Suzanne Levy is a senior editor on the Explore LA team, where she oversees food, LA Explained and other feature stories.

Several Los Angeles heavy-hitters were recognized in the James Beard 2026 awards, the Oscars of the food world, which were handed out Monday night in Chicago.

Dave Beran, of Seline in Santa Monica, won Best Chef in California. The chef, who got Jeremy Allen White camera-ready for The Bear, said operating a restaurant in disaster-prone L.A. is hard.

"You name the problem every year.... whether it's fires so on and so forth. So to stay culture and goal-focused and believe in what we're doing even though I'm sure there are paths that probably would have been more profitable .... [the award] means a lot," Beran said.

Chef Dave Beran of Pasjoli and Seline in Santa Monica.

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John Troxell

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Beran, who also owns Pasjoli nearby, offers a 16-22 course tasting menu at Seline for $295.

While L.A. was eclipsed in some key categories, like Outstanding Chef, Emerging Chef and Best New Restaurant, it picked up awards in others. Kato, the one-star Michelin restaurant in DTLA, won the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. Ryan Bailey, sommelier and co-owner, told the audience in his acceptance speech that their vision was all about inclusion.

It was important that "no matter what was in your glass you were raising to cheer, you felt equal” at the bar.

Meanwhile Providence, the three-star Michelin restaurant on Melrose that's celebrating its 21st anniversary this week, won Outstanding Hospitality. Co-owner and General Manager Donato Poto joked that in the restaurant world, its longevity puts it "somewhere between middle age and a miracle."

Kim Stoler, beverage director at Providence restaurant on Melrose, mixes the Electric margarita made table side.

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Josh Letona

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LAist

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With a 1:1 customer to staff ratio, Poto said that exceptional service "is not something that can be scripted or manufactured, but rather is the result of a team united by a shared commitment to care, humility, and excellence."

In a ceremony that was part celebration and part a passionate plea for recogition of the role of immigrants in the food industry, the contributions of other Angelenos were also honored.

Silver Spoon, the legendary soul food restaurant in Inglewood, was recognized with a James Beard America's Classics award, given to "locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal."

Local icon Nancy Silverton was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award. However, she said, “This award doesn’t mean I’m going anywhere… because I have nowhere to go. And mark my words I will be back there to receive my lifetime achievement award 2.0. “

A local nonprofit, No Us Without You, was awarded Humanitarian of the Year. Started by chefs Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz to provide food relief to hospitality workers during the pandemic, six years later, it's pivoted to also serve food at home to families affected by ICE raids.

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