Two Minnesota Restaurants Honored with Prestigious James Beard Awards

With tons and tons of delicious restaurants around Minnesota and around the country, I can't imagine having to sift through all of them to then decide who is the best of the best. But that's what happens every year at the James Beard Foundation.

Just yesterday, June 16th, the winners of the 2025 James Beard Awards were announced. This year, one Minnesota restaurant and one Minnesota chef took home awards!

ALSO READ: The SE MN Bar That's the Real First Bar in Minnesota

What Is a James Beard Award?

The James Beard Foundation hosts the annual James Beard Awards.

On their website, the James Beard Foundation writes this as their Vision:

The James Beard Foundation aims to be a destinatioin for excellence across the independent restaurant industry, driving the country towards a better food system.

One of the ways they do that is with the James Beard Awards each year. The awards are to "recognize excellence in the culinary arts, food and beverage, and hospitality industries."

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Receiving a James Beard Award is a big deal! And this year, two Minnesota restaurants were honored.

Minnesota Chef Wins James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest

There are multiple categories for Best Chef that are separated by region. The states for the Midwest are, of course, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

This year, the award for Best Chef in the Midwest went to Chef Karyn Tomlinson, who is the owner and chef of Myriel in St. Paul!

Myriel doesn't have a menu online, and that's because it changes so often. They write:

Our à la carte menu prices range from $7-$34 ... We do exclusively whole animal butchery at Myriel in partnership with small farms, so you can expect changing cuts and ever-present charcuterie.

They also mention that they "highlight wild and sometimes unpredictable ingredients from woods and farmers we know". That sounds super cool!

Minnesota Restaurant Wins James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant

Also taking home an award is Minneapolis restaurant Bûcheron, bringing home the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

This award is across the entire country!

I learned on their website that Bûcheron is French for ‘lumberjack’. Their menu "features French-American cuisine while drawing inspiration from the skill and craftsmanship of generations of lumberjacks who worked and lived in our home state of Minnesota."

I really love that inspiration, that's so unique. Their menu prices range from $17-$72, but the average price seems to be around $30-40.