Columbus continues to prove itself as a culinary city. On the heels of being named one of the best food cities in the country by Condé Nast Traveler's 2024 Readers' Choice Awards, Ohio's capital city is now home to three 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists. Avishar Barua, chef/owner of Agni and Joya's, was named a semifinalist in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category. Law Bird landed in the Outstanding Bar category, and Dan the Baker is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery.
All three spots have received recent praise by national media outlets. In September, Agni was named one of the best new restaurants of 2024 by Bon Appétit while Law Bird was named one of USA Today's 2024 Best Bars. Dan the Baker was featured in The Atlantic in December for a story about how panettone has become a high-end commodity.
Last year, Columbus had two semifinalists in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category for the James Beard Awards. Experience Columbus led a citywide campaign in the fall of 2024 and 2023 to get Columbus chefs and restaurants recognized by the prestigious awards program.
