village in Des Moines. The chef earned nods for Best Chef Midwest in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. That’s quite a run.
The upscale East Village restaurant serves a four-course prix fixe dinner. A pasta course and mains such as salmon, eggplant, scallops or a New York strip steak anchor the menu. During lunch, spiced chicken sandwiches, light salads and ricotta and spinach rigatoni lead the way.
Fun fact about brothers Steve and Joe Logsdon — they owned the Italian restaurant Basil’s, which operated in a food court in the Locust Mall in downtown Des Moines, then went on to open Basil Prosperi in the skywalk.
Ian Robertson
Ian Robertson, executive chef of Oak Park in Des Moines, is a 2026 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Midwest semifinalist, a nod that underscores his impact on the city’s fine-dining scene. Since Oak Park opened in 2023, Robertson has emphasized seasonality, precise technique and close relationships with local farmers, while drawing on experience gained in Michelin-starred and AAA Five Diamond kitchens. His menus evolve constantly, often incorporating ingredients from the restaurant’s own garden. The nomination places Robertson among the Midwest’s most accomplished chefs.
Phil Shires
Back in 2015, Tony Lemmo closed Café di Scala and renamed it Aposto. Phil Shires, the chef at the Italian restaurant in Sherman Hill in 2014, earned a nomination for Best Chef Midwest. He left Aposto to open Elevate, La Mie Bakery’s location in the Des Moines skywalk at Two Ruan Center, in 2017.
At Aposto, restaurateur Tony Lemmo continues his tradition of Italian cuisine inside a Victorian mansion originally built in the 1880s. While the menu changes all the time, do order the osso bucco with a tomato ragu, risotto with pancetta, bone marrow with caramelized onion or Lemmo’s cavatelli with house Calabrian sausage.
This year, Shires earned his second nomination for Best Chef Midwest for his work at Masao, the new East Village restaurant that features French and Japanese dishes.
Masao brings a refined, intimate dining experience to Des Moines’ East Village, blending traditional Japanese sushi technique with subtle French influences. Set in the former Miyabi space, the restaurant emphasizes pristine sourcing, careful seasonality and meticulous execution, with nigiri, sashimi and small plates that change frequently based on what arrives fresh. The minimalist dining room keeps the focus on the food, encouraging guests to linger at the counter and engage with the chefs. Thoughtfully curated beverages and attentive service round out a meal that feels both special and personal.
Jason Simon
Alba opened in the East Village in 2008 in a renovated 1950s auto garage, and it’s earned three nominations for a James Beard Restaurant Award. Jason Simon earned the nod in 2011 followed by Joe Tripp in 2016 and 2017. The menu changes often and features seasonal ingredients unexpectedly paired to delight the senses. Expect plates such as a warm kale salad, roasted chicken breast with fennel risotto, the farmhouse burger with a bourbon mustard aioli and Swiss cheese, and three steak options.
Joe Tripp
As mentioned above, Joe Tripp earned nominations for Best Chef Midwest in 2016 and 2017, and for his restaurant Harbinger in 2018, 2019 and 2020. There, he uses a delicate hand to meld Asian profiles with local produce at this vegetable-forward kitchen. Okonomiyaki with winter root vegetables and soy-poached egg, farm carrots with house-made lemongrass sausage, and heirloom beets cooked in salt crust with lemon thyme are among the stars of the show, but like any seasonal menu, these dishes disappear as they go out of season.
Chefs no longer working at their JBF-nominated restaurants
Carly Groben
Carly Groben, who originally opened Proof, earned a Rising Star Chef of the Year nomination in 2010. She went on to open Prairie Canary in Grinnell before selling the restaurant and leaving the restaurant business.
Nic Gonwa
Chef Nic Gonwa earned a Rising Star Chef nomination in 2015 at Eatery A after he took charge at a building that was a former Blockbuster on Ingersoll Avenue. Gonwa later partnered with Simon to open Motley School Tavern, and sold the restaurant last September.
Enosh Kelley
Bistro Montage from Enosh Kelley landed a James Beard Foundation nod for Best Chef Midwest in 2009. The French stalwart on Ingersoll Avenue closed in 2016 after a 16-year run. Harbinger occupies the corner space now.
Andrew Meek
Andrew Meek earned a James Beard Foundation semifinalist nod for Best Chef during his time at Sage, a restaurant he co‑owned and led in Windsor Heights that helped elevate Des Moines’ dining scene in the early 2000s. Located on University Avenue, Sage brought refined service, seasonal cooking and national ambitions to a suburb not yet known for destination dining. The recognition marked one of the area’s earliest returns to the James Beard conversation and signaled that Iowa chefs could compete on a Midwest stage. After Sage closed, Meek cooked at Sbrocco Wine and later helped launch Gramercy Tap.
Sean Wilson
Back in 2019, Sean Wilson sold Proof after earning JBF nominations for Best Chef Midwest in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Proof closed in 2022.
Restaurants and Bars in Des Moines
The Contrary
The Contrary, a cocktail bar and listening lounge in Des Moines’ East Village, is a 2026 James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best New Bar. Opened in late 2024 by Billy “B.WELL” Weathers — a hip-hop artist, community organizer and founder of the B.Well Foundation — the bar pairs creative, well-balanced cocktails with vinyl-driven music, warm lighting and an intimate, lounge-like vibe. Guests can expect seasonally driven drinks, thoughtful hospitality and a late-night soundtrack that leans heavily on soul, R&B and hip-hop.
Django
The French restaurant from Formaro and Paul Rottenberg’s Orchestrate Hospitality earned a rare Best New Restaurant nod from the James Beard Foundation in 2009 in a year that saw David Chang’s Momofuku Ko in New York City win and Scarpetta from Scott Conant and The Bazaar from Jose Andres among the finalists.
Django moved to Locust Street in 2018 with mezzanine seating and a patio with a Pappajohn Sculpture Park view after 10 years at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. The restaurant permanently closed in March 2026.
Simon’s Restaurant
The Merle Hay neighborhood gem earned a James Beard Foundation semifinalist nod for Outstanding Hospitality in 2025, a first for an Iowa restaurant. The Italian restaurant from Simon Goheen just celebrated 20 years of touching tables and serving red velvet cake for dessert. He opened a waiting lounge next door for customers to play games and imbibe in a cocktail while they wait for a table at the always-packed restaurant. Try vodka pasta, lasagna, or steak deBurgo, a Des Moines favorite.
Chefs outside Des Moines
Samuel Charles
Samuel Charles, the chef behind the now-closed Rodina in Cedar Rapids, earned a 2023 nomination for Best Chef Midwest for his Midwestern menu. The restaurant closed in October 2023.
Aaron Hall
Mount Vernon-based baker Aaron Hall earned a semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Baker in 2022. His bakery, The Local Crumb, specializes in sourdough breads and only takes orders online. Restaurants in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines use his breads.
Kevin Scharpf
It seems like everyone knew Kevin Scharpf’s name after he appeared on Season 16 of “Top Chef.” In 2022, the James Beard Foundation recognized him with a Best Chef Midwest nomination for his Dubuque treasure Brazen Open Kitchen. Scharpf creates seasonal dishes such as braised beef with smoked mashed potatoes, butternut squash with cashew queso, pork schnitzel, and halibut over mushroom farro. The restaurant also has Brazen Reserve, a private dining space for an interactive multi-course tasting menu or a shared family-style dinner.
Andy Schumacher
Back in 2015, Andy Schumacher at Cobble Hill Eatery & Dispensary in Cedar Rapids caught the eyes of the James Beard Foundation judges with a Best Chef Midwest nod. He earned a second nomination in 2025 for the same award. Request the chef’s table overlooking the kitchen and order fennel gratin, monkfish roulade with PEI mussels, a Niman Ranch flat-iron steak with Gruyere pomme puree, or lamb cappelletti. Keep in mind this menu changes often at this downtown restaurant named for a neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Matt Steigerwald
The James Beard Foundation recognized Matt Steigerwald of Lincoln Café in Mount Vernon with a Best Chef Midwest nomination three times — in 2008, 2011 and 2015. The café became Lincoln Winebar and then Steigerwald sold it in 2016 to Jesse Sauerbrie. Lincoln specializes in Neapolitan-style pizzas using local ingredients.
Steigerwald was the culinary director at Wilson’s Farm and chef at Wilson’s Ciderhouse in Iowa City and Cumming. He left his position in April 2024. Ciderhouse closed in Iowa City in 2024. He now oversees the commissary kitchen for the deli operations of the Iowa City-based New Pioneer Co-op.
Restaurants outside of Des Moines
DeLuxe Cakes & Pastries
DeLuxe Cakes & Pastries of Iowa City is a 2026 James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery, a national nod for a shop long considered a Midwestern gold standard. Founder and owner Jamie Powers, a classically trained pastry chef, has spent more than two decades building a community-focused bakery known for meticulous French technique. Expect flaky croissants, expertly laminated pastries, rustic breads, seasonal tarts and celebratory cakes, all made with high-quality ingredients and a deep sense of craft. The cozy cottage bakery draws early lines, especially on weekends.
America’s Classics
The James Beard Foundation honors locally owned restaurants that have a timeless feel to them and serve food that reflects the community. In Iowa, three restaurants earned the America’s Classics Award. Consider these the timeless classics of Iowa.
Archie’s Waeside
Head up to Le Mars for Archie’s Waeside, opened in 1949 by the late Archie Jackson, who came to America to escape Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution. Once in America, he worked at a packing house, first in Sioux City and later Los Angeles, according to the restaurant’s website. He learned how to cut and dry-age the beef that he used when he opened Archie’s Waeside.
Now his grandson, Robert Rand, and granddaughter, Lorrie Luense, run the restaurant that features 10 cuts of dry-aged beef including the 16- to 18-ounce Benny Weiker as well as steak and seafood options with lobster or shrimp. Each dish comes with a tossed salad and a relish tray.
Archie’s Waeside won its America’s Classic Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2015.
Breitbach’s Country Dining
On the other side of the state sits Breitbach’s Country Dining, touted as the oldest bar and restaurant in Iowa. It opened in 1852 after President Millard Fillmore issued a federal permit, and Jacob Breitbach took over in 1862, marking the beginning of six generations running the restaurant. A Christmas Eve fire in 2007 burned the original building for Breitbach’s Country Dining, but Mike Breitbach and the Balltown community rallied to rebuild in 69 days. Six months later, the restaurant burned to the ground again.
Diners love this restaurant for homemade pies by the slice, broasted chicken and prime rib on Saturday nights. Diners can also order a buffet, where everyone can make their own salad creation.
The James Beard Foundation honored the restaurant with an America’s Classic Award in 2009.
Lagomarcino’s
Angelo Lagomarcino immigrated to the United States from northern Italy and decided to strike out on his own in 1908 when he opened his confectionery shop in Moline, Illinois, selling ice cream treats such as malted milks, ice cream sodas and hot fudge sundaes that use the shop’s own vanilla ice cream and a pitcher of hot fudge on the side. The restaurant sold sandwiches, salads, homemade pie, and fountain drinks such as the Green River, a lime thirst quencher named after the Chicago River, and the Lago, a fruit-flavored soda pop concocted by Charlie Lagomarcino in the 1930s. The store also sells candies — pecan dainties, mints, truffles, sea salt caramels and more. Four generations have run the business since its opening.
Lagomarcino’s opened a second location in The Village of East Davenport in 1997. Lagomarcino’s won its America’s Classic Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2006.
James Beard Foundation in Iowa by the numbers
(This article was updated with new information.)
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the Iowa restaurants and chefs on the James Beard list
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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