Renowned Dover chef Evan Hennessey has been named a James Beard Award finalist for 2026 in the category of Best Chef Northeast less than an hour after opening a new restaurant.
The awards are often referred to as the “Oscars of the food world.”
The finalists were announced March 31 shortly after 10:30 a.m., after his new Mediterranean restaurant in Dover, Topolino opened at 10. Hennessey is also the owner of Stages at One Washington, a high-end restaurant downtown in Dover’s Washington Street Mills, where he serves six customers at a time, cooking in front of them.
The other four Best Chef Northeast finalists are David Distasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT; Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, ME; Paul Trombly, Fancy’s, Burlington, VT; and Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI.
Hennessey said he was “incredibly proud and honored” to be named a finalist in a statement.
“When I first saw the announcement, I almost couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I just opened the doors to Topolino, and then that happened minutes later. Absolutely incredible, just incredible.”
The 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award winners will be announced during a ceremony June 15 in Chicago.
‘Rewrite the book’: Hennessey reflects on awards and career
Hennessey commented on the impact of awards and chiefs in his career, giving thanks to those who support him.
“I can recall a long time ago, seeing the lists being published and always being inspired by the chefs who were brave enough to step outside the box and stand up for what they believed in,” he said. “That was true motivation for me to push my limits and see what I was capable of. I realize how much of an important and transformative platform a restaurant is, and what opportunities it can create for so many people, the community, and the environment. I always wanted to embody that and not only push the envelope but to rewrite the book completely.
“To be recognized on a national stage for the efforts put forth to make positive change in the restaurant industry and be surrounded by my peers doing the same in their communities feels amazing,” he added. “This will continue to serve as motivation in knowing that what we are doing is truly making a difference. I would like to give a huge thanks to my team, our guests, the farms, the fishermen, the foragers, and our community as a whole.”
Hennessey has competed on Food Network’s show “Chopped,” first in 2018, where he was named the champion, and has appeared on “Chopped” and “Chopped Champions” multiple times. He’s also been named a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Northeast in the past and received the Award of Excellence from the Chaine des Rotisseurs. Stages has been named one of the top 100 Best Restaurants in North America by Opinionated About Dining eight years in a row.
Super Secret Ice Cream, in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, was the only other 2026 finalist from New Hampshire, in the Outstanding Bakery category. It was also a finalist in 2025.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover chef Evan Hennessey named James Beard Award finalist for 2026
Reporting by Sarah Donovan, Foster’s Daily Democrat / Fosters Daily Democrat
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