More: Bon Appetit! Las Vegas Receives Record Number 14 James Beard Award Nominations

More: The 2026 James Beard Award Nominees | James Beard Foundation

And then there were three.

Following the January news that Las Vegas had received a record-number 14 James Beard Award nominations for 2026, it has been announced that three of the nominees have made it to the finalist round.

That’s great news, of course, except that a dynamic duo are in the same category, Best Chef (Southwest): Brian Howard (pictured in the main photo) of Sparrow + Wolf in Chinatown Las Vegas and Sarah Thompson of Casa Playa at Wynn Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.

Modern Indian restaurant Tamba in Town Square also made it to the final round this year in Best New Restaurant.

Howard is an OG chef for me, as I’ve lived in Las Vegas since 2008 and remember well his restaurant portfolio over the years that includes Nu Sanctuary at Town Square, Comme Ca at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and now Sparrow + Wolf. A very talented – and very nice – chef.

I don’t know Thompson well, but dinner – two of them, including a James Beard dinner – and weekend brunch at Casa Playa next to Encore Beach Club and her participation in food and wine festivals have all been impressive – fresh and inventive menu creations that never disappoint.

I dined at Tamba in January 2025 shortly after it opened and was very impressed by the traditional and modern Indian dishes and cocktails. It’s been a minute, and a return is absolutely in order.

All three finalist nominations are well-deserved, as are the other 11 Las Vegas semifinalists in 2026:

Outstanding Restaurateur: Elizabeth Blau (Buddy V’s, Honey Salt)

Best New Bar: Nocturno

Outstanding Beverage Service: Bank Atcharawan (Jipata)

Outstanding Cocktail Service: Mariena Mercer Boarini (Aft Cocktail Deck)

Emerging Chef: Ellie Parker (Main St. Provisions and the latest winner of Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen”)

Outstanding Pastry Chef: Kimberly Mcintosh (Milkfish)

Outstanding Wine: Ada’s

Best Chef (Southwest):

Oulay Ceesay Fisher (Calabash African Kitchen)

Yuri Szarzewski (Partage)

Jamie Tran (Black Sheep)

James Trees (Bar Bohème)

Best of luck, Tamba and Chefs Howard and Thompson!

The 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards are on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.