Milwaukee Nabs 4 James Beard Nominations
Chefs and restaurants in Bay View, Walker's Point, scored semifinalist slots.
Mother’s, 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Photo taken June 17, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
Vanessa Rose garnered immediate local praise with the June opening of her Bay View restaurant, Mother’s. Diners raved over the global small plates, complementary cocktails and European approach to service—all backed by an ethos that prioritizes teamwork, inclusivity and fair wages.
Opening a restaurant is risky. Opening one with a people-first business model is even more so. Yet less than seven months into service, Rose woke up Wednesday to a James Beard Award nomination.
Rose is listed in the Emerging Chef category, joining 19 other semifinalists from Philadelphia to Honolulu—and including E.J. Lagasse, son of the legendary Emeril Lagasse.
Milwaukee chefs and businesses earned three additional nominations in separate categories: 1033 Omakase is a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, The Mothership is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar and Lisa Kirkpatrick and Paul Zerkel are among the nominees for Best Chef: Midwest.
Following a series of pop-ups, 1033 Omakase established a permanent Walker’s Point location in late 2024. With Chef Worawit “Ray” Boonyapituksakul at its helm—and a mix of 90s hip-hop and R&B bumping through its speakers—the restaurant immediately transformed Milwaukee’s sushi scene, offering an intimate and extravagant dining experience centered on fresh seafood.
Less than two miles south of the intimate sushi spot, The Mothership slings cheap Hamm’s and exceptional cocktails with equal zest. Led by Ricky Ramirez, The Mothership combines modern techniques, an expansive spirit collection and a knack for well-balanced drinks to create unexpected sensations like a mole-inspired old fashioned and an arroz con gandules dirty martini.
The nomination follows a tumultuous year—and, in many ways, a tumultuous existence—for the Bay View bar, which opened less than a year before the COVID-19 pandemic and last summer shuttered for three months to recoup from major flood damage.
Milwaukee’s fourth nomination also stems from Bay View, recognizing Kirkpatrick and Zerkel of Goodkind. With decades of combined experience across a range of cuisines and locales, the married couple—with bar manager Katie Rose—launched the restaurant in 2014.
Goodkind offers a seasonal menu and an unpretentious approach to fine dining, pairing dishes like champagne-battered mushrooms and lavender and anchovy rubbed leg of lamb with a weekly burger special.
Outside of Milwaukee, chefs and restaurants earned seven nominations across the state. Cultured in Sister Bay is a nominee for Outstanding Bakery, Public Parking in Madison is a nominee for Best New Bar, Hastings Cameron of Imaginary Factory in Madison is a nominee for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service and Sway Brewing & Blending in Baileys Harbor is a nominee for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.
Kasey Lee Cooke of Mint Mark in Madison, Adam Marty of Ellinor in Appleton and Zak Baker of Ca’Lucchenzo in Wauwatosa are all semifinalists for Best Chef: Midwest.
James Beard finalists will be announced March 31, followed by a June 15 awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
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