This New Hampshire Chef is Once Again, a James Beard Award Semifinialist

Is there something in the water here in the Northeast that makes really talented chefs?  They make it on TV food competitions and win all kinds of awards.  Their restaurants have wait lines for a reason - they are the elite, they are the James Beard Award Semifinalists.

The results are now in for 2026 and here in New Hampshire, we have one of those special chefs.

If you live on the Seacoast, chances are, you have tasted Chef Evan Hennessey's food. He is the owner and Head Chef of Stages in Dover, one of the best restaurants around.

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Evan has been on Food Network's "Chopped" several times as well as Guy Fieri's "Guy's Grocery Games."  Also, this is not his first recognition by the "Oscars of the Food World."

The nominees will be announced on March 31, 2026.  All winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony in Chicago on June 15.

You could go on a tour of all the semifinalists because Evan Hennessey isn't he only New England chef to make it for Best Chef.  Here is the complete list of others:

Tiara Adorno, The Crooked Ram, Manchester, VT

Jeremy Broucek, Bread & Friends, Portland, ME

Sāsha Coleman, Comfort Kitchen, Boston, MA

Amarilys Colon, La Padrona, Boston, MA

David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT

Luke Fetbroth, Tonino, Boston, MA

Chris Gould, Central Provisions, Portland, ME

Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH

Bolivar Hilario, Community Table, New Preston, CT

Sara Jenkins, Nina June, Rockport, ME

Shi Mei, Lenox Sophia, Boston, MA

Peter Nguyen, Lê Madeline, Quincy, MA

Kevin O'Donnell, Giusto, Newport, RI

Annie Parisi, Jayd Bun, South Kingstown, RI

Jake Stevens, Leeward, Portland, ME

Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, ME

Shilimat Tessema, Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, New Haven, CT

Paul Trombly, Fancy's, Burlington, VT

Max Vogel, Ondis, Montpelier, VT

Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

A James Beard award takes the chef and their restaurant to another level, which is something that every chef wants.  Let's just hope for the locals, the line won't be TOO long to get a table at Scales.