Seattle, WA
James Beard finalists include an East African restaurant in Detroit and Seattle pho shops
By SOPHIA TAREEN (Associated Press)
CHICAGO (AP) — An East African eatery in Detroit, longtime family owned Seattle pho shops and a Palestinian chef using ancient cooking techniques in Washington, D.C., are among the dozens of finalists for this year’s prestigious James Beard Awards.
The culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars will recognize restaurants and chefs in 22 categories at a ceremony set for Monday in Chicago.
The nominees cover a diverse range of cuisine and chef experience, a recent shift following turbulent, pandemic-era years for the James Beard Foundation. The most-anticipated categories include awards for outstanding restaurateur, chef and restaurant.
Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, who fled Burundi about a decade ago and now own Baobab Fare in Detroit, are among five finalists in the outstanding restaurateur category. The couple faced a difficult road as refugees opening a business in the U.S.
Their restaurant’s menu features kuku, pan-fried chicken in a tangy mustard-onion sauce that’s served with fried plantains, stewed yellow beans and coconut rice.
“We inspire a lot of refugees — refugees who are coming to this country without hope and one day thinking that they can win this kind of title,” Mamba said. “It’s a big deal for us, because we want to show people that this world can be equal.”
The James Beard Foundation has bestowed awards since 1991, except in 2020 and 2021 when the organization scrapped them as the restaurant industry was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation was also facing criticism over a lack of racial diversity and allegations about some nominees’ behavior. Foundation officials vowed to improve ethical standards and be more “reflective of the industry.”
Restaurants apply for the awards. Judges, who mostly remain anonymous, try the cuisine before voting. Nominees are reviewed for the food as well as for a behavioral “code of ethics,” including how employees are treated.
“We are looking at the whole plate,” said Tanya Holland, chair of the awards committee.
For restaurants, just being a finalist can bring wide recognition and boost business. Restaurant awards have become less common in recent years, giving the James Beard Awards even more weight, said Paul Freedman, a Yale University professor whose expertise includes food history.
“It really calls attention to restaurants that might not be all that well known outside their region,” he said.
A Seattle family credited with bringing the first pho shop to the city in the 1980s is also a finalist for outstanding restaurateur with a trio of pho restaurants and their chicken and rice shop called The Boat.
Yenvy Pham, whose parents opened their first restaurant after immigrating from Vietnam, calls a bowl of their pho, with its beefy bone broth and anise and clove aromatics, a “sure thing.” They make the soup fresh every day over 24 hours.
“It’s wild,” she said. “It’s a great honor.”
The other restaurateur finalists are Chris Viaud with three restaurants in New Hampshire, Hollis Wells Silverman with the Eastern Point Collective that runs several Washington, D.C., restaurants, and Erika and Kelly Whitaker for restaurants in Boulder, Colorado.
Some finalists are already lauded, including Michael Rafidi, whose Washington, D.C., restaurant Albi was awarded a coveted Michelin Star in 2022. He is among five finalists for outstanding chef.
Albi, which is Arabic for “my heart,” pays homage to Rafidi’s Palestinian roots by using Old World food preparation techniques. Everything is cooked over charcoal, including grape leaves stuffed with lamb and sfeeha, a meat pie.
“There’s a mission for me to continue to spread light and cook Palestinian food,” he said.
Another finalist for outstanding chef is David Uygur, who runs a tiny Italian restaurant in Dallas. Lucia features fresh pasta made in house and a popular cured meat board. The menu changes seasonally.
Uygur, whose father is Turkish, became interested in Italian food because of love. His high school sweetheart, now wife, loved Italian cuisine. He wanted his restaurant, with just nine tables, to feel intimate.
“I wanted the restaurant to feel like someone was coming to eat our house,” he said. “I wanted our guests in our home.”
Other outstanding chef finalists include Sarah Minnick for Lovely’s Fifty Fifty in Portland, Oregon, Dean Neff of Seabird in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Renee Touponce for The Port of Call in Mystic, Connecticut.
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Associated Press writer Mike Householder in Detroit contributed to this story.
Reliever Nick Davila is making the jump from Double-A to the big leagues to join the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners announced they selected Davila’s contract from Double-A Arkansas on Saturday.
Joel Sherman of MLB Network and The New York Post first reported the right-hander was being promoted to the major leagues earlier in the day.
Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Miller, Robles and more
In a corresponding move, left-hander Josh Simpson was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
Davila filled the last open spot on the Mariners’ 40-man roster.
Davila, 27, has pitched in eight games with the Travelers this season, posting a 2.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 10 strikeouts to one walk over nine innings of work. He’s held opponents to a .182 batting average.
Davila also pitched in seven games for the Mariners during spring training, compiling 6.75 ERA and six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Davila, who signed a minor league contract with the Mariners in March 2023, is in his fourth year in the organization. He pitched across three levels of the minors in 2023, including making three starts for Triple-A Tacoma, his only experience above Double-A during his pro career.
In 2024, the Hialeah, Fla., native pitched in 13 games with a 4.98 ERA over 18 2/3 innings for High-A Everett.
Last season, Davila appeared in 39 games at Double-A. He had a 3.55 ERA over 50 2/3 innings.
Davila went undrafted out of South Florida in 2020 before signing a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers a month after the draft. He made his pro debut the following season with Detroit’s Single-A affiliate.
Simpson, 28, was called up by the Mariners on Friday when right-hander Matt Brash was placed on the 15-day injured list with right lat inflammation. He has yet to pitch in a big league game this season.
In nine appearances with Tacoma prior to be called up, Simpson had a 0.96 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and six walks allowed over 9 1/3 innings.
Simpson pitched in 31 games as a rookie for the Miami Marlins last season, posting a 7.34 ERA over 30 2/3 innings.
The Mariners continue a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. Radio coverage on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app begins with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Seattle Mariners place Matt Brash on IL, recall lefty reliever
• When Brendan Donovan is expected to return to Mariners
• The Seattle Mariners’ competition in AL West doesn’t look strong
• Checking in on how notable ex-Mariners are doing with new teams
• Salk’s Take: What’s behind Mariners shaking off their slow start
Seattle, WA
Sporting Kansas City vs Seattle Sounders FC: TV channel, live stream, and kick-off time | Goal.com US
Today’s game between Sporting Kansas City and Seattle Sounders FC will kick-off at May 2, 2026, 2:30 PM.
The TV channel and live stream options for Sporting Kansas City vs Seattle Sounders FC are listed below. This MLS fixture is available exclusively on Apple TV, which holds the rights to every regular-season match, playoff game, and Leagues Cup fixture in 2026. If you already subscribe to Apple TV, you have full access at no extra cost – no separate pass required. You can stream on any device running the Apple TV app, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, and mobile devices.
Sporting Kansas City host Seattle Sounders FC at Sporting Park in Kansas City in a Major League Soccer Western Conference fixture that could not arrive at a more contrasting moment for the two clubs.
Sporting are in the grip of a serious slump. Five consecutive defeats across all competitions have left them anchored near the foot of the Western Conference, and the numbers make for grim reading. They have conceded ten goals in their last three MLS matches alone, with a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Chicago Fire FC last weekend the latest low point.
Seattle, meanwhile, arrive in Kansas City with momentum behind them. Three wins from their last four outings across all competitions point to a side that has found its rhythm, and their 2-1 victory over FC Dallas last weekend kept them firmly in the hunt for a top-four seed in the West.
The Sounders have also been managing CONCACAF Champions Cup commitments alongside their MLS schedule, which adds context to any minor inconsistencies in form. Brian Schmetzer’s side have handled the fixture congestion well enough, and they head to Kansas City as the form team by some distance.
For Sporting, this is a match that demands a response. The club has not won in MLS since late March, and the gap between them and the playoff positions is growing with each passing week. Home advantage at Sporting Park offers some comfort, but the crowd will need a performance to match the urgency of their situation.
Read on for everything you need to know about how to watch Sporting Kansas City vs Seattle Sounders FC live, including TV channel details, live stream options, and kick-off time.
How to watch Sporting Kansas City vs Seattle Sounders FC with VPN
If you are travelling abroad or just want to access your usual streaming services from a different part of the world, you may run into geo-restrictions. This is where a Virtual Private Network (VPN) comes in handy.
A VPN, such as ExpressVPN, allows you to establish a secure, encrypted connection online. By virtually changing your location to a country where the game is being broadcast, you can bypass blackout restrictions and watch your favourite team live. A step-by-step guide is described later in this article, or you can also check out our guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.
Team news & squads
No confirmed injury or suspension information is currently available for Sporting Kansas City ahead of this fixture, and no projected XI has been released. Updates will be added closer to kick-off as the club provides official confirmation.
Seattle Sounders FC have also not released team news at this stage, with no injuries, suspensions, or probable lineup listed. Check back for the latest squad information before the match.
Form
Sporting Kansas City have lost all five of their last matches across all competitions, recording a W0-D0-L5 run. Their most recent defeat was a 5-0 loss to Chicago Fire FC in MLS on April 26, which followed a 3-0 reverse against Vancouver Whitecaps the previous week. They also lost 3-0 to Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the US Open Cup and fell 1-3 to San Jose Earthquakes in the league. Kansas City conceded 15 goals across these five fixtures and scored just four, with no clean sheets in the sequence.
Seattle Sounders FC have won three of their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent result was a 2-1 win over FC Dallas in MLS on April 26. Before that, they beat St. Louis City 4-1 in the league and defeated Tigres 3-1 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, though they had lost the first leg of that tie 2-0. Across the five games, Seattle scored ten goals and conceded five.
Head-to-Head Record
The most recent meeting between these sides came on August 25, 2025, when Seattle Sounders FC beat Sporting Kansas City 5-2 in an MLS fixture played at Lumen Field. Across the last five head-to-head matches, Seattle have won three and Sporting have won one, with one further result going in Sporting’s favour on home soil — a 2-1 win in Kansas City in July 2025. The Sounders have generally held the upper hand in this fixture, with the aggregate scoreline across the five games reflecting their dominance.
Standings
In the MLS Western Conference, Seattle Sounders FC currently sit fourth, while Sporting Kansas City are positioned 15th.
Step-by-step VPN guide to watch Sporting Kansas City vs Seattle Sounders FC today
NordVPN
- Download & Install: Sign up to ExpressVPN or another reputable VPN service (check out GOAL’s guide here) and download the app on your device.
- Connect to a Server: Open the app and select a server location where the match is being shown (e.g. if you are in the UK but want to watch a US stream, connect to a US server).
- Clear Cache: Sometimes your browser holds onto your old location. Clear your cookies or refresh your browser to ensure the change takes effect.
- Start Streaming: Go to your broadcaster’s website and app and enjoy the game.
How to watch on the Big Screen
Watching on your phone or laptop is fine, but live sports belongs on the big screen. Here is how to get the VPN working on your TV:
- Smart TVs & Fire Stick: Most Android-based TVs and devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Google Chromecast with Google TV have native VPN apps. Simply search for your VPN provider in the app store on your TV, log in, and connect just like you would on your phone.
- Apple TV, Roku & Consoles: These devices often don’t support direct VPN apps. The easiest workaround is to use Smart DNS (usually found in your VPN account settings) or Mirror/Cast the stream from your VPN-connected phone or laptop to your TV.
The Seattle Seahawks kicked off rookie minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Friday. While the rookie draft class and undrafted free agents are all slated to participate, there are dozens of unsigned players who’ve received invites, including some non-rookies still trying to get an NFL contract.
Seattle Seahawks rookie minicamp invitees
And yes, Gee Scott Jr is the son of the longtime Seattle radio personality Gee Scott Sr. Gee Scott Jr was part of the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders practice squads last season, but he didn’t play in a game and otherwise is eligible for tryouts.
If you’re wondering about Jalen Milroe’s rookie minicamp eligibility, he accrued a full season and is under contract and therefore cannot participate.
Seahawks rookie minicamp ends on Saturday, May 2.
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