2025 Florida James Beard Semifinalists: Restaurants and Chefs

The James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalists for 2025's Restaurant and Chef Awards, one of the nation's most prestigious culinary honors.

From best restaurants to wine programs, five Miami restaurants and one Miami chef have been recognized as 2025 semifinalists. While Miami is represented in six categories, 13 Florida restaurants and chefs made this year's semifinalists, many from Orlando.

South Florida's 2025 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists are listed below.

Outstanding Restaurant presented by Acqua Panna Natural Spring Water: Ghee Indian Kitchen, Miami

Chef Niven Patel and restaurateur Mohamed Alkassar opened Miami's eyes to the cuisine of western India, a culinary culture that includes infinitely more than tandoori chicken and lamb rogan josh. At Ghee Indian Kitchen, you'll find the simple street snack of puffed rice called bhel, juiced up with sweet Florida avocado and meaty hunks of raw tuna. Though the restaurant offers chicken tikka masala for the unadventurous, do not miss the sizable vegetable section on the menu,  many of which are harvested from Patel's farm.

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Macchialina, Miami

Winner of New Times Best Italian Restaurant 2024, Macchialina boasts some of the city's most magical pasta. Opened in June 2012, Macchialina, located at 820 Alton Rd. in South Beach, has quickly become a favorite Italian restaurant among critics, locals, and in-the-know tourists who flock to the casual neighborhood eatery to indulge in chef/owner Michael Pirolo's rustic yet sophisticated, Italian fare. They also flock to the spot for Jacqueline Pirolo, who, thanks to her, Macchialina has been awarded a Wine Spectator Award as well as being named one of their Small but Mighty wines lists in 2018, the same year she was bestowed a Pineapple Award (Spirited Miami) for Miami's Best Sommelier.

Outstanding Bar: Café La Trova, Miami

Cofounded in 2019 by world-famous cantinero (bartender) Julio Cabrera and award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, the Calle Ocho gem is special thanks to Cabrera, who has made cocktail-making the heart and soul of Café La Trova. "Being again on the list of the 100 World's Best Bars for the fifth year in a row is an amazing accomplishment and achievement," Cabrera told New Times in 2024.

Best New Bar: Vice Versa, Miami

Helmed by acclaimed Miami bartender Valentino Longo, this new Italian aperitivo bar in downtown Miami opened over the summer with authentic Italian cocktails and a selection of pizzas that even nonna would approve of. Here, you'll find Italian influences in every detail, including its menu that is full of negroni options, including the "ViceVersa Negroni" made with ViceVersa Mi-To (the house dolce amaro blend and Bombay Sapphire), as well as the "Negroni Sbagliato" made with ViceVersa Mi-To, Franciacorta (an Italian sparkling wine). ViceVersa is how you aperitivo like an Italian.

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: Allegra Angelo, Vinya Table, Miami

An extension of sommelier and co-owner Allegra Angelo's Key Biscayne wine market, Vinya Table is one-half restaurant, one-half market from which you can grab any of Angelo's thoughtfully curated bottle selections off the shelf to enjoy with your meal (in addition to a list of more than 40 wines available by the glass). When it comes to food, there's the obligatory build-your-own charcuterie board, as well as sections dedicated to pasta, meat, and seafood.

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR): Nando Chang, Itamae AO, Miami

Other Florida Chefs that made it to the semifinals include Nikhil Abuvala, Roux 30a, Santa Rosa Beach; Lordfer Lalicon, Kaya, Orlando; and Sean "Sonny" Nguyen, Domu, Orlando.

Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, April 2, and winners will be crowned at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.