Also, see all the Puerto Rican chefs and businesses that received nominations at the 2025 James Beard Awards
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Congratulations: two Puerto Rican chefs and Santurce's Identidad Cocktail Bar are among the finalists for the prestigious 2025 James Beard Awards.
Kevin García, of La Faena Agrococina in Guaynabo, and Ángel David Moreno Zayas, of El Gallo Pinto in Guayama, were named finalists in the Best Chef: South category, where they compete with Nando Chang of Itamae AO, Miami, Florida; Matthew Cooper of Conifer, Bentonville, Arkansas; and Rafael Ríos of Yeyo's El Alma de Mexico, also in Bentonville.
At La Faena, García draws on modern interpretations of local flavors, while Ángel David Moreno Zayas has made El Gallo Pinto a destination for authentic Puerto Rican cooking in the south.
Meanwhile, Identidad Cocktail Bar is a finalist in the Best New Bar category, alongside Agency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Bar Colette in Dallas, Texas; Merai in Brookline, Massachusetts; and ViceVersa in Miami, Florida.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Here you can find the rest of the finalists.
🎙️ Watch the Punto Aparte interview with Edrick Colón and Stephen Alonso of Identidad Cocktail Bar following their nomination:
This year, a total of 8 Puerto Rican chefs and businesses appeared on the list of semifinalists, announced Jan. 22, reflecting the growth and excellence of local gastronomy and Puerto Rican talent. Below is the full list of semifinalists by category:
Best Chef: South category (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
Kevin Garcia, La Faena Agrococina, Guaynabo, PR
Gabriel Hernández, Verde Mesa, San Juan, PR
Angel David Moreno Zayas, El Gallo Pinto, Guayama, PR
Carol Reyes, Bóveda, San Juan, PR
Outstanding Chef, presented by Hilton
A James Beard finalist, Portela offers an experimental tasting menu of up to 20 courses, where Caribbean tradition meets culinary innovation. At Vianda, Guzmán offers a farm-to-table experience. Every dish at this restaurant is made with fresh ingredients from the property.
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Lucia Merino, Lucia Patisserie, San Juan
Merino has made Lucia Patisserie a go-to spot for those looking for fresh pastries, seasonal cakes or a good slice of artisan bread with Saturday morning coffee.
Best New Bar
Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan
Identidad Cocktail Bar experiments with Caribbean flavors. Its menu highlights cocktails such as Vida, which builds on a vodka base with touches of lemon passion fruit and ginger honey.
The James Beard Awards are the highest distinction in American gastronomy, often compared to the Oscars of the food world. The inclusion of eight Puerto Rican establishments among the semifinalists confirms the exceptional moment local gastronomy is experiencing and its growing international profile. This year, Condé Nast also recognized the island as one of the best food destinations to visit.
Zoom out: Puerto Rico has several winners of this prestigious award. In 2023, Natalia Vallejo of Cocina al Fondo became the first Puerto Rican chef to win the Best Chef: South category. That same year, La Casita Blanca in Santurce was also recognized in the Southeast region category, and became the first restaurant in Puerto Rico to receive a James Beard Award.
Cover photo: El Gallo Pinto, La Faena Agrococina and Identidad Cocktail Bar (Instagram)
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
