By Don Seiffert
The James Beard Foundation has announced its 2025 finalists, and a Boston-area bar as well as chefs in Cambridge and Somerville have made the cut.
The semifinalists were named earlier this year, and the winners will be named at a ceremony on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The finalist nominees and honorees were named during a ceremony in Los Angeles.
In a new category of “best new bar,” Merai, a Thai fusion restaurant in Brookline, made the list of five finalists from across the country. James Beard defines the category as open to any “business whose primary offering is beverage” that opened between Oct. 1, 2023 and Sept. 30, 2024.
Merai is owned by the Chompon Boonnak, owner of Mahaniyom, also in Brookline, according to Eater Boston.
In the category of “outstanding chef,” Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville made the list, along with four other chefs nationwide. Piuma was last awarded in 2022 and has made several James Beard lists in previous years.
In the regional awards, Erin Miller of Urban Hearth in Cambridge was named a best chef finalist for the Northeast region.
Providence, Rhode Island, was named a finalist in the category of “emerging chef,” with Nikhil Naiker of NIMKI.
And Wolf Tree in White River Junction, Vermont is a finalist in the category of “outstanding bar.”
Last year, despite several finalists, Massachusetts restaurants and chefs did not win any James Beard awards.
The full list of nominees and honorees can be found on the James Beard Foundation website.