By Gus Saltonstall
A James Beard Award is a leading accolade within the culinary world, and two Upper West Side chefs were just named semifinalists for the annual awards in 2026.
The winners will be announced on March 31 and then attend the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 15 in Chicago.
The awards are broken down by state, and a pair of UWS chefs were named among the semifinalists on Wednesday, which is an honor in and of itself.
The first of those chefs was Christopher Bellanca of Essential by Christophe at 103 West 77th Street, in the “Best Chef: New York State” category.
Bellanca has overseen the popular French restaurant since it opened in an Upper West Side townhouse in 2022. The eatery has earned a Michelin star for the past two years. Essential by Christophe operates out of the space that previously served as home to the popular upscale restaurant Dovetail, which also earned a Michelin star.
Bellanca grew up in Ardeche, France, and formerly worked as the head chef at celebrated New York City eateries such as Le Cirque and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon.
The other local chef to be named a 2026 semifinalist on Thursday? Kwame Onwuachi, in the “Outstanding Chef” category, for his work at Tatiana at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza.
Onwuachi is an alum of the popular television show “Top Chef” and has served as the executive chef for multiple restaurants in Washington D.C. and New York City. Tatiana was named the best restaurant in New York City in 2023 and 2024 by The New York Times, before slightly dropping in the publication’s rankings in 2025 to the 10th position.
Onwuachi was also named the James Beard “Rising Star Chef” of the year in 2019.
WSR will keep an eye on whether both chefs are named winners in their respective categories later this year.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
