Burlington restaurants among Vermont semifinalists for 2025 for James Beard Awards

Five Vermont restaurants and bars were announced Wednesday morning as semifinalists for the James Beard Awards, the industry’s most prominent American honors. The nominees include a much-lauded Burlington restaurant in the biggest category of all, Outstanding Restaurateur.

The 20 semifinalists in each category will be whittled down April 2 to a group of finalists. The awards will be given out June 16.

Vermont typically has numerous semifinalists each year, and in 2022 had an overall winner, the Thai restaurant Saap in Randolph, whose co-owner, Nisachon “Rung” Morgan, won Best Chef: Northeast in a ceremony in Chicago.

This year’s semifinalists from Vermont – four restaurants and a bar – are:

Honey Road/The Grey Jay, Burlington

These two Burlington restaurants – Honey Road is a dinner spot while The Grey Jay is open for breakfast and lunch – are nominated in the James Beard Awards’ lead category, Outstanding Restaurateur, for owners Cara Tobin and Allison Gibson. If the James Beard Awards are the Academy Awards of the restaurant industry, Outstanding Restaurateur is akin to Best Picture, the top prize of the night.

Honey Road is a regular nominee for the James Beard Awards, with Tobin having been a semifinalist for Best Chef: Northeast four times and reaching the finals in that category last year. Honey Road was also nominated for a nationwide prize, Best New Restaurant, in 2018.

The Grey Jay opened in late 2022. Amanda Wildermuth, who works there and at Honey Road, was nominated in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category in 2023.

May Day, Burlington

This Old North End restaurant that opened (naturally) in May of 2022 is one of two Vermont nominees for Best Chef: Northeast, which covers the six New England states. Avery Buck is the May Day chef nominated in that category.

May Day emphasizes local, fresh ingredients. The current menu listed online features large plates such as a May Day beef patty melt, cauliflower steak, steak frites and a chicken Caesar schnitzel.

Canteen Creemee Co., Waitsfield

That Vermont-specific term “creemee,” connoting an especially rich variety of soft-serve ice cream, will get some high-profile national attention thanks to the nomination of this popular Mad River Valley destination. Canteen Creemee’s Charlie Menard joins Buck of May Day as a nominee in the Best Chef: Northeast category.

Canteen Creemee is a big summer draw for its titular dessert, with adventurous flavors including Pumpkin Escobar and Apple Crusher. The modest-looking business in a Waitsfield shopping center is also regarded by many as producing some of the best fried chicken in Vermont.

Wolf Tree, White River Junction

Wolf Tree is a 24-seat cocktail bar in the Connecticut River valley community of White River Junction that’s nominated in the nationwide category of Outstanding Bar.

Cocktails listed on the bar’s website include Friday I’m In Love (“The Cure for what ails you”), a bubbly blend of vodka, citrus, strawberry and mint; You’re Doing Great (“Come for the tequila, stay for the affirmation”), which mixes tequila, ginger, passionfruit, Campari and lime; and I Wanna Be Your Lover (“Softly floral, gently herbaceous, with a hint of stone fruit. 100% sexy”), a concoction of gin, Lillet Blanc, genepy, apricot, grapefruit oil and orange bitters.

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.