Pittsburgh’s culinary scene is once again in the national spotlight as local chefs and restaurants earn recognition as James Beard Award semifinalists for 2026, one of the most prestigious honors in the American food world. This year, Chef Jamilka Borges of Shadyside’s Lilith is a semifinalist in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category for her distinctive blend of Puerto Rican and Sicilian-inspired cuisine. Apteka in Bloomfield also secured a spot in the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category, showcasing their approach to food and drink. These accolades from the James Beard Foundation highlight Pittsburgh’s growing influence on the national scale and honor the creativity and skill that’s right in our own city.
Pittsburgh’s Chef Jamilka Borges of Lilith and Restaurant Apteka Named 2026 James Beard Award Semifinalists
What is the James Beard Award?
A program of the James Beard Foundation, the James Beard Awards are like the Oscars of food. These awards recognize exceptional talent and achievement in restaurants, food media, and hospitality across the United States. Judges look for culinary excellence and consistency, including skill, technique, and a strong point of view in what they are creating. Commitments to sustainability, ethical sourcing, inclusivity, and positive workplace practices, can also play a role.
Chef Jamilka Borges for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Tucked away off the main streets of Shadyside sits the intimate restaurant Lilith. It’s the creation of Chef Jamilka Borges and Chef Dianne DeStefano and it centers around thoughtful cuisine blending multiple cultures. Chef Borges grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and it’s a huge influence on everything she makes. Her dishes combine influences from different parts of the world to present you quite often with something you’ve never tasted before. Chef DeStefano brings Sicilian heritage to the restaurant’s “coastal cuisine” point of view.
At Lilith you’ll find a farm-to-table, handcrafted attitude. This means all their stocks, sauces, breads, and pastries are made in-house daily. The quality comes across instantly as her food wraps its arms around you and embraces you in a warm hug. But, in everything Chef Borges does, you’ll find a deep connection to the Pittsburgh community. For her, embracing locality isn’t just a state of mind, it’s a lifestyle.
Try Chef Jamilka Borges’ recipe for Rainbow Carrot Pierogis to get a taste of her genius.
Apteka for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
This Bloomfield restaurant and natural wine boutique has built a reputation in Pittsburgh for its thoughtful, adventurous beverage offerings that go perfectly with its all-vegan, Eastern and Central European menu. Apteka’s beverage program is not your average list of wines at a restaurant. Instead, it stands out for its carefully curated selection of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines, many of which highlight minimal-intervention winemaking and emphasize the importance of regional character. Often, the wines come from very small scale growers and vintners you are unlikely to see on other wine menus in the United States. They pair these wines with house-made cordials, fermented drinks, and other nonalcoholic options that celebrate craft and tradition.
The James Beard Award semifinalist designation reflects Apteka’s dedication to hospitality, education, and a unique beverage experience. In fact, this isn’t their first rodeo in James Beard nominations. Co-owners and Chefs Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski have been contenders in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category, year after year. They advanced to the finalist round in 2023.
Learn more about these two and how they’ve influenced the culinary landscape in our article on rising chefs.
All finalists for the James Beard Award 2026 will be announced on March 31.
Story by Kylie Thomas
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