8 Rhode Island Chefs and Restaurants Make James Beard Foundation Awards Semifinalist List
Sky Haneul Kim of Gift Horse is up for Best Chef: Northeast, as well as four other local chefs, and three more Rhode Island restaurants and chefs are also being recognized in other categories.
Dinner at Oberlin. Photo by Jamie Coelho.
Looks like Rhode Island is once again being recognized in a big way by the James Beard Foundation. After Sherry Pocknett, owner of Sly Fox Den Too won the title for 2023’s Best Chef: Northeast, now eight different Rhode Island-based chefs and restaurants have earned spots on the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalists list.
It is a first nod for a couple, including Nikhil Naiker of Providence’s NIMKI, who is being recognized in the “Emerging Chef” category, as well as Nick Rabar of Honeybird Kitchen and Cocktails in East Providence in the Best Chef: Northeast category. Meanwhile, a few veterans are returning to the semifinalist gauntlet, including Oberlin in Providence for Outstanding Restaurant, Persimmon in Providence for Outstanding Hospitality, and four more Best Chef contenders: Robert Andreozzi of Pizza Marvin, Subat Dilmurat of Jahunger, Sky Haneul Kim of Gift Horse and Derek Wagner of Nicks on Broadway.
In previous years, many Rhode Island chefs had sequential semifinalist and finalist nods for Best Chef: Northeast, but never nabbed the award, including Ben Sukle who garnered four appearances on the long list, two of which were for representing Oberlin. He made it to the finalist list in 2018 and 2019 for Best Chef: Northeast for Oberlin, and in 2017 for birch, and as a semifinalist for birch in 2014. Persimmon chef-owner Champe Speidel was nominated seven times in the semifinalist category for Best Chef; Northeast, the most recent after moving Persimmon from Bristol to Providence. Persimmon also earned semifinalist recognition for “Outstanding Service” in 2013 and 2014. Nicks On Broadway’s chef Derek Wagner has also appeared on the Best Chef: Northeast shortlist in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Meanwhile, Jahunger’s Dilmurat competed for the Best Chef title in 2024, while Pizza Marvin’s Andreozzi was a semifinalist in 2023. Gift Horse’s Kim was recognized last year in the Emerging Chef category, and stepped it up to Best Chef: Northeast for 2025!
Oberlin’s interior. Photo by Angel Tucker
Though just shy of last year’s number (which saw ten semifinalists total), the eight nominations are a great feat for the current Rhode Island restaurant scene. In 2023, Rhode Island only had three semifinalist nominations under the Best Chef: Northeast category, and before that, only the former Ocean House COAST chef William Rietzel made the 2022 list, after a return from a pandemic hiatus in 2021.
Let’s see what Rhode Island can do this year with eight chefs’ hats in the ring!
Here’s the list of Rhode Island Semifinalists:
Outstanding Restaurant: A restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.
● Oberlin, Providence, RI
Emerging Chef : A chef who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability, and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.
● Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence, RI
Outstanding Hospitality: A restaurant, bar, or other food and drinking establishment that fosters a sense of hospitality among its customers and staff that serves as a beacon for the community and demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.
● Persimmon, Providence, RI
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
● Subat Dilmurat, Jahunger, Providence, RI
● Robert Andreozzi, Pizza Marvin, Providence, RI
● Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI
● Nick Rabar, Honeybird Kitchen and Cocktails, East Providence, RI
● Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI
Finalists will be announced on Wed., April 2; winners on Mon., June 16, at Chicago’s Lyric Opera.
