Back in February, a handful of Milwaukee restaurants, chefs, and bars were announced as semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards. Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of EsterEv made the list for Best Chef Midwest, as did Odd Duck’s Ross Bachhuber and Samuel Ek, along with Birch’s Kyle Knall. Amilinda’s Gregory León got a semifinalist nod for Outstanding Chef. Finally, Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge was a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar, and hybrid cocktail bar Agency (located in the Dubbel Dutch Hotel at 817 N. Marshall St.) was a semifinalist for Best New Bar.
Well the finalists for the prestigious awards were announced on Wednesday, and only one Milwaukee name, Agency, made the cut. Sorry to the chefs and to Bryant’s, but hey! Congrats to Agency!
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The James Beard Awards describe the Best New Bar category as one that honors “a wine bar, beer bar, cocktail bar, coffee bar, or any other business whose primary offering is beverage, opened between October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, that already demonstrates excellence in beverages, seems likely to make a significant impact in years to come, and demonstrates consistent excellence in the preparation of drinks, sourcing, service, hospitality, atmosphere, and operations.”
Here’s the full list of Best New Bar finalists:
• Agency, Milwaukee, WI
• Bar Colette, Dallas, TX
• Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, PR
• Merai, Brookline, MA
• ViceVersa, Miami, FL
The winners of the 2025 James Beard Awards will be announced Monday, June 16, in a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Good luck, Agency!
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