This year, we can lay claim to not one, but two, James Beard Award finalists.
Jason and Sue Chin of Good Salt Restaurant Group became the city’s first James Beard Award finalists for Outstanding Restaurateur.
And Ômo by Jônt, chef Ryan Ratino’s 16-seat offshoot of his two-Michelin-star Jônt in Washington, D.C., earned a spot on the short list of noms for Best New Restaurant.
“Is this for real? I don’t know what to say!” said an incredulous Sue Chin as she made the short walk from Reyes Mezcaleria to the soon-to-open Sparrow next door to tell her husband.
“Are you kidding me right now?” said Jason. “Oh my God, that’s crazy. I’m going to cry. I was just peeling plastic off this refrigerator when Sue came storming in. I… I… Let me put myself together.”
When the much-beloved couple collected themselves, they spoke of how overjoyed they were; of how all the workers at the restaurant were screaming and jumping up and down; and how fortunate they were in their staff.
“I can’t even describe how I feel right now,” said Jason. “We’re so grateful for our whole team and so happy they’re getting recognized for all the hard work they put in every day.”
“It just makes us want to do more,” added Sue. “If fate would have us bring home an award to Orlando, it would undoubtedly be the proudest moment of our career.”
“This is amazing! I think of my 20-year-old self eating at Luma and wanting to one day open a restaurant on Park Avenue. I would have never dreamt of this! I’m just so very happy to be a part of the Orlando dining community and we’re so excited for what’s to come!”
Ômo by Jônt — a restaurant that vied for my Top Table of 2024 along with William Shen’s Sorekara — celebrates elite ingredients and indulgences with jaw-dropping aesthetics and is an exemplar of restaurant service in this town. The Winter Park tasting menu concept will vie with nine other restaurants around the country for the honor.
The Chins, who were nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur back in 2022, lead the teams behind four of the finest restaurants in town — The Osprey, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Monroe and Seito Sushi, which is celebrating its 25th year, under the Good Salt Restaurant Group banner.
The Osprey is celebrating its 10th year. The couple will open Sparrow, their Euro-centric wine bar, later this month next door to Reyes Mezcaleria.
Long-list nominees Lordfer Lalicon and Sonny Nguyen, both of whom were 2025 semifinalists for Best Chef: South, and Yohann Le Bescond, a 2025 semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef/Baker, didn’t make it to the short list.
Today’s announcement marks a seminal moment in Orlando’s restaurant history, so what’s next?
Judges and subcommittee members will now dine at the restaurants of the finalists, participate in committee-led discussions regarding their dining experiences, then vote, with the top-scoring nominee per category being announced as the winner June 16 in Chicago.
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This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2025.