The James Beard Awards finalists for 2026 have been announced, with a record 17 chefs, restaurants and bar professionals from across Colorado making the cut. Five Colorado restaurateurs and bar owners are among the finalists, representing some of the state's most exciting kitchens. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Chicago on June 15. Among the finalists is Penelope Wong, who left a long career as a country club chef to launch a food truck and moved Yuan Wonton into a Park Hill brick-and-mortar. Josh Niernberg, who has received five James Beard Award nominations throughout his career, is considered outstanding in his restaurant Bin 707 Foodbar in Grand Junction.