Thirteen Colorado Chefs and Restaurants Named James Beard Award Semifinalists

Last year, thirteen Colorado chefs and restaurants were named James Beard Award semifinalists, and the count is the same for 2024 — though there are some fresh additions to the list, and some surprise subtractions.

For the second year in a row, Kelly Whitaker of the Id Est Hospitality Group is up for Outstanding Restaurateur. This follows a huge year for the group that included the Wolf's Tailor and BRUTØ each earning one Michelin star and a Michelin green star for sustainability practices.

Despite also earning a Michelin star in Colorado's first guide in 2023 and garnering multiple honors from the James Beard Foundation in the past, Boulder's Frasca Food and Wine — which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2024 — is absent from this year's list, while sister restaurant Sunday Vinyl picked up a second semifinalist nod for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverage Programs.

Colorado was MIA from the list of Outstanding Restaurant semifinalists last year, but in 2024, another Michelin-starred Denver eatery made the cut: Beckon. (Check out our Q&A with chef and owner Duncan Holmes.)

First-time Beard semifinalists include Sắp Sửa for Best New Restaurant and chef Kenneth Wan for Emerging Chef at MAKfam, which opened in November. There are also several new names in the mix for Best Chef: Mountain, including Theo Adley of Marigold in Lyons, Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati of Lucina Eatery & Bar, Aminata “Ami” Dia and Rougui Dia of Le French, Matt Vawter of Rootstalk in Breckenridge and Bo Porytko of Molotov, who was a 2023 Emerging Chef semifinalist.

Despite having over a dozen semifinalists up for awards in 2023, only one made the finalist cut last year — chef Michael Diaz de Leon of BRUTØ — and he did not win. (He's since left BRUTØ and promises to reveal his new plans soon.)

This year's finalists will be revealed on April 3, and winners will be announced at a ceremony on June 10 in Chicago.
Here is the complete list of 2024 James Beard award semifinalists from Colorado:

Outstanding Restaurateur
Kelly Whitaker, Id Est Hospitality Group (Wolf's Tailor, BRUTØ, Basta and others), Boulder

Outstanding Chef
Barclay Dodge, Bosq, Aspen

Outstanding Restaurant
Beckon, Denver

Emerging Chef
Kenneth Wan, MAKfam, Denver

Best New Restaurant
Sắp Sửa, Denver 

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos, Poulette Bakeshop, Parker

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Sunday Vinyl, Denver

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
Theo Adley, Marigold, Lyons
Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati, Lucina Eatery & Bar, Denver
Aminata “Ami” Dia and Rougui Dia, Le French, Denver
Bo Porytko, Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails, Denver
Matt Vawter, Rootstalk, Breckenridge
Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver

The full list of 2024 semifinalists from across the country is available at jamesbeard.org.