James Beard Awards: 2 Minneapolis Restaurants, Owamni And Union Hmong Kitchen, Nominated For Best New Restaurant

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A number of Minnesota restaurants and chefs have been nominated for this year's James Beard Foundation Awards, among the most prestigious honors in the culinary industry.

Two Minneapolis restaurants are up for Best New Restaurant in the country. They are Owamni, chef Sean Sherman's restaurant along the Mississippi River that aims to offer a "decolonized dining experience" with Indigenous food, and Union Hmong Kitchen, chef Yia Vang's spot in the North Loop that houses his award-winning concept highlighting Hmong cuisine.

Both Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef, and Vang are also nominated for Best Chef Midwest. Joining them are Jorge Guzmán, of Petite León in south Minneapolis, and Erik Skaar, of Vann in Spring Park. Guzmán was also nominated for this category in 2017, when he helmed the Brewer's Table atop Surly Brewing Co.

Kim Bartmann, of the Bartmann Group in Minneapolis, is nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur, facing national competition. Her restaurants in the Twin Cities include Barbette, Red Stag Supperclub, Book Club, Pat's Tap, and Gigi's Café. This nomination comes just months after the Bartmann Group reached a $230,000 settlement after the restaurant group allegedly failed to pay workers their during the initial wave of pandemic-related closures.

The winners for each category will be announced on June 13 at a ceremony in Chicago.